Whether it was not possessing the ball, Zachariah Branch fumbling (twice), or a terrifying injury to Kendal Daniels, it was an ugly Sunday for the Atlanta Falcons. And while the 31-23 final score looked relatively close, it took a fourth-quarter comeback against backups to even make it look respectable.
It is the second week in a row that it feels like a giant kick in the stomach for a team in a lowly division. Unfortunately, if they had won last week against Baltimore, this game would have been easier to digest. But here we are losing two in a row after winning two in a row.
Here are the winners and losers from another tough Sunday.
The winners and losers from the Atlanta Falcons' Week 6 loss to the Bears
Loser: Zachariah Branch, WR
You hate burying a young wide receiver, but the facts are the facts: he muffed a game-changing punt at the end of the first half and then fumbled a kickoff in the second half. Obviously, you would love to have his explosiveness on special teams, but you can't have him fumbling.
His presence on offense was also limited. He should've seen more opportunities early, with Olamide Zaccheaus continuing to struggle.
Winner: Kyle Pitts, TE
Kyle Pitts came alive late when the Falcons offense finally got going. He ripped that ball away and had an impressive run after, caught a touchdown, and then finished it off by scoring another on a third-down conversion. He finished with five catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns.
Hopefully, we look back on the second half of this game as the time when Pitts got his season back on track.
Loser: Blocking scheme
You knew Kyler Gordon was coming on a blitz and the Falcons could not stop it. They allowed him to take down Michael Penix Jr. three times. It's unacceptable that they couldn't make the adjustments.
If they had been able to block him, this game might have ended differently. You could also point to the million other times Dennis Allen schemed up a blitz that sent a free man at the quarterback, leading to five sacks.
Winner: Brandon Dorlus, DL
Brandon Dorlus had a dominant game, to say the least. He constantly harassed Caleb Williams throughout the game as he beat his blocker right off the snap. He continues to be the most underrated defensive lineman in the NFL.
He finished with a sack, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits. His impact lived beyond that stat line.
Loser: Mike Hughes, CB
Jeff Ulbrich calling Mike Hughes a top cornerback last week was optimistic thinking. We all know he hasn't been good enough to start this year, but the Falcons are up against a wall with injuries.
He was picked on all day long, and the Dirty Birds better hope they get A.J. Terrell and C.J. Henderson soon because the passing defense can't survive with him starting.
Winner: Jake Bailey, P
Having a punter as a winner is never a good sign, but he deserves it. The first-year Falcon boomed the ball no matter where they were on the field. He may have outkicked the coverage, but how can you complain about four punts for 220 yards (55 avg) and a long of 67?
Loser: Pass defense
There is so much blame to go around, and it starts with the pass defense. In his return from a hamstring injury, Williams completed his first dozen passes and didn't stop there. former No. 1 pick finished 30-for-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown--and four of his incompletions were thrown away.
While you usually think of a run game as something that keeps an offense on the field, it was the pass game for the Bears. The inability to get off the field was the biggest reason the offense didn't move the ball until late -- they had no chance to get in rhythm.
Yes, you were missing your top two corners and top two linebackers, for most of the game, but there is no excuse for allowing an 83% completion percentage.
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