In a matchup of two teams who will likely finish in opposite directions in the NFC this season, the Atlanta Falcons travel to Chicago to take on the Bears.
During the 2016 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons proved to be the class of the NFC. Running through teams in the playoffs, the Falcons set themselves up for a Super Bowl matchup against the New England Patriots. Atlanta controlled the game through the first three quarters, only to blow a 28-3 lead en-route to the most devastating defeat in Super Bowl history.
Fast forward seven months, and the Falcons have the opportunity to put that loss in the past. They open up their 2017 campaign against the Chicago Bears, who may be one of the worst teams in football this season. The Bears went out and spent big money to bring Mike Glennon in to be their starting quarterback in 2017, but he will be without his best weapon for the season, as Cameron Meredith tore up his knee this preseason.
During the 2017 NFL Draft, the Bears traded up to grab North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, though Bears fans likely will not see him for a while. The team is dedicated to going with Glennon this season, which means running back Jordan Howard will have to shoulder the load on offense. The Bears defense has some talent on it, but they will be no match for a Falcons offense that proved to be prolific last season.
TV Schedule
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Chicago, Illiinois
Venue: Soldier Field
TV Info: Fox Sports (Local), NFL Sunday Ticket
Live Stream: NFL Sunday Ticket
All NFL regular season games can be seen on NFL Sunday Ticket, but you have to pay for the subscription. Local television for this game will be on FOX.
Betting Odds
Point spread: ATL -7
Over/Under: 50.0
The Atlanta Falcons should roll in this one, and the seven-point spread provided by SportsBook Review looks like a gimme. The over/under for this game is set at 50 points, but it has fluctuated a few points since the opening. If the Falcons look anything like they did last season, they could score a ton of points in this one, but the Bears may not have enough firepower to cover that number.
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Prediction
This game is going to get out of hand early, as the Falcons just have way too much offense for the Bears defense to contend with. The Bears lost their best offensive weapon in the passing game this preseason, so expect the Falcons to stack the box against second-year running back Jordan Howard. Howard was magnificent as a rookie in 2016, but this matchup may be too much for him without much of a passing game opposite him.
Atlanta is coming off the worst letdown in the history of the Super Bowl, so expect Dan Quinn to have his team fired up in Week 1. They are going to make sure they give themselves another shot at the big game, and with a healthy roster heading into the opening weekend, they should be firing on all cylinders. Matt Ryan will be looking to show his 2016 campaign was just the start, and with a young, fast defense, Atlanta definitely looks like a team to beat in the NFC.
Final Score: Falcons 38, Bears 13