3. What's at stake for both teamsAlthough unexpected to even be in this position, Atlanta needs a victory to snap its losing skid and stay with Tampa Bay atop the NFC South. Chances are the division is only getting one playoff team, so there's just one path to the postseason for the Falcons. Chicago currently is last in the NFC standings, so the playoffs are pretty much already out of the equation. But the Bears would like to continue to make strides on offense and improve on defense as they hope to lay the foundation for a breakthrough in 2023.
David Montgomery (3. 8 ypc) could see more touches but sixth-round pick Trestan Ebner also could get more opportunities. The Falcons got a boost recently with the return of Cordarrelle Patterson from the IR, as the former Bear is averaging 5. 3 yards per carry and has five rushing touchdowns. But Patterson's injury also has given rookie Tyler Allgeier, a fifth-round pick, to show what he can do and the former BYU standout leads the team in rushing with 443 yards. In the passing game, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet have emerged as Fields' favorite targets. Kmet in particular has been fire lately with all five of his touchdown catches coming in the past three games after having none through the first seven. Atlanta has its own dynamic WR-TE combo in rookie Drake London (38 rec., 407 yds., 3 TDs) and Kyle Pitts (25, 313, 2), but both offenses have still had their issues in putting together complete efforts on a weekly basis.
Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons Prediction: NFC Teams Meet Looking to End Losing StreaksWeek 11 of the 2022 NFL season takes us down south, where the Atlanta Falcons will host the Chicago Bears. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses, starting with the Bears (3-7), who fell to the lowly Detroit Lions by just one point last week. While Justin Fields had another historic day for the Bears, the defense, an extremely inopportune missed PAT, and penalties (with some questionable calls mixed in) were their downfall.
Bears vs Falcons: Preview & Predictions 11/20/2022 - BetUSTV
Bears News, Scores, Stats, Rumors & More - Chicago - ESPN
It all starts with the quarterbacks so this game could come down to which one either makes the most impactful plays or the fewest mistakes. 2. Defense is an issueThis side of the ball has been an Achilles heel for both teams in 2022. Chicago's biggest struggles have been stopping the run (142. 0 ypg, 28th), which has contributed to the damage done on the scoreboard (24. 7 ppg, 23rd). The Bears also haven't been able to generate much of a pass rush this season and last week was victimized by the Lions on an eight-play, 91-yard drive towards the end of the fourth quarter for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. It's been a similar story for Atlanta. The Falcons are last in the league against the pass (280.
He's also making strides as a passer even though his counting stats (1, 489 yards, 12 TDs) lag behind and he's also thrown seven interceptions. Pass protection continues to be an issue (he's been sacked a league-high 36 times), but Fields also bears some of the responsibility as he's held onto the ball too long, which he did when he was taken down on back-to-back plays during the Bears' final possession against Detroit. But the key is that Fields is showing improvement in all areas, which has to be an encouraging sign moving forward, and it's starting to show up on the stat sheet.
As for the Falcons (4-6), they're glad to return home after last week's 10-point road defeat at the hands of Carolina. Related: Expert Picks for Every Week 11 NFL GameDespite the loss, and the fact that they are only better than Chicago by two games from a conference standpoint, the Falcons are still in contention in the watered-down NFC South. They only trail idle Tampa Bay for first place, although they enter this week 10th overall in the NFC. Meanwhile, the Bears would just like to get a win after coming up just short in each of their past two games.
Chicago (3-7) at Atlanta (4-6) Kickoff: Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1 p. m. ETTV: FOXLive Stream: fuboTV (Start your free trial)Spread: Falcons -3Tickets: As low as $96 on SITickets. com* Three Things to Watch1. Fields vs. MariotaThe quarterbacks will take center stage when this game kicks off, but both men have guided their teams in different ways.
Chicago leads the league in rushing (201. 7 ypg) but is still last in passing (128. 1 ypg), and only 21st in scoring (21. 7 ppg). But those numbers have been better recently, including averaging more than 30 points per game over their last three. Like Fields, the Falcons' Marcus Mariota is a dual-threat signal-caller who also hasn't put up huge numbers this season.
Getting a road win would be quite the morale booster. Final AnalysisExpect both teams to try and run the ball as often as possible, with play-action passing mixed in. The last time these teams played each other in 2020, it also was in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Bears overcame a 26-10 deficit thanks to a furious fourth-quarter rally that resulted in a 30-26 win. Chicago went to the playoffs that season, but this team isn't quite ready for that stage yet. In fact, these Bears are still just learning how to win. For what it's worth, I see Atlanta getting some payback for that 2020 outcome keeping the Falcons in the postseason mix for at least another week.
1 ypg), which is a big reason why they are 31st in total defense (399. 5 ypg). They are right behind the Bears in points allowed per game (25. 0) and their pass rush has been less effective (13 sacks). But teams have had success running the ball on Atlanta as well, as Carolina piled up 232 yards in the rain last Thursday night with D'Onta Foreman (31 att., 130 yds., TD) doing most of the damage. With so many similarities between these teams when it comes to offensive approach and deficiencies on the other side of the ball, it will be interesting to see if either defense is able to rise to the occasion, whether it be my making the opposing offense one-dimensional, getting consistent pressure on the quarterback, or coming up with a big takeaway.
Fields has been a near-unstoppable weapon with his legs in recent weeks. Against the Lions, he ran for 147 yards on 13 carries, including a 67-yard touchdown that gave Chicago the lead after his pick-six. Unfortunately, Cairo Santos missed the PAT, which proved to be the difference after Detroit scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 2:21 left. That aside, Fields is now sixth in the NFL in rushing with 749 yards and he's averaging a robust 7. 2 yards per carry.
For the Bears, Justin Fields has been the centerpiece of the offense, especially over the last couple of weeks. Against Detroit last week, he totaled 314 combined yards of offense and was responsible for four total touchdowns. He also threw a costly pick-six that allowed Detroit to tie the game in the fourth quarter.
Falcons vs. Bears: How to watch online, live stream info, game
How To Watch the Chicago Bears vs Atlanta Falcons live
Atlanta also leans heavily on the run, which has had a direct impact on Mariota's passing statistics. He's completing 61. 9 percent of his attempts for 1, 747 yards and the same number of touchdowns (12) and interceptions (7) as Fields. Mariota has not had as big of a role in the running game, but he's picked up 347 yards (5. 5 ypc) with three scores on the ground. Atlanta drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round, but it's been Mariota's job from the beginning and he's had a big hand in the team's surprising 4-6 record to this point of the season. Neither quarterback lacks a supporting cast, although Fields won't have running back Khalil Herbert after he was put on injured reserve this week due to a hip injury.
Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons Prediction: NFC Teams
