Chicago Bears: 5 Reason They Will Beat the Atlanta Falcons

The Chicago Bears are being given no chance against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody.

As always the NFL operates by what recent history says. The Falcons went to the Super Bowl. The Bears went 3-13. It’s a no brainer in that regard. Then again this is pro football. Things can change a lot in a years’ time. Is it really so impossible to consider the Bears might have a change in this game? No. In fact there are a number of reasons to believe this can happen.

Here are five that stand out the most and why.

Jordan Howard

The old adage is simple enough. When you’re facing a high octane offense that can score at almost any point, the best thing to do is keep that offense on the sideline The tried and true method of doing this? Run the football. This enables control of the clock, grinds down the opposing defense and keeps that offense out of rhythm. Jordan Howard is a Pro Bowl back who is going against what was the 17th ranked run defense in the NFL last year. He should be able to have success.

The pass rush

Matt Ryan was of course brilliant in 2016, winning MVP honors. What’s somewhat overlooked is that he did it while taking 37 sacks. That’s not a huge number but higher than one would think. It means that for all his brilliance Ryan was not impervious to getting hit. With Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks emerging as potential stars and Pernell McPhee getting healthy, the Bears pass rush is starting to look like one of the most underrated in the league, and they have a chance to showcase why in this game.

The tight ends

Another aspect about the Falcons defense that went somewhat overlooked due to their success? They had a difficult time stopping opposing tight ends. Players like Greg Olsen, Jimmy Graham and Zach Ertz had strong performances against them. This could be big news for the Bears. With Zach Miller, Dion Sims and Adam Shaheen  in play they have an assortment of big bodies who can catch the football. It’s unlikely Atlanta would be able to match up with all of them.

Homefield

A few things about this. The Bears won three games last year. All three were home at Soldier Field. Three of their five home losses were also by six points or less. So even when struggling they were competitive in Chicago. Then there’s the fact that the Falcons lost seven of the past eight games in that stadium. The last time they tasted victory on the banks of Lake Michigan was 34 years ago in 1983. They’ve lost six-straight since then including a 30-12 drubbing in 2011.

No Kyle Shanahan

It cannot be overstated how vital offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was to the Falcons’ success in 2016, especially Matt Ryan’s. Offenses tend to flourish wherever he goes. Now he’s gone and in his place is Steve Sarkisian. A man who has been an offensive coordinator for all of one year at Alabama before jumping to the NFL. To think Atlanta will continue to hum after a change like that is shortsighted and foolhardy. This isn’t the same offense anymore, and that matters.