Picking the Winner for Bears vs. Falcons and What the Experts Say

The Chicago Bears 2017 season holds a lot of promise. For the first time it feels like the organization has something building. Their 2016 draft class was a huge success and they hope it continues to yield big results with an assist from the small but intriguing 2017 class. The first game of the year doesn’t always tell the tale of a season. Still facing off with the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons is anything but an easy task. So what should fans know and expect from this Bears vs. Falcons matchup?

Backdrop:

It really is a tale of two different teams. Atlanta was the hottest team in the NFL last season. They went on a tear towards the end of 2016, clobbering both the Seahawks and Packers in the playoffs led by MVP Matt Ryan. They then took it to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, building a 28-3 lead at one point. Then, as almost everybody saw, the wheels came off. Atlanta collapsed in the final minutes to lose 34-28 in overtime. It was a historic collapse. One that many wonder they can get over in time for this season.

Chicago is coming from the opposite direction. A laundry list of injuries was the tale of their 2016. Over 20 players, many of them key starters were lost to injured reserve. Unsurprisingly they found it difficult to win because of that, finishing with a 3-13 record. It was the worst mark put forth by a Bears team in 46 years. Now they enter 2017 with high hopes spurred by the arrival of a promising, young quarterback in Mitch Trubisky.

While Bears nation waits for his time to start, head coach John Fox is working feverishly to get his team ready. Most expect if he can’t deliver a better season this year the 62-year old will likely be fired.

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How the Bears will win:

Questions abound with their passing game. Is there anybody at wide receiver who can step up after the injury to Cameron Meredith? Can Mike Glennon manage the game despite considerable accuracy issues? All fair issues to discuss. However, that’s not how the Bears will win in 2017. Fox has made it clear this team, for now, is built in the classic Chicago tradition. They are going to run the ball and play good defense.

Not surprising since those are their two areas of strength. Jordan Howard went to the Pro Bowl last year with 1,313 yards in just 13 starts. The defense finished a respectable 15th in the NFL despite missing half its starting roster Every sign points to their front seven with Leonard Floyd, Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Jerrell Freeman being one of the better units in the league.

Atlanta ranked just 17th stopping the run and lost offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan in the offseason. So there’s a chance for the Bears to play well in those areas.

How the Bears will lose:

It’s fairly simple. The Falcons are an offensively-driven team. The bulk of their talent is on that side of the ball. There’s MVP Matt Ryan, superstar receiver Julio Jones, Pro Bowl running back Devonta Freeman and speedy weapon Taylor Gabriel. That’s not counting the sure-handed Mohamed Sanu or underrated Tevin Coleman. It’s a deep, diverse group that could hang 40 points on just about anybody.

The last thing the Bears want to do is get into a tit-for-tat situation with them. Atlanta will want to create big plays. They averaged a whopping 6.69 yards per offensive play in 2016. That was a huge reason they scored 540 points. If the Bears don’t shorten the game by running the football and can’t get off the field on third down, a problem last year, then it’s going to be a long day.

What the experts say:

The pick: Bears win 23-20

Watching the Patriots on opening night get blasted by Kansas City had to given fans hope. Maybe this Bears vs. Falcons game might not be so one-sided after all. Keep in mind Atlanta has not won a game in Chicago since 1983. They’ve lost six-straight since then. Throw in the very real Super Bowl hangover situation and this feels like a ripe opportunity for the Bears to steal a victory. It won’t be easy, but a string of late field goals helps them escape with the upset.