The Chicago Bears were embarrassed by the Green Bay Packers in their last game. However, the Bears are finally getting starting quarterback Caleb Williams back after he missed the last three weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Having Williams back completely changes the offense. The turnover problems Chicago had against the Packers should not be as much of a factor in this game and the Bears should be able to get more going on the ground due to Williams’ rushing threat. However, it does not solve Chicago’s problems on defense. As the game against the Packers proved, the Bears have glaring problems in the secondary, especially with cornerback Jaylon Johnson who allowed 106 yards and a touchdown in that game. But, cornerback Kyler Gordon is expected to make his season debut in this game, giving Chicago a little help in the secondary.
Here is what it would take for the Bears to win this game and what it would take for Chicago to lose this game to the Falcons.
Why the Bears will win
The Bears will win this game and get to 4-2 because of Caleb Williams. Having your starting quarterback return to the lineup brings a different type of energy to the offense; the Falcons are proof of that with Michael Penix Jr. Chicago’s offense has not looked the same since their season opener against the Carolina Panthers when Williams was at quarterback. Weather was a severe factor in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, but will not be this week since they will be in a dome. Williams gets Chicago’s offense back on track and the Bears win.
Defensively, if the Bears are going to win this game, they need to contain Atlanta’s run game. It is not like Chicago is going to hold them to 50 rushing yards or anything close to that, but if the Bears can at least prevent the Falcons from having any chunk plays on the ground, that would be considered a success. Also, Chicago needs to prevent Atlanta’s receivers, specifically Drake London, from having any explosives in the air. With Kyler Gordon coming back, the Bears should be much better in the secondary and do enough to get the victory.
Why the Bears won’t win
The Bears will not win this game because of their defense. Chicago has allowed the ninth-fewest rushing yards through the first five weeks of the season. However, that paints an inaccurate picture of how the Bears have done against the run this season. So far this year, Chicago has allowed 4.4 yards per carry, which is in the bottom half of the league. Meanwhile, the Falcons are top-five in the NFL in yards per carry, averaging over five yards per rush. Atlanta’s run game already exploded against one NFC North team and they will try to do that again in this game.
Also, the Falcons will have watched the film from when the Bears faced the Packers. They will know how to attack Chicago’s secondary and even with Gordon coming back, the Bears have a problem at the cornerback position. Jaylon Johnson is not playing like the Pro-Bowler he was a few years ago and Atlanta is likely to exploit that.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Why the Bears will or won’t beat the Falcons in Week 6