Windy City Gridiron picks Bears-Falcons

There are 10 undefeated 2-0 NFL teams at this stage of the 2020 season. 10 squads who have managed to separate from a mediocre, uninspiring pack of unproven quarterbacks, unproven rookies, and coaching lethargy (well, most have escaped this last coaching trap). It took a thrilling, if improbable, fourth quarter comeback against the Lions. Then a last gasp defensive closeout over the Giants. But the Bears are one of those such undefeated teams.

Somehow.

Some may disagree on the quality of their victories, or lack thereof. Some may clash over an inevitable roof caving in on what can’t be sustained. But you can’t dispute a record, alone, on paper. And on paper the Bears have two wins, no defeats. In that context, the quibbling over football semantics from Monday through Saturday almost seems irrelevant. A foolish exercise of wasted energy over viewpoints that will never shift meaningfully enough or (for some reason) become any less emotional and charged. For now.

The undefeated Bears next take their undefeated show to Atlanta. Fresh off a devastating collapse in Dallas, Matt Ryan’s Falcons could not be mired in more dire straits. A defense that couldn’t stop a basic passing scheme if it tried. An offense consistently playing catchup because of it. And a team of walking wounded. A recipe for failure, for zero wins, and frustration.

The question(s) and Falcon(s) in the room is (at risk of trite cliches): Does Atlanta play like a desperate, wounded animal in response to the increasingly confident Bears? Or do they start to pack it in for the season before October and Halloween festivities even begin to surface?

The answers to both pressing questions likely determines the outcome of Sunday’s game. Or at least, whether it’s a dog fight to the bitter end or a 60-minute cruise. Regardless of the final summation, this is a matchup the Bears could ill-afford to let loose through their grasp if they have any legitimate playoff aspirations.

Each member of the Windy City Gridiron staff picks Bears-Falcons, along with every other NFL contest in Week 3.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Bill Zimmerman; Like us on Facebook.