Falcons Backs Top List of Bears Problems

It's difficult to look at the Atlanta Falcons and not be impressed by the amount of firepower assembled in pure athletic terms, especially in the running game.

Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield are so talented they caused the Falcons to put Cordarrelle Patterson into the background as the gadget guy he was intended to be when he was in Chicago.

Wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts came near the top of their draft classes.

It could be a difficult assignment for the Bears defense, particularly the run defense because Atlanta has formidable offensive linemen, as well.

"The continuity that they have, obviously (our) run defense has been stout at times and we certainly need to have that this week when we’ve got a big challenge ahead of us for the run," coach Matt Eberflus said. "This team is a really good run team.

"They know how to do it. Obviously they have really good personnel that can do that. So we have to do a really good job this week."

As talented as the Falcons might be in the running game and in terms of passing targets, they haven't been consistent in the passing game or even at scoring in general. The Bears have been a higher-scoring team.

The Bears catch the Falcons coming off of what was easily their most impressive game of the season, a 29-10 win over an Indianapolis Colts team in the midst of a playoff fight.

Yet the team former Bears GM Ryan Pace now works for came into the game off two of its most disappointing defeats, an embarrassing 9-7 loss at the hands of the Carolina Panthers and a 29-25 defeat by Tampa Bay.

Inconsistency is dragging down the Falcons, who had beaten New Orleans and the Jets in successive weeks but also lost to the same team the Bears just handled routinely, the Arizona Cardinals.

It all added up to the need to dump quarterback Desmond Ridder, who has only 10 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, and go to Taylor Heinicke, who has starting playoff experience with Washington. Heinicke authored the rout of the Colts. Yet Ridder played earlier when they beat Green Bay 25-24, Houston 21-19, Tampa Bay 16-13 and New Orleans 24-15.

Here are the players who have to concern the Bears most in a New Year's Eve game against the inconsistent and capable Falcons.

1. RB Bijan Robinson

The rookie first-rounder and former Texas teammate of Roschon Johnson's last week did something which should scare the Bears considering they gave up five catches, 67 yards and a TD receiving Sunday to James Conner and allow the most yards per game receiving by running backs in the league, at 58.9. Robinson is no mere receiving back as he does at all with a 4.6-yard rushing average, 837 rushing yards on 188 carries and is 5-foot-11, 215 pounds. This could be the best back the Bears' No. run 1 defense in the league has faced and probably is the most versatile.

"It's going to be a big challenge for all of our guys," Eberflus said. "It's really about population. It's about getting population to the ball, setting edges on the perimeter, taking good pursuit angles inside-out if you're at the first level or the second level. ... We've got to work together at team defense against that guy for sure."

2. RB Tyler Allgeier

If Robinson isn't enough, Allgeier can unload on defenses as a 5-11, 220-pound tackle breaker who gaine 1,035 yards last year as a rookie. Why the Falcons had to have two dynamic running backs when they had obvious deficiencies in other areas is a real head-scratcher but they do have them. Allgeier is the classic type back who gets better with more work and has suffered overall since Robinson came on board. His yards per carry dropped this year from 4.9 to 3.7 with less work than last year but he's still getting a ton of it. In fact, the Falcons have given both almost equal loads. Robinson has 188 carries and Allgeier 175. It's a true two-headed monster and three when they let Patterson carry it as a gadget player.

3. S Jessie Bates III

It's not often safeties get rated so high but Bates has to be considered a threat for the Bears offense because he leads all safeties in interceptions with six and also has forced three fumbles while leading the Falcons in tackles. It's been a true All-Pro performance by the 26-year-old former Bengals safety and going deep in his area of the field won't net much this week for the Bears.

4. C Drew Dalman

The Bears could only be so fortunate to have a center who is as effective as Dalman has been. Their blocking problems up front might be over. Dalman is part of the reason the Falcons run so effectively without having a true running quarterback like Fields or Lamar Jackson. He is graded third among all centers by Pro Football Focus. He's not a particularly effective pass blocker, but really doesn't need to be in this offense and this week against a Bears defense that usually isn't blitzing linebackers up the middle. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder is mobile and can get out in a wide zone scheme that coach Arthur Smith brought along from Tennessee when he came.

5. DL Calais Campbell

At 37 years old, he doesn't appear to be ready to fade away. At 6-foot-8, he's going to give Fields problems by knocking down passes and he also still sacks the QB. His 5 1/2 sacks are second on the team and at this rate he's going to make the most he's had since 2018 with the Jaguars. His 14 QB hits have matched his most since 2019. They need Campbell and other defensive line players to step up after losing defensive tackle Grady Jarrett to a torn ACL. Jarrett was a real disruptive force to the Bears on offense last year in Atlanta.

6. TE Kyle Pitts

A tight end who can get downfield is one of the worst Bears defensive nightmares, as they showed trying to defend David Njoku in Cleveland. Pitts hasn't been as explosive as everyone expected coming out of college but he's getting more and more work in the passing game. He has 50 catches for 635 yards and a career-high three TDs. It helped his effectiveness when Jonnu Smith was brought on board this year. The Falcons like using multiple tight ends to benefit their running game and Smith has been used almost as extensively as a target (63) as Pitts (82) has.

7. WR Drake London

With 91 targets, 61 catches and 808 yards, it seems the only thing holding back London is the lack of a big-time quarterback and an offense aimed at throwing rather than running. He's getting the job done with 13.2 yards per catch as the Atlanta X-receiver at 6-foot-4, 213 pounds, a real challenge for Jaylon Johnson this week athletically.

8. DE Arnold Ebiketie

The former Temple and Penn State defensive lineman is leading the Falcons in sacks with six in his second season and has 11 quarterback hits. He is more of the pure pass rusher than a run stopper and has started only six of their 15 games, but is a good complement to Bud Dupree (5 sacks).

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