A week after one loss we'd love to forget, the Chicago Bears saw their franchise quarterback return under center and lead them to a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
In a game that very well could have ended by a score of 38-14, or even 45-14, the Bears saw Atlanta close the gap late and make it interesting. Not to get too deep into the weeds, but Ben Johnson threw some backup defenders out there early in the fourth quarter and that, combined with a late fumble from Roschon Johnson, was enough to give Bears fans some pause.
In the end, the better team prevailed, though.
Let's unpack and react.
Caleb Williams came back on a mission
Back after missing three games, Caleb Williams looked as good as we've ever seen him. He finished the day going 30-for-36 passing, for 305 yards and a touchdown. Williams was accurate, mostly decisive and looked like he was playing loose.
He didn't seem to have any limitations, physically, which only furthers the idea that he heals faster than most.
This is a different football team with Williams under center. The Bears had a different energy on both sides of the ball, and it started and ended with number 18.
Kyler Gordon is back with a vengeance
As someone who once thought he'd never play for the Bears again, I was absolutely delighted to not only be proven wrong, but to be made out the fool. Gordon played on limited snaps, but almost every time he was in the game, he came up big.
Gordon ended up having the game of his life with an astounding 3.0 sacks, which is the most in a game by a defensive back since 1982.
His sacks on Michael Penix Jr. completely changed this game. Without him coming on those blitzes, I'm not so sure the defense has the type of day they had. He was downright exceptional in his return.
Bears' offense finally looks like fans imagined all along
With Williams' return also came the sight we waited all offseason to see: Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and Rome Odunze got the ball regularly. Burden led the team with eight targets, while Loveland had seven and Odunze tallied four.
Chicago's run game had a tough time, but still ran it 33 times and didn't shy away from the ground, which kept Atlanta's defense honest and allowed Williams to have success through the air. If this is what the first game back looks like for Williams, I am thrilled to see what happens in the future.
Dennis Allen deserves a game ball
The Bears were down a handful of key defensive players, but you wouldn't have known it for most of the game. Dennis Allen had this defensive line playing with their hair on fire. To say we didn't expect a performance like this would be an understatement.
Chicago's defensive line played fast and aggressive ball from the jump, completely shutting down the Falcons' offense in the first half. It wasn't until the fourth quarter, when Ben Johnson opted to use some reserves, that Atlanta's offense got going a little bit.
There were still some woes in the secondary, but overall, Dennis Allen put on a masterful performance. He brought the blitz at just the right time, every time, and it worked more often than not. The Bears ended the game with five sacks, seven tackles for loss and won the turnover battle 3-to-1.
The Bears desperately miss Kyle Monangai
Let's first give Roschon Johnson some credit for sliding down before the goal line late in the fourth quarter. That was smart.
But, the untimely fumble in the fourth quarter is precisely what allowed the Falcons right back in the game. After Johnson's fumble, the Falcons would go down and make this a one-score game.
We saw a couple of signs of life from Johnson, in this one, but the fumble simply proved that he couldn't handle the big moment. And, there's still a lack of physicality from Johnson. At his size, it's odd and worrisome.
The Bears cannot get Kyle Monangai back soon enough. With their main playmakers healthy and Williams back in the game, they'll be taken to another level entirely.
Bears won't win many games with penalties like this
The Bears' penalties were a major issue. They ended the day with 12 penalties for a whopping 133 yards.
Yes, a couple of them were questionable and may not have deserved to be called.
However, the vast majority of Chicago's penalties were ones they simply cannot have, such as Jahdae Walker being ejected for head-butting an opposing player. Winning a game with that amount of self-inflicted wounds is a rarity in this league, no matter who you are.
That's something you can bet Johnson will focus on this week, and it needs to be cleaned up in a hurry with the defending AFC Champions next on the slate.
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