The Chicago Bears defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 31-23, in dominant fashion to improve to 4-2 on the season, ahead of a three-game stretch of prime-time games ahead of the Week 10 bye.
The Bears got massive boosts from the returns of quarterback Caleb Williams and cornerback Kyler Gordon, who were the biggest stars of this game. Chicago scored on their first two possessions of the game, going up 14-0, and looked to be in command early. While the Bears defense was missing three key starters in Montez Sweat, T.J. Edwards and Tyrique Stevenson, they allowed just seven points going into the fourth quarter before starters were pulled and the Falcons mounted a comeback that fell just short. Despite a rough fourth quarter all around, Chicago was able to hang on for their fourth win of the season.
We're handing out our game balls to three standout performers, from good to better to best, in the Bears' Week 6 win, and the top two won't come as any surprise.
Good: Bears special teams
All three phases contributed in this win, so we have to recognize special teams after their best showing of the season. Outside of Jahdae Walker head butting a Falcons player, which resulted in his rejection, special teams was a bright spot for the Bears. They totaled two fumble recoveries on punt returns by Zachariah Branch, which helped Chicago jump out to a commanding lead in the fourth quarter. Tory Taylor had another banana ball punt that led to a muffed punt by Branch, which was recovered by Josh Blackwell and gave the Bears the ball on Atlanta's 10-yard line, and eventually led to a D'Andre Swift touchdown run. While Cairo Santos missed a 56-yard field goal, which no one expected him to hit, he did connect on a 50-yarder that helped extend the Bears' lead to 31-7 in the fourth quarter.
Better: QB Caleb Williams
After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Caleb Williams made his long-awaited return, and he did not disappoint. Williams had arguably the best game of his career after missing a month of game action, where he played it safe as a runner, electing to operate as a pocket passer or extend plays, and it led to his best passing showing of his career. Williams went 30-of-36, completing 83.3% of his passes, for 305 yards and one touchdown and no turnovers for a 111.2 passer rating. Williams' return also provided an energy boost for the offense, and he reminded everyone why he's a star in this league.
Best: CB Kyler Gordon
While the Bears were down three key starters, they got back arguably their best defensive player in Kyler Gordon, who only played 16 defensive snaps. And yet, he had the biggest impact on the game on either team. Gordon totaled four tackles, including three tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles on top of two QB hits. It was an absolute monster showing from Gordon, who hadn't played in a football game since January, and saw limited action as he ramps up from injury. If Gordon can stay healthy, which has always been the criticism, it'll be a massive boost for this defense in the long run.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Good, Better, Best: Bears' game balls in impressive win vs. Falcons