By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Chicago Bears turned the page quickly after Sunday’s 31-23 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons, shifting their focus to a Thursday Night Football matchup against the New England Patriots at Soldier Field.
The Oct. 22 game kicks off at 7:15 p.m. CT, giving the Bears (4-2) just four days to prepare for a Patriots team that also enters the contest at 4-2.
“This week in particular, you’ve got to turn the page extremely quickly,” coach Ben Johnson said Monday, according to the team’s website. “We enjoyed the plane ride home and when we came back in yesterday, we turned the page really quick, didn’t really touch a whole lot on the [Falcons] game.”
Johnson stressed the importance of consistency as the Bears approach the second half of their schedule.
“We know how big it is to string good performances back-to-back-to-back in this league,” Johnson said. “That’s what the good teams do, and that’s what we’re looking to do here this week.”
The Bears will again be without starting defensive ends Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo on Thursday. The NFL suspended Sweat for two games, and Odeyingbo was placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury.
Despite missing four defensive starters in Atlanta, the Bears held the Falcons to 257 total yards and 13 first downs. The defense limited Bijan Robinson, the NFL’s leading rusher, to 61 yards, his lowest output of the season.
Cornerback Kyler Gordon made an immediate impact in his season debut after being activated from the physically unable to perform list. Gordon recorded 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles, becoming only the second NFL defensive back and first in 41 years to accomplish that feat in a single game, according to the team.
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s aggressive approach was on full display with a season-high 56.4 percent blitz rate.
“I think our guys understand what we’re trying to do at a higher level this year than what we have been,” Johnson said. “You don’t know who is going to be the guy that pops free on a lot of these things, but when you’re doing it and you’re hitting the right landmarks, I think it’s very challenging for an offense to [contend with], particularly on a short week like this.”
Quarterback Caleb Williams continued his strong play after returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games. Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in Atlanta, according to the team’s box score.
Johnson credited Allen’s second-year system for helping the defense play faster. Players are more familiar with their assignments and react with less hesitation.
“You see them playing faster,” Johnson said. “You see us tighter in coverage on the back end, and certainly I think there’s less space for the quarterback to step up into or evade and get out of the pocket because of that.”
The game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video and locally on FOX32 in the Chicago area. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties alongside analyst Kirk Herbstreit, with Kaylee Hartung on the sideline. The Bears’ radio broadcast will air on ESPN Chicago (1000 AM, 100.3 FM HD2).
