Chicago Bears to face a desperate Falcons team

The Chicago Bears face a tough task on Sunday.

The Chicago Bears are off to a 2-0 start, and despite some hiccups along the way, have a legitimate shot to start the season 3-0. Doing so would dramatically increase their chances of making the playoffs, especially with the expanded field. However, it will not be an easy task as the team travels to Atlanta to take on a desperate Falcons team on Sunday.

In the NFL, two of the most dangerous types of teams you can play are those with nothing to lose and those that are desperate. The Falcons certainly fall into the latter category as they sit at the opposite end of the spectrum at 0-2. While they are winless, it is certainly not for a lack of offensive effort, as they have put up a combined 64 points. Unfortunately for them, they have surrendered a combined 78 to the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.

While the Bears have had the opportunity to ease into the season with two below-average teams, the Falcons have had no such luxury. And now they enter Week 3 likely with a sense of desperation.

While they are 0-2, both the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are ahead of them in the NFC South, are 1-1. If they want to keep any playoff hopes alive, Sunday’s game is as close to a must-win as there can be this early in the season. Starting off 0-2 is a big enough hole to dig out of, but 0-3 is nearly impossible to overcome. Looking ahead on the Falcons’ schedule, they take on the 2-0 Green Bay Packers in Week 4.

So with that sense of desperation, they will get ready for a relatively untested Bears team who has looked good at times but clearly still working through the kinks. If the Falcons are going to save their season, it has to start with Chicago.

One thing that seems apparent is the Bears will need to put up some points. While the defense has been strong this year, it will be a challenge to hold the Falcons to anything close to the 13 points the Giants scored on Sunday. It will be incumbent on the offense to stay on the field as much as possible and limit Atlanta’s possessions. This is where Matt Nagy’s renewed commitment to the run will come in handy.

If the offense can do its part, and the defense continues to do their thing, there’s no reason the Bears shouldn’t be able to sneak out of Atlanta 3-0.