Chicago Bears Gameday: 3 Keys to victory over the Atlanta Falcons

The 6-9 Chicago Bears play host for the last time this season on New Year's Eve where they will face off against the 7-8 Atlanta Falcons. Looking to earn their fourth win in five weeks, the Bears have been red-hot as of late, and have another great opportunity to continue to build momentum and culture within their locker room.

However, the Falcons will give this team their best shot, as the NFC South team is still in play for not only a potential wildcard spot but a division title as well. The Bears will have their hands full on Sunday, and if they aim to earn a win in their final home game of the year, they will need to accomplish the following keys to victory.

The Chicago Bears Offense Needs to Have a "Next Man Up" Mentality

The injury bug has unfortunately infected the Chicago Bears offense over the last week, and it appears that the team will enter Sunday without wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who suffered a concussion during last week's win versus Arizona. So far this year, Mooney has posted career lows with 27.6 yards per game and 2.1 receptions per game, although he currently holds a career-high of 13.4 yards per reception.

Despite the down season, Mooney has played 75% of the offensive snaps, so without him on the field on Sunday, there will be opportunities for other players to have a larger role in the offense. With Equanimeous St. Brown returning from injury and rookie Tyler Scott only one game removed from his career-best performance against Cleveland, there will likely be some sort of rotation to replace Mooney's snaps in the aggregate. Velus Jones Jr may also be called upon to contribute on offense, although it seems that in recent weeks, the offense has used him more as a rushing threat.