Rome Odunze has been waiting for the kind of game that turns all the preseason talk into something real, and Week 6 sets up like the perfect opening.
Back during the 2024 NFL Draft, plenty of Falcons fans were split on what Atlanta should do with the eighth pick. Some wanted a pass-rusher.
Some wanted the best player on the board. That player, in that moment, was Washington receiver Rome Odunze, Michael Penix Jr.’s teammate.
The idea of Odunze lining up next to Drake London would have been a fun one, especially with receiver very much a need for Atlanta then. Instead, the Falcons went with Penix, and Odunze landed with the Chicago Bears one pick later. The expectations followed him there, but the production has not matched the hype.
He has shown flashes of the high-end talent that made him such a coveted prospect: a 6-foot-3 target with crisp route running and solid speed. Some even believed he was a better prospect than Malik Nabers, who is now one of the league’s top receivers. But Odunze has not put it together consistently enough, and that has been the story so far.
Last season, he started fast before injuries knocked him off track. This year has begun in even rougher fashion.
In 2026, he has only one game with more than 52 receiving yards, and that came in Week 4 against the New York Jets. In other words, the boom game has been out there waiting for him.
Now comes Atlanta.
The Bears visit the Falcons in Week 6, and this one brings more than just a homecoming for that old Huskies connection and a few other familiar faces. It also gives Odunze a chance to finally get rolling against a secondary that looks vulnerable.
Chicago may lean heavily on the run, but Odunze is not the kind of player Atlanta can afford to ignore. With Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, and D’Andre Swift also in the mix, he may actually be the Bears’ least intimidating weapon from Jeff Ulbrich’s point of view. That could be a mistake.
The matchup looks favorable on paper and then some. Atlanta is giving up the sixth-most passing yards per game in the NFL, trailing only the Bills, Colts, Jaguars, Lions, and Commanders in that category. And the Falcons may be short-handed on the back end, too.
A.J. Terrell is not eligible to come off IR until Week 7, and C.J.
Henderson’s availability is uncertain because of a groin injury. That leaves Atlanta without its two top outside corners on Sunday, which is a problem against a receiver like Odunze.
He should spend most of his time matched up with Mike Hughes, who has been a major problem in coverage. That’s exactly the kind of corner opposing offenses try to attack, and Chicago would be wise to do the same. With Caleb Williams set to return on Sunday, Ben Johnson should have every reason to lean into that connection and push the ball downfield.
Rome was not built in a day, and Odunze’s breakout has taken longer than many expected. But the setup is there now. The Falcons’ depleted secondary gives him a real chance to finally have that blowup performance everyone has been waiting for.
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Sundays matchup in Chicago has more than enough at stake for the Falcons to keep a close eye on the details, and the game may come down to a handful of individual battles as much as scheme or momentum. Jeff Ulbrich will be under the microscope against Bears coach Ben Johnson, while the trench work on both sides should matter just as much, with Gervon Dexter set to test Jonah Jackson and Atlantas protection up front.
The passing game, though, may offer the clearest swing points for Atlantas offense. Drake London has become the kind of target who forces defenses to make a plan for him every week, and Kyle Pitts is coming off a more involved showing that hinted at a bigger role moving forward. Chicago has enough talent in the secondary and at linebacker to make both matchups interesting, which is exactly why this one feels like it could hinge on a few decisive snaps rather than a long, steady flow. [Read more 🡒]