Two NFC teams hungry for a win meet in Week 17 when the Atlanta Falcons (7-8, 5-10 ATS) travel to take on the Chicago Bears (6-9, 7-6-2 ATS) on Sunday. Neither team is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but both have work to do and would need some help to get in. Atlanta just won a home game over the Colts 29-10, easily covering the 2.5-point spread. The Bears are also fresh off a home him, defeating the Cardinals 27-16 and covering as 5.5-point favorites. The Bears are currently listed as 3-point home favorites. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 EST from Soldier Field in Chicago, and can be found regionally on CBS.
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Between these two teams, the Falcons have a better chance to reach the postseason. The Falcons' best hope is to win the NFC South, as they are only one game behind the Buccaneers in the standings, and are tied with the Saints. Atlanta has matchups with the Bears and Saints remaining, while Tampa will play the Saints and the Panthers. The Falcons need help, but their season is not over yet. In their last game, the Falcons turned to Taylor Heinicke at quarterback and he led the team to a win with 229 yards and a touchdown.
Heinicke is likely to start at quarterback for the second straight week. He is averaging 181.8 yards per game with a 4-1 TD-INT ratio this season. Desmond Ridder is active, but has been moved to the bench after not meeting expectations this season. The Falcons have a strong 1-2 punch in the backfield, Bijan Robinson is the lead back and having an excellent rookie season, he aver ages 58.2 yards per game with four touchdowns. Tyler Allgeier is the second back, he adds 43.1 yards per with another four touchdowns. Drake London is having a solid second season, he is the top receiver on the team with 57.7 yards per game and two touchdowns. Kyle Pitts is next up at 42.3 yards per game and three touchdowns, he came into the league with high expectations, but did not have a single game with over 100 receiving yards on the season.
The Falcons are 24th in the league with 19.1 points per game on offense, and their defense ranks 6th by allowing just 19.2 points per. They are led in tackles by safety Jessie Bates III with 117 on the season, he also leads the team with six interceptions, as no other Falcon has more than one. Linebacker Arnold Ebiketie leads the team in sacks with six. The Falcons' defense has generated 16 takeaways, but their offense has turned it over 21 times.
Injury Report:
Quest ionable: QB Taylor Heinicke, G Chris Lindstrom, OT Jake Matthews, LB Lorenzo Carter, DT David Onyemata