Matchups Favoring Bears Against Falcons

The Bears need to take a good look at the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and decide they do not want to be that team in the second year of their rebuild in 2023.

They won't be, simply because they'll have Justin Fields in place at quarterback and can count on points coming from him. The Falcons could have had Fields last year simply by drafting him as a native of the city and a fan of the team. What a story. They didn't want him and are using retread Marcus Mariota, who can occasionally run for some yards and throw for some but generally is a backup quarterback in starter's clothing.

The other thing they neglected besides Fields was their defensive backfield and it shows as they are last in pass defense.

So there should be no argument when a major focus of the Bears offseason is signing or drafting players on the defensive front seven who can play the Tampa-2 and dominate, rather than again using the current collection of late draft picks, converted 3-4 players and waiver-wire pickups.

The Falcons seem to be very well coaches and have some decent players in a few spots but by and large they are in the second year of a rebuild and their roster looks like that of a team in the first year of one.

Atlanta's 31st-ranked defense has trouble stopping the pass and the offense gets yards on the ground (4th ranked) but not through the air.

Kyle Pitts was their first-round pick last year instead of Fields and everyone marveled at his all-around skills for a tight end.

That's just it. He's a tight end, not a quarterback, not a wide receiver, and definitely not a pass rusher. They took a curiousity piece, a luxury item, with the fourth pick of the draft to start a rebuild and they have a defense that is still atrocious in Year 2 of said rebuild.

And what of Pitts' production? He's caught only 25 passes in 54 targets for 313 yards and two TDs this year. He hasn't had a 100-yard game in 2022.

In two seasons, he is at 56.7 for a catch percentage and has just three TDs. The Bears have much more efficient production from tight end Cole Kmet this year, who not only has five TD catches but has blocked well in the running attack from Day 1.

It's a lesson about drafting what's important first for the Bears to follow, but likely one GM Ryan Poles knew long ago. He actually showed it this year by taking defensive backs with his first two picks. Maybe he should have taken some defensive linemen, however.

Here are the matchups greatly favoring the Bears in Sunday's game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Bears DT Justin Jones vs. Falcons LG Colby Gossett

Or you could say, "whoever the Falcons throw out there." Gossett is getting his chance now. They've had Jalen Mayfield, Matt Hennessey and of all people, former Bears backup tackle Elijah Wilkinson start games there. In fact, Wilkinson has the most reps at the spot. gossett is 6-5, 311 and a former Appalachian State player who was drafted in the sixth round by Minnesota in 2018. Pro Football Focus gives him a mediocre 54.1 overall grade but he has been better as a run blocker. Jone might be coming off his best game with three tackles, two for loss and a quarterback hit. He has displayed more consistency in recent games after being converted into a 4-3 three technique and the Bears will need that disruptive factor again going against the NFL's fourth-best rushing team.

Bears WR Darnell Mooney vs. Falcons CB Darren Hall

Mooney has been consistent since Week 4, catching an average of four passes for 54 yards a game but only got to the end zone once. He's capable of more and proved it in his first two seasons. He's been playing like a dependable No. 2 target all year when he was supposed to be a No. 1. But now they have Chase Claypool for that, if they let him on the field. Hall and the entire Falcons secondary are an example of how someone should take Pro Football Focus' grades with a grain of salt. Individually, their cornerbacks all come out looking like average players. Their pass defense is next to last in the league. Is it because of a lack of pass rush? PFF tells everyone the pass rush is not as important as coverage ability. Faults in analytics aside, Hall is 6-foot, 190 and not a bad physical matchup for Mooney, who normally is facing players far bigger. The fourth-round pick has been a starter only for four games. In both of his seasons, SportRadar has him giving up a passer rating of 115 or higher.

Bears WR Chase Claypool vs. Falcons CB Rashad Fenton

Claypool was on the field only 19 plays last week. It's a ridiculous number for a player who was acquired with a second-round draft pick. He wasn't even used much on plays when he was on the field, and the Bears say he was covered with two men on many of his snaps. As much as Luke Getsy has proven his ability to adapt to the talent at hand, his love of wide receivers who block needs to have limits. These players are brought in to catch passes and if they block it's an asset. It's not the other way around. So Claypool and Velus Jones Jr. need to be getting more playing time or the offense's future will look much worse. Fenton is a backup cornerback. It appears he'll play over A.J. Terrell because of a hamstring injury, but this could change. Fenton has six starts and Sportradar puts him at a 125.0 passer rating allowed. It's not much better for the Falcons if they do get back Terrell, as his passer rating against is 122.5. In short, these are defensive backs Fields should be able to beat with his arm rather than legs.

Bears TE Cole Kmet vs. Falcons LB Mykal Walker

Kmet has been at his most productive level all year, if not for his career, by making five TD catches in three weeks. He's also shown a real ability all year to block the edge in this offense and make possible many of Fields' planned QB runs. Kmet showed he could be schemed open deep or get open in the red zone on play-action over the past three weeks and at 6-foot-6 is always a threat over smaller DBs on jump balls. Walker can match up decently as linebackers go with 6-3 height. He has allowed 85.7% completions when targeted, according to Sportradar. Falcons linebackers are more geared as run-stoppers in their 3-4 and are adept at it. Defending the pass hasn't been a strong point.

Bears QB Justin Fields vs. Falcons Defense

If ever it was set up for a quarterback to punish a franchise for not selecting him, this is it. It might not be entirely with his legs this week.

TICKETS TO SEE JUSTIN FIELDS AND THE BEARS THROUGH SI TICKETS

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven