Jason Owens Staff writer Updated Sun, October 18, 2026 at 9:02 PM UTC About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In this story Caleb Williams is back. So is the explosive Chicago Bears offense.
The Bears quarterback returned on Sunday for his first appearance since sustaining a hamstring strain in Week 2. He got off to the hottest start of his career and led Chicago to a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons .
The Bears opened up a 31-7 lead in Atlanta and appeared well on their way to a blowout. But they ended up needing that cushion to fend off a late Falcons rally that cut the Bears lead to one possession.
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Williams got off to a sizzling start and completed his first 12 passes of the game. The completion streak was the longest of his career to start a game and quickly quelled any concerns that he would be limited in any way by his hamstring injury.
Caleb Williams looked great in his return form a hamstring injury.
Williams led the Bears to a touchdown on each of their first two possessions. And his first touchdown in his return to game action was sensational. With the Bears at second-and-13 from the Atlanta 14-yard line, Williams escaped the Falcons pass rush and rolled out to his right.
He threw back against his body to tight end Colston Loveland, who was surrounded by a pair of Falcons defenders. But Loveland was the only player to get his hands on the ball, and he hauled it in for a touchdown.
It was the type of high-risk, high-reward play that became the staple of Williams' breakout 2025 second season. And it surely put a smile the faces of Bears fans who needed one following last week's 31-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
From there, Williams continued his outstanding play. He finished his day completing 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards with 1 touchdown and no turnovers. And he helped ice the game late by leading a clock-consuming drive after Atlanta scored 16 straight points to cut Chicago's lead to 31-23.
The Bears were able to kneel out the win in the red zone to secure the victory..
With the win, the Bears improve to 4-2 to remain competitive in the race for the NFC North. And the initial panic that Williams had suffered a potentially devastating in Week 2 has come full circle. Williams is back and he looks just fine.
As a team, the Bears outgained the Falcons, 368 to 257. While Chicago's yardage total wasn't eye-popping, the Bears dominated the ball with a 40:08-to-19:52 advantage in time of possession.
Luther Burden III had his best game of the season with 8 catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. As did Loveland, who tallied 6 catches for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.
It was an important win for Chicago with tough upcoming games against last season's Super Bowl participants, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. They remain in second place in the NFC North behind the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings, who have a bye week. The 3-2 Detroit Lions are also on a bye week, while the 3-2 Packers will play the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night.
The Falcons, meanwhile, fall to 2-4 and 0-3 at home in quarterback Michael Penix Jr.' return from a rib injury sustained late in Week 5.
Chicago kept the ball on the ground and chewed out the remainder of the clock in this one.
Backup running back Roschon Johnson broke off an eight-yard run late, but as he was running toward the end zone, he went down to keep the clock running.
Chicago held on for the 31-23 win over Atlanta in Caleb Williams' return.
The Chicago defense has been all over Penix with a pass rush.
The Atlanta quarterback was sacked for a loss of 8 and fumbled. The Bears defense recovered.
After the latest Atlanta TD drive, Chicago is getting the ball back.
The Bears defense forced a three and out. The Falcons will have about 3 and a half minutes to find the end zone and convert yet another two-point conversion.
Chicago had a 16-point lead and needed to just take as much time off the clock as possible. Backup running back Roschon Johnson and the Falcons recovered.
Atlanta then moved down the field and Kyle Pitts scored his second touchdown of the day five plays later.
Penix hit Drake London for the two-point conversion.
All of a sudden, Atlanta trails by 8 with 5:41 to go.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. found Kyle Pitts for the 10-yard score. Atlanta then attempted a two-point conversion, and it was successful.
The Falcons trail the Bears 31-15 with 9:34 left in the game.
The Falcons faced fourth and 10 on their own 34-yard line down 31-7. Michael Penix hit Zachariah Branch for a gain of five, and the Falcons were called for offensive holding.
The penalty was declined, and Chicago took over on the Atlanta side of the field with 14:32 left and up 24.
Chicago took over in great field position after recovering an Atlanta fumble. The Bears offense just ate time off the clock and ended with Cairo Santos hitting a 50-yard field goal.
Chicago leads 31-7 at the start of the fourth quarter.
Chicago extends its lead to 21 with a short rushing touchdown by Roschon Johnson.
With the injury delay, this game still has 1:48 left in the third quarter.
Bijan Robinson picked up four total yards on two carries. Michael Penix was sacked and fumbled the ball.
The Falcons were able to recover it, but facing fourth and 13 from their own 3, had to punt.
Chicago leads 21-7 with 4:38 left in the third quarter.
After the lengthy delay to tend to the injured Falcons defender, the Chicago drive fizzled out.
It looked like the Bears had a big play by Colston Loveland, but he was whistled for offensive pass interference. The play was a fourth-down attempt, but after the extra yardage was added, Chicago opted to punt.
There was a serious injury in the Bears-Falcons game. Kendal Daniels reportedly took a knee to the helmet.
Daniels was ruled out due to a neck injury.
The Falcons got the benefit of a fresh set of downs after a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
Atlanta couldn't do anything with it. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski saw his team facing fourth-and-3, down 21-7, on the Bears' 28-yard line.
Stefanski opted to go for it, but Michael Penix had an incompletion to Drake London, and Atlanta turned the ball over.
It looked like Atlanta was going to begin the second half with a punt. Chicxago was then called for roughing the kicker on the punt attempt and were awardd 15 yards which was enough for a first down.
Atlanta ran only four official plays, but penalties forced the Falcons into a 3rd-and-20 situation. A 17-yard run by Bijan Robinson wasn't able to get a fresh set of downs, and Atlanta punted back to the Bears right before halftime.
Chicago didn't do anything with the extra possession and just took the game to halftime.
The Bears offense did not squander the opportunity given to them from the Falcons' special teams unit muffing the punt.
Chicago ran three plays, with the final being a two-yard touchdown run by D'Andre Swift, his second of the game.
The Bears are now up 21-7 with 1:26 left in the first half.
It looked like Atlanta was going to get the chance for a two-minute drill before halftime.
Zachariah Branch muffed the punt, though, and the Bears were able to recover it on the 10-yard line.
Atlanta's offense has finally tallied some points. After Drake London's huge gain set up the offense, Michael Penix Jr. hit Jahan Dotson, who had an impressive contested catch for the 13-yard score.
The Falcons now trail 14-7 with 5:45 left in the first half.
On the very first play after Chicago's missed field goal, Penix Jr. hit Drake London for a big 39-yard gain to get into the red zone.
Chicago scored back-to-back touchdowns to begin the game, but have now had consecutive drives end without punts
The Bears' most recent drive lasted five plays, and the offense picked up just 18 yards before attempting a 56-yard field goal. Cairo Santos' attempt went wide left.
Welp, spoke too soon. The Chicago defense stepped up big.
After Robinson's big gain, Michael Penix had an incompletion, a six-yard completion to Kyle Pitts, and then Bijan Robinson lost a yard.
Atlanta head coach Kevin Stefanski opted to go for it on fourth and five, but Penix's pass was hit down at the line for a turnover on downs.
Source: Sport
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