This game was televised on national television, Sunday Night Football, for a reason; It was expected to be a very close battle. It did not disappoint. This game started as a defensive battle with zero points scored in the first quarter. The Falcons couldn’t make anything come out offensively. The Bears made their first drive of the game on the field and looked ready for a touchdown when Cutler threw an interception at the 12-yard line.
The Bears scored a touchdown to start the second quarter when Cutler threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Knox, Abilene Christian’s rookie. He has emerged as a solid deep ball threat for the Bears. However, it is not worth owning as a fantasy gamer. A couple of possessions later Cutler through another pick in midfield. This prepared the Falcons for their first touchdown drive. On the third play of the drive, Matt Ryan connected with R. White for a 40-yard touchdown pass. These two have been a great connection this year. Matt Ryan is having anything but a slump in his sophomore year. Both types are headlines every week. The Falcons recovered the ball with 5 minutes to go at halftime and advanced down the field to score another touchdown. This was a 10-yard pass from Ryan to offseason acquisition Tony Gonzalez. It has really helped Ryan do his thing. Tony G is getting the starter, but Atlanta really seems to give him a little extra life. He’s also a must-have tight end every week. Ryan has really helped its production.
The Bears had a great chance to score near the end of the third quarter, but missed due to consecutive fumbles from Matt Forte. Matt Forte hasn’t had a good season so far. Most people will say that it is due to a lack of offensive line and I would have to agree. He was one of the top five draft picks in most leagues, but if the owners had a better option, he wouldn’t be looking to bench. The Bears were able to score on a series that came off a Matt Ryan pick. Cutler threw a 2-yard touchdown to Greg Olsen, who also hasn’t this year. On the next drive, Michael Turner had a 5-yard touchdown run, which turned out to be the game winner. The Bears had a shot late in regulation to tie the game, but Cutler failed to convert a fourth and a 6 in the red zone.
This was a game well played by both teams, except for the stupid penalties that hurt the Bears in their last series. The Falcons are clearly contenders. If the Bears want to be considered for the playoffs, they need to toughen up the boat and get the running game going as well.