Believe it or not, when the Atlanta Falcons (7-8) and the Chicago Bears (6-9) meet on Sunday in their Week 17 matchup, they'll both still be in playoff contention, fighting for a spot. But only one can keep their slim chances alive with a win.
Both teams are coming off a win last Sunday, with the Falcons finally turning to quarterback Taylor Heinicke over Desmond Ridder to beat the Indianapolis Colts. Atlanta had a chance to take over the division a couple of weeks ago with wins over both division rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers, but lost to both in dramatic, last-second fashions.
For the Falcons at this point, if they make the playoffs, it will be a miracle. But winning out, or better yet, not being outright embarrassed like they were against the Buccaneers and Panthers, is paramount if head coach Arthur Smith wants to keep his job, which seemingly is still up in the air. Winning the next two games would give Smith his best record as the Falcons' head coach in his three seasons.
The last time these two faced was last season in Atlanta, where the Falcons escaped with a narrow 27-24 win. They'll be at Soldier Field on Sunday. Can the Falcons make it two in a row? Let's get into some Falcons versus Bears bold predictions for Week 17.
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Bijan Robinson scores for the first time in two weeks and makes the first score of the game
Atlanta fans have seen glimpses of what Bijan Robinson can do this season, but they haven't quite seen enough, which could fall back on Smith. Regardless, Robinson needs to find the end zone again, either rushing the ball or finding it as a receiver, which he's done three times this season. A chilly game in Chicago could be one that has plenty of run game opportunities, though.
Falcons defense holds Justin Fields to 150 yards passing, 30 yards rushing
In last year's matchup, Justin Fields only threw for 153 yards on 21 pass attempts for a touchdown and an interception. But he also ran it 18 times for 85 yards and a touchdown. Over the past two weeks, Fields has been held to under 200 yards passing but has still found part of his game with his legs, specifically last week against the Cardinals when he rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown.
The most rushing yards any quarterback has put on the Falcons this season was Joshua Dobbs when he ran for 66 yards, who also threw for 236 that day. Atlanta can't let that happen if they hope to win on Sunday.
Jessie Bates III intercepts Justin Fields
Daron Bland for the Dallas Cowboys leads the league with eight interceptions this season, but Jessie Bates III is nipping at his heels and tied for second after capturing his sixth last weekend off Gardner Mindshew. Fields has thrown nine interceptions this season and three over his last two games. Bates has two games to tie or better Bland if he doesn't pick off any more himself.
Taylor Heinicke throws an interception on the last drive with Falcons losing to the Bears
While it's clear that Heinicke is without a doubt an upgrade from Ridder, he's still not the answer at quarterback that the Falcons need. Heinicke did what was needed last week and stayed mistake-free, helping Atlanta get a much-needed victory. But he'll be facing a Bears team in Week 17 that is 11th in the league in takeaways, per StatMuse.
Like most of the Falcons' games this year, they'll probably give hope, like attempting to make a game-winning drive, all to end with Heinicke throwing a pick to end it.
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