The Chicago Bears managed to walk away from the Atlanta Falcons with another win in their bag. Caleb Williams returned to the field following a hamstring injury he suffered in the Bears' embarrassing Week 2 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings.
Williams may have been the star of the show, but several rookies stepped up once again.
Dillon Thieneman
Thieneman has normally been one of the top Bears on the team when it comes to tackles. Week 6 marks his first time NOT at least in the top two for a respective game. But he wasn't absent. Thieneman still recorded two tackles on the day, both of which were solo.
But the highlight of the game for Thieneman had to be his first career sack. It was the opening drive of the second half for the Falcons, and they found themselves on a 3rd and 2. Dennis Allen's defense brought a lot of pressure, and while Thieneman is normally a deep safety, he also blitzed, reaching Penix after easing by Bijan Robinson's block.
Malik Muhammad
Muhammad took 46 defensive snaps with Tyrique Stevenson inactive. The box score credits him with 1 assisted tackle and 1 pass defended, but nothing else. He was, however, dinged for a pass interference call in the third quarter that was enforced for 28 yards.
Zavion Thomas
Thomas recorded 10 offensive snaps and 8 special teams, but in total, he got the ball seven times. He had a good day with the offense, recording 3 catches on 3 targets for 25 yards, including a third down catch for a first down. He had four kickoff returns, totaling 85 yards averaging out to 21.3 yards per return.
Sam Roush
The rookie tight end Sam Roush recorded 24 offensive snaps and 10 on special teams. He didn't net a single target for the second straight week, indicating he served as a blocking tight end for the duration of the game.
Skyler Thomas
Skyler Thomas is another rookie safety for the Bears who took part in the game. Though he didn't record any defensive stats, his participation is noteworthy because it shows how creative the Bears defense has needed to be. Thomas recorded 10 snaps on defense, and another 15 on special teams.
Jordan van den Berg
Jordan van den Berg also didn't record any box score stats, but he did record 8 snaps on defense, and a special teams snap. Playing time is valuable for someone that deep on the depth chart.
Logan Jones
Logan Jones is the prospective future center for the organization, but this was his first time lining up with the offense during a live game situation. He only took seven snaps in a game that the Bears already controlled, but like van den Berg, any playing time is worth the wait.
That's all the rookies that took part in the Week 6 matchup against the Falcons, though several others were either inactive or ruled out prior to the game.
With the Bears on a short week, it's the first time these rookies will experience the thrill of Thursday Night Football, against a Patriots team that is already getting back on track after a slow start to the season. A win for the Patriots puts them one step closer to catching the Bills, while a win for the Bears will put them one step closer to catching the Vikings.
Seven rookies played real snaps in a road win, and that is how a draft class stops being a promise and starts being a foundation.
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