The Atlanta Falcons got out to another slow start on offense and were unable to overcome it in their 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Despite trailing by 24 points in the fourth quarter, the Falcons managed to at least make things interesting with a late run.
Atlanta put together back-to-back touchdown drives and had the ball in scoring range with a chance to tie before the team committed its third costly fumble of the day.
Truthfully, the Falcons weren't even competitive for much of the game - wasting a decent effort by the defensive front-seven, which collected five sacks on Caleb Williams and held Chicago to just three yards per carry on the ground.
As is appropriate, the Falcons have earned a poor "C" grade for this week from John
Breech at CBS Sports.
"This game got ugly in the early going thanks to a Falcons' secondary that just couldn't figure out how to slow down the Bears' offense, especially during a first half in which Caleb Williams threw for 197 yards... One problem for Atlanta is that Michael Penix melted down while facing constant pressure. For the Bears, Williams did a good job of extending plays, but Penix couldn't do the same for Atlanta, and that's a big difference between the two quarterbacks. The Falcons also melted down on special teams with Zachariah Branch losing two fumbles -- one on a muffed punt and one on a kickoff -- that led to 10 points for Chicago..."
The culprits are many, beginning with a rough outing for the offensive line and highlighted by two back-breaking fumbles by rookie return specialist Zachariah Branch.
That said, there were some bright spots. Jahan Dotson (three catches, 87 yards, one touchdown) had his best game yet as a Falcon, Kyle Pitts scored twice and Gervon Dexter and Brandon Dorlus were disruptive up front.
However, Michael Penix's numbers (19/33, 225 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, 108.8 passer rating) were a bit misleading. While he played well in the fourth quarter, Penix proved completely helpless under pressure.
All the Falcons can do is play better, but that won't be easy with the undefeated 49ers coming to town this week.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: CBS Sports grades Falcons' Week 6 loss to Chicago Bears
