The Atlanta Falcons dropped to 2-4 overall following Sunday's 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears. What appeared to be an early blowout turned interesting late as the Falcons put up 16 straight points in the fourth quarter to make it a one-score game.
However, the Bears locked in and put the game away with some clutch plays down the stretch. Ultimately, the Falcons just didn't play well enough to win and are now 0-3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season.
Here are five takeaways from Atlanta's Week 6 loss to Chicago at home.
Falcons get behind early but nearly come back in 4th
The Bears got off to a quick 14-0 lead and out-gained the Falcons 154-3 in offensive yardage in the first quarter alone. The Falcons scored a touchdown in the second quarter but Chicago recovered a muffed punt on the next play. D'Andre
Swift scored to give the Bears a 21-7 lead at halftime. Chicago has a dangerous offense, and attempting to come back from multiple scores was always going to be a tough task.
To their credit, the Falcons nearly did come back. Penix connected with Jahan Dotson for his touchdown pass, then he threw two more to Kyle Pitts in the fourth quarter to make the game interesting. Atlanta forced a fumble and got the ball back with a little over two minutes left. Penix hit Dotson and Pitts to get within scoring range before fumbling on a third-down pass attempt.
Michael Penix Jr. vs. Caleb Williams lives up to hype
The two former top-10 picks from the 2024 NFL Draft faced off for the first time on Sunday. Williams was nearly perfect in the first half, going 19/22 for 197 yards and one touchdown. Williams finished 30/36 for 305 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 111.2.
Penix got off to a much-slower start but picked things up in the second quarter with a couple of nice passes, including a touchdown to Jahan Dotson. The Falcons QB would go on to pass for 225 yards, three touchdowns and one lost fumble for a passer rating of 108.8. Williams wins this round.
Kendal Daniels suffers scary injury, reportedly doing better
Rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels suffered a severe neck injury in the third quarter of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears and was ruled out. Daniels was on the ground for several minutes in a scary moment at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The rookie took a big hit to his head and neck as he went down. The entire team took a knee as Daniels was slowly carted off.
Daniels is reportedly doing better, according to a team statement.
"Atlanta Falcons linebacker Kendal Daniels is alert and has movement in all his extremities. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for further evaluation."
Rookie WR Zachariah Branch has 2 costly fumbles
The Falcons' rookie punt returner muffed two punts on Sunday, both times resulting in points for the Bears. On a day when the team needed to be almost perfect, these special teams miscues proved costly. Branch has been solid this season, but he'll need to shake out a tough day. The third-round pick out of Georgia definitely bounced back with a few nice catches including a two-point conversion to make it a two-score game late.
"We're counting on him," Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said of Branch after the game. "He'll be better for this."
NFC South standings: Falcons still in 2nd place
The Falcons lost, while both the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints won to make the division race a little tighter. Atlanta is now 1.5 games behind Carolina in the standings. Luckily, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still at the bottom of the NFC South at 1-5. Check out the updated division standings going into Week 7.
- Carolina Panthers (3-2)
- Atlanta Falcons (2-4)
- New Orleans Saints (2-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5)
What's next for the Falcons?
In Week 7, the Falcons will host the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The 49ers are the only 5-0 team in the NFL at the moment. Former Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is doing an excellent job as San Francisco's defensive coordinator. The 49ers are allowing just over 18 points per game this season, helping them take a big lead over the rest of the NFC West.
Morris was fired despite winning his last four games in Atlanta to finish with back-to-back 8-9 seasons. We can't blame Morris if he feels slighted, even if he didn't get the team over the hump. Sunday's game starts at 1 p.m. ET in Atlanta.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: 5 takeaways from Falcons' 31-23 loss to Chicago Bears
