The Atlanta Falcons are headed into a huge game this weekend against the Chicago Bears where they will try to get back to .500 going up against one of the best teams in the NFC. 

Ironically, Chicago has also been missing their starting quarterback for the last three games, but Caleb Williams appears likely to return this week from his scary hamstring injury earlier in the season. As it turns out, the Falcons have a great chance of being at full strength as well at the position.

After Michael Penix Jr. got knocked out of the loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a rib injury, the immediate question following the Tua Tagovailoa game-losing interception was just how long he would be out for. Reports never indicated it being a serious issue, and then Atlanta got some tremendous news with Penix returning to the practice field.

On top of Penix actually getting back on the practice field, head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters he should be back on the field this week as long as everything goes according to plan. This gives Atlanta a real chance against the Bears, a win they desperately need to not fall back multiple games below .500 and lose ground in the standings.

The NFC South is there for the taking, and games like this are absolutely massive in deciding things. Picking off a legitimate playoff team in Chicago while other teams play would be massive, and if Penix is on the field, the Falcons have proven they are going to have a chance no matter who the opponent is.

At the end of the day, Atlanta is not a competitive football team without their starting QB, and the first two weeks of the year -- not to mention the end of last week's game -- proved that.

While fans may be rightfully frustrated with the fact that he could not come back into the loss last week, they also know they absolutely need him on the field to have any real chance at winning, especially against a team like the Bears.

As long as Penix does not have any additional setbacks over the next few days, it seems like fans can expect him to start this week at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. If it does play out that way, it should be a great game against a very strong Chicago team.