The Chicago Bears will have to prepare for Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons, with Michael Penix Jr. expected to start at quarterback.
Penix suffered a rib injury late in the Falcons' 30-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore in Week 5. Given his injury history over the last few years, there were concerns it could be more serious, but he appears good to go.
On Wednesday, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said that if Penix performs well in practice, he'll be ready to start. The Bears' defense better be ready to play against the young quarterback.
Bears' defense better fix things before Falcons game with Michael Penix Jr. playing
Penix is having the best season of his young three-year NFL career. He has completed 67.5% of his passes for 719 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Penix also has a QBR of 74.2 and a passer rating of 104.8.
All of that is just a nightmare for a Bears defense that had a nice start, but has completely crumbled over the last week.
They are coming off an ugly 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. They allowed four 40+ yard plays, surrendered 428 total yards, and gave up 358 through the air. Chicago saw Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Malik Muhammad get torched in the secondary.
What makes it worse is that the defense is now dealing with more injuries and more players missing games. T.J. Edwards and Dayo Odeyingbo got hurt in the Packers game and are in jeopardy of missing the game against the Falcons. Montez Sweat was suspended for two games for violating the PED policy, leaving the Bears potentially down two of their best pass rushers.
This certainly leaves the Bears in a horrific spot, with multiple starters out and multiple starters on defense against one of the league's best offenses. Bijan Robinson is one of the NFL's leading rushers, and Penix is playing near lights-out football.
The Bears will have to lean on their young sack leader, Austin Booker, to make a huge impact in his first start of the season, as he leads the team with four sacks. Shemar Turner might be playing his first game of the season after his ACL injury last year and could get more reps than initially expected.
Most importanly, the secondary has to get better. Stevenson injured his hip in the Packers game so that he won't be 100% for the Falcons game. Johnson has allowed over a 100 passer rating and must find a way to play like he did when he made the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 2024. Muhammad had a rough game, but he could see more action, as he's been the team's most consistent corner in coverage this season.
Read more: Ben Johnson's red zone headaches with Bears offense are nowhere close to improving
This Chicago defense needs to regain momentum after a rough game against the Packers. They can't afford to take a backseat against the Falcons.
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