That was a bit too close for comfort, but the Chicago Bears at least managed to pull out a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 action.
Atlanta was down 31-7 at one point in the fourth quarter, but the Falcons rattled off 16 straight points and had a chance to tie with about three minutes to go, but a Kyler Gordon forced fumble saved the day for the Bears. Chicago finished with 368 yards of offense but allowed only 257, and the Bears' defense forced three turnovers.
With a game like this, it feels like there should be more losers than one, but the Bears had so many standout performances that they need to be highlighted. Here are the winners from the Bears' victory.
Winners and losers from Bears' Week 6 win over the Falcons
Winner: Kyler Gordon, CB
Holy smokes, how great was Gordon in this game? He finished with four tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, two quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. And that was off of 16 defensive snaps. Yes, everyone in Chicago owes Gordon a massive apology for what was said about him over the last year.
Winner: Dillon Thieneman, S
This was an odd game for Thieneman; he only had two tackles, but he made an impact in other ways. He also had one pass deflection, one quarterback hit, one tackle for loss, and one sack. The Oregon rookie continues to show why he belongs near the top of the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation.
Winner: Roschon Johnson, RB
Yes, Johnson had an incredibly awful fumble in the fourth quarter that could have cost the team the game, but overall, this was by far the best performance of his career in a Bears uniform. He finished with a team-high 51 rushing yards on 13 carries, with one touchdown, and caught two passes for 34 yards. Bears fans have waited years for Johnson to show the versatility they saw in college, and he finally did when they needed him to step up after Kyle Monangai went down with an injury.
Loser: Rome Odunze, WR
Odunze had a nice 23-yard reception earlier in the game, but he hasn't been able to make the kind of impact a WR1 should. He finished with three receptions for 39 yards in the win. Granted, Caleb Williams will always spread the ball around, but Odunze needs to take that next step as a WR1, and he just isn't.
Winner: Luther Burden III, WR
Luther Burden III is starting to make the WR1 case, and he had a great day for the Bears. He caught all eight of his targets for 95 yards, including a 25-yard completion. Burden is a star and has been heating up for the Bears, and he needed it after a slow start to 2026.
Winner: Devin Bush, LB
No T.J. Edwards, no problem, as Bush stepped up to the plate to have one of his best performances since becoming a Bear. He finished with a team-high seven tackles in the win. He needed this kind of game after an up-and-down start to the 2026 season, but his performance against the Falcons should change that narrative.
Winner: Daniel Hardy, DE
With Dayo Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat out, many expected Austin Booker to step up, but Daniel Hardy did in the clutch. Hardy finished with three tackles, two quarterback hits, one pass deflection, one tackle for loss, and one sack. With all the attention on Gordon, Hardy deserves praise for a great game, too.
Winner: Caleb Williams, QB
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The franchise quarterback returned, and it seemed he had something to prove, so he stuck it to the Falcons. Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown. He became the third quarterback in NFL history to throw 50 touchdowns before throwing 15 interceptions, joining Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. If there was any doubt about Williams before the game, nobody has any now.
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