Oct 18, 2026 10:00 AM

The Atlanta Falcons will attempt to get back on the winning track.

The Atlanta Falcons will attempt to turn the page on Sunday afternoon following a heartbreaker last week on Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. There was certainly a path to victory going up against a backup quarterback with a lead in the fourth quarter, but none of that matters now.

This is a week to week league, and Atlanta needs to flush last week's loss and do what it takes to get a win this week, and against a very tough schedule, it is going to take absolutely everything to do just that. As the Chicago Bears arrive to town Sunday afternoon, they get the return of their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and are coming off a blowout against the Green Bay Packers last week.

After being knocked out of the Ravens loss with a rib injury, Michael Penix Jr. returns as well and will attempt to dig his team out of the below .500 hole once more. Here are the three things the Falcons can do to make that happen.

Get Back to Running the Football and Stopping the Run

After looking like the best run offense and run defense in football the two weeks prior, Atlanta was out-rushed 208-110 by the Ravens. Quite simply, this team is not equipped enough to beat great teams when they do not play their game, and running the ball along with stopping the run is their game.

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The Falcons need to get back to that if they want any hope of beating one of the best teams in the NFC this week in Chicago.

Expose Caleb Williams Rust

After missing multiple weeks with a hamstring injury, Williams is back and is going to attempt to get back into the flow of things likely with some easier plays to get him into a rhythm. Atlanta needs to do whatever it takes to disrupt that rhythm and make Williams uncomfortable.

If he does get comfortable and is throwing the ball around the yard, it could be a long day for the Falcons.

Keep Penix On His Feet

As unfortunate as it is, Penix has a reputation for being injury prone which was not helped any last week. Given how poor the situation is when he's not on the field, not allowing Penix to get hit should be the top priority for this offense.

Sometimes this can be easier said than done, but Penix not being hit is clearly a critical element to having success for this team. If it means adjusting protections, Atlanta must do it.

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