Caleb Williams Returns Hot as Bears Beat Falcons 31-23

Caleb Williams stepped up in the pocket, rolled right and threw across his body to Colston Loveland at the goal line for a 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive. That set the tone. In his first game back after missing three games with a hamstring injury, Williams went 30 of 36 for 305 yards and a touchdown, and the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.

The win moves Chicago to 4-2, one week after getting blown out in Green Bay. Atlanta falls to 2-4 with two straight home losses.

Caleb Williams Was Nearly Perfect

Williams completed all six of his throws on the first drive, which also featured a hook-and-ladder from Rome Odunze to Roschon Johnson to convert a third-and-11. D'Andre Swift ran in from 4 yards on the next possession, and Chicago outgained Atlanta 154-3 in the first quarter.

His 83 percent completion rate is the highest ever for a Bears quarterback with at least 30 attempts, per NFL Research, and Next Gen Stats had him a perfect 24 of 24 for 248 yards from a clean pocket. It was also his fifth career game with 300-plus passing yards and no interceptions, the most in franchise history. He finished with a 111.2 passer rating, and the Bears even trusted him with a quarterback sneak late to help close it out.

Luther Burden III was the fantasy winner with eight catches for 95 yards, and Loveland added six for 65 and the score.

Swift scored again from 2 yards after Zachariah Branch muffed a punt that Chicago recovered at the Atlanta 10, and Roschon Johnson powered in from 4 in the third quarter. Cairo Santos hit a 50-yarder on the first play of the fourth for a 31-7 lead. Bijan Robinson was held to 61 yards on nine carries.

Kyler Gordon Slams the Door

Then it got loose. With Chicago's backups in on defense, Michael Penix Jr. hit Kyle Pitts for a 10-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion. Johnson fumbled, and Penix found Pitts again from 5 yards, plus another two-pointer, to make it 31-23 with 5:41 left. Penix finished 19 of 33 for 225 yards and three touchdowns.

Kyler Gordon, activated from the PUP list on Saturday and playing his first game of the season, ended it. On third-and-16, he strip-sacked Penix, and Devin Bush recovered at the Atlanta 28 with 2:54 left. Gordon finished with three sacks and two forced fumbles, and Chicago held the ball for 40:08 to Atlanta's 19:52.

There was some mess to clean up, including 12 penalties for 133 yards, but the Bears went 4 of 5 in the red zone and their quarterback looked like himself again.

Now comes the short week. The Bears host Drake Maye and the Patriots at Soldier Field on Thursday night with a shot at 5-2, and if the hamstring holds up, Chicago's ceiling just went right back up.