Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons: Postgame Grades For Chicago

Passing Defense: A

Oct 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Willie Young (97) and defensive end Jared Allen (69) react to a sack against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Bears defeated the Falcons 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The much-maligned defensive line made its presence felt against the Falcons. The Bears’ defense held Matt Ryan to just 277 total yards and 19 completions.

In addition to that, the unit recorded four sacks and did an excellent job of not giving Ryan a lot of time to throw the football. It is also worth noting that the secondary played a physical brand of defense, causing several dropped passes by the Falcons receivers.

The only miscue of the defense from this contest was a 41-yard touchdown reception by Antone Smith that happened in the third quarter, that pulled the Falcons within 13-10.

Rushing Defense: A

Oct 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson (39) runs against Chicago Bears inside linebacker Christian Jones (59) during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the Bears were the worst team in the league against the run, giving up a over 160 yards per contest? Well, for the time being, you can erase those stats from your mental Rolodex.

Not only did the Bears defend the run effectively, they were downright stingy. In fact, the Falcons managed to produce just 42 yards on 13 carries.

Now some would dismiss this stat because Atlanta is a team that thrives on moving the ball through the air. But when you can hold a team to less than 50 yards on the ground, that is a big accomplishment to say the least. And the Bears’ defense certainly deserves some love for consistently shutting down the running lanes.