Atlanta Falcons vs Bears: Game prediction
By Randy Gurzi
The Atlanta Falcons start 2017 on the road against the Chicago Bears, how will the game play out and what will be the final score?
Week 1 in the NFL started with a bang on Thursday night, and will keep rolling through the weekend. The Atlanta Falcons will start out on the road against the Chicago Bears, a team that struggled in 2016 going 3-13.
They added quarterback Mike Glennon in the offseason, but lost wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in free agency. Their offense will rely heavily on running back Jordan Howard — who was second in the NFL in rushing yards as a rookie. Atlanta’s defense hopes to be ready to stop him after adding defensive tackle Dontari Poe in free agency and defensive end Takkarist McKinley in the draft.
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Keys to Victory
Get the ground game going: The Falcons spent a lot of money during training camp to lock up running back Devonta Freeman. He missed most of the preseason thanks to being in the concussion protocol, but is ready to roll. Between him and Tevin Coleman, the Falcons are amazing on the ground, and should they be able to get these two going, it will help keep the Bears edge rushers — like Leonard Floyd — off balance.
Unleash the EDGE: Part of their offensive plan needs to be to run the ball, and on defense they need to stuff the run. With Jordan Howard being so impressive as a rookie the last thing Atlanta needs is to see him get rolling. They are favored in this one, but that doesn’t mean they should take anything lightly, especially Howard.
Play clean football: Back to them being favored, the Falcons can’t afford to give the Bears anything for free to swing momentum. That means quarterback Matt Ryan and company need to play clean and not turn the ball over.
Next: Falcons vs. Bears: 3 Things To Avoid The Upset
Prediction
The Falcons should try and get the offense rolling in their first game with new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. He is bringing a similar style, but there will be wrinkles added. Freeman will continue his impressive play for the team and look for wide receiver Julio Jones to get deep a couple times on the Bears defense. Also, expect edge rusher Vic Beasley to get a few hits on Glennon including at least one sack in their opening game.
Score Prediction
Atlanta 27, Chicago 13