The Bears are headed to Atlanta for a Week 6 test that could get uncomfortable fast if the matchups tilt the wrong way.
Chicago is trying to steady itself after a rough outing against Green Bay, and the possibility of getting Caleb Williams back in the mix adds a layer of intrigue. On Wednesday morning, head coach Ben Johnson said Williams would be a full participant in practice, but that still does not mean he is cleared to play a full game. That call is still up in the air.
Even with that uncertainty, the Bears cannot afford to treat this like a one-man fix. If they want a much-needed win as they chase the Minnesota Vikings, the game will likely come down to a few specific battles.
The biggest one starts with Bijan Robinson, especially with Montez Sweat suspended. That absence hits Chicago at exactly the wrong moment.
The Bears have been ninth in the league against the run, but without Sweat, that number looks a lot more vulnerable. Robinson has been rolling early, sitting atop the league with 580 rushing yards.
Kenneth Walker III was on a bye in Week 5, so that total could still shift, but Robinson has set the pace so far.
“We want all of our guys available and playing in ball games to help us win. So, that's really what it is. Next man up and we keep it moving.”
Ben Johnson
Chicago already had a tough assignment defending the run with Sweat available. Now the margin for error is even thinner, and the Bears have to survive it anyway.
Then there’s Drake London against Jaylon Johnson, a matchup that could force Chicago into some uncomfortable choices. London has become one of the more dangerous receivers in the league, and Johnson has not been playing at the same level that once made him such a shutdown presence. That has already started to show in his snap count.
The Bears can roll help toward London, but that opens the door elsewhere, and that’s where Robinson can make defenses pay. Atlanta does not need to lean on just its headline names, either. The Falcons have already blown out Green Bay and New Orleans, which is a reminder that this is not a team built around two stars alone.
Dillon Thieneman should have a role in helping over the top. He has shown real ability in deep safety coverage, even if his showing against Green Bay was a step back. Chicago will need him to clean up where Johnson needs support.
For the Bears, this is about more than just holding down Robinson and London. They need a complete effort in all three phases if they are going to leave Atlanta with a win.
In Other News...
Bears Embarrassment In Green Bay Just Took An Even Uglier Turn
The trip to Lambeau Field was already a rough one for Chicago, with the Packers rolling to a 31-7 win and leaving the Bears to sort through another lopsided loss in one of the NFLs most familiar rivalries. Games like that tend to get remembered for the football first, but this one also sparked a separate round of attention when a video from the stands began spreading online.
What made the scene uglier was the behavior of one Bears fan in the crowd, adding an off-field embarrassment to an already tough afternoon for the team and its supporters. Chicago can at least look ahead to some relief on offense, with Caleb Williams expected to return in Week 6 after missing three games because of a right hamstring injury, but the fallout from Green Bay is going to linger a little longer than the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Defense Has A Bigger Problem Than That Packers Loss
During the Bears three-game winning streak, the defense looked like it was finally giving the team a fighting chance, keeping opponents in check and helping steady a season that had been searching for direction. Then came the 31-7 loss to Green Bay, a reminder that improvement and reliability are not the same thing, and that Chicago still has work to do if it wants to hang around in the NFC North.
The bigger issue is that the Bears have too often needed the defense to create extra possessions just to cover for other shortcomings. When that formula works, the team can look much more competitive, but when it does not, the cracks show quickly. Offensively, the Bears still need answers too, but the loss to the Packers made clear that the defense cannot afford to be merely opportunistic if Chicago wants to be taken seriously week to week. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylon Johnson Is Raising A Bigger Bears Concern Than One Bad Play
The Bears Week 5 loss to Green Bay had plenty of ugly moments, but one sequence on the Packers seven-yard touchdown run by MarShawn Lloyd stood out because it said something larger about Chicagos defense. Jaylon Johnson was knocked backward on the play, and it fit the broader picture for a unit that has not been nearly as sturdy as expected while the Bears have slipped to 3-2 and 0-2 in the division.
Johnsons season has already been defined by more than one rough snap, and the concern around him now goes beyond a single play. Injuries have played a role, and so has the drop-off in his performance, leaving Chicago to sort through what that means for a defense that has had too many soft spots already. [Read more 🡒]