The Chicago Bears were in desperate need of some momentum. That blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers will linger for a while, so taking down a fellow playoff-caliber team on the road was just what the doctor ordered.
While the final score might read '31-23,' this game was never close. The Bears dominated from start to finish, and with Caleb Williams back in the fold, Ben Johnson's offense was back to doing Ben Johnson's offense things.
As usual, there are some things to work on, and injuries continue to be a bit of a concern. Considering that, let's take a look at the four standouts (and one not so much) from the Bears' huge bounce-back performance.
4 winners and 1 loser from the Bears' big Week 6 road win
Winner: Colston Loveland
Finally, Colston Loveland gave the fans what they wanted. The second-year tight end hauled in six receptions on seven targets for 65 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 10.8 yards per catch and was the target on Williams' lone touchdown pass of the evening.
There were some legitimate reasons to be worried about Loveland's production, but things should go back to normal now that the Bears' starting quarterback is back under center. He's just too good to struggle for much longer.
Winner: Luther Burden III
Luther Burden III drew some criticism for not walking the walk after talking the talk against the Packers. Again, with Williams back in the mix, it didn't take long before the second-year wideout reminded everyone who he is.
The Bears' deep ball specialist sliced and diced through the Falcons' secondary. He led the team with eight targets and caught them all, totaling 95 receiving yards (11.9 yards per catch) and making big play after big play.
Winner: Kyler Gordon
It looked like Kyler Gordon might never play another snap for the Bears, but he did much more than that against the Falcons. He may have had the best game of his career, and that's despite not even playing most of the snaps for Dennis Allen's defense.
The Bears' slot cornerback looked like an unleashed bull whenever he got on the field. He set up camp in the Falcons' backfield and sacked Michael Penix Jr. three times, keeping the quarterback in hell on every blitz.
Loser: Roschon Johnson
D'Andre Swift struggled to get anything going in this one, but even then, he wasn't the Bears' worst running back. That honor belongs to Roschon Johnson, whose late-game fumble allowed the Falcons to orchestrate a comeback attempt.
Johnson needed 13 carries to put up 51 rushing yards, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. He scored a touchdown, though, so there's that, but he's clearly not anywhere close to Kyle Monangai. The Bears need their bruiser.
Winner: Caleb Williams
So much for that 'the Bears can still win without Caleb Williams' narrative, huh? The former No. 1 pick was a man on a mission, making great reads, layering throws, spreading the wealth, and getting everyone involved in the offense.
Williams only had one touchdown pass, but he completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards. He was poised and in control, even when the pocket collapsed, and he's only going to get better as he gets his legs back under him.
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