The Falcons fell short in overtime to a depleted but clearly still dangerous Ravens team in Week 5, ending their hot streak since Michael Penix Jr.’s return. With Penix Jr. exiting the game with a rib injury—which doesn’t appear to be serious—Atlanta’s ability to compete in Week 6 and beyond becomes murkier. While the Falcons were in excellent position to win the game in regulation on Sunday Night Football, this team’s old habits of blowing late leads reared their ugly head once more.
That makes projecting Atlanta all the more difficult heading into this week’s matchup with the red-hot Chicago Bears offense. FanDuel currently has the Falcons as 2.5-point home underdogs to the Bears, with an over/under set at 50.5. This is clearly expected to be an offensive showcase, but questions about the starting quarterbacks for both teams linger. Will Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. both return for the game on Sunday, or will one (or both) miss the contest?
That’s casting a bit of a shadow over this matchup, as the Bears are coming off their worst performance of the season against a Packers team that the Falcons absolutely embarrassed just a few weeks prior. If Williams returns, I’d expect the line to shift heavily towards Chicago before kickoff. If Penix Jr. returns, I’d think the same for Atlanta. If both are slated to play, things may largely stay the same—just with the over/under increasing several points.
We’ll hope for positive health updates for the Falcons this week as we await the status of multiple players who left Sunday night’s game, including multiple cornerbacks. Atlanta’s defense has weathered injuries well thus far, but they’re becoming perilously thin in the secondary and at edge rusher.