The Bears' Defense Faces a Tough Test Vs Bijan Robinson in Week 6
The Chicago Bears' run defense faces its toughest test yet on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Although Chicago's run defense has looked better since Week 2, the Bears have yet to face a backfield as dynamic as Atlanta's. Both Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. can pose problems for a defense, making this a difficult matchup for Chicago.
The Falcons' Rushing Attack Has Found Its Rhythm
The Falcons' offense started the year slowly. Throughout the first two weeks, they struggled to produce points, scoring just 16 combined while putting up 565 total yards of offense.
Once Michael Penix Jr. returned in Week 3, their offense turned a corner. However, Penix suffered a rib injury during Atlanta's Week 5 game, leaving his availability for Sunday uncertain. Regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Bears will have to find a way to slow down the Falcons' rushing attack.
Even during their early offensive struggles, the Falcons showed they could move the ball on the ground. They rushed for 143 yards in Week 1 and 157 yards in Week 2.
Bijan Robinson recorded 83 yards on 21 carries in the season opener before finishing with 72 yards on 16 carries the following week. Brian Robinson Jr. also contributed, rushing for 31 yards in Week 1 and 51 yards in Week 2.
The problem was that Atlanta couldn't consistently turn that production into points. Once Penix returned, the Falcons' passing game gave opposing defenses another threat to account for, potentially creating more opportunities for the running game.
The impact was evident in Week 3. Bijan Robinson rushed for 194 yards on 29 carries and scored two touchdowns, while Brian Robinson Jr. added 50 rushing yards and a touchdown. Although the performance came against a Packers team that was struggling at the time, Atlanta's ability to produce that much on the ground was still impressive.
Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. Give Atlanta Two Threats
The Falcons' two-headed rushing attack continued to produce in Weeks 4 and 5. Atlanta finished Week 4 with 205 rushing yards before recording 110 yards on the ground in Week 5.
Week 4 showed just how dangerous this backfield can be. Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while Brian Robinson Jr. added 62 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Scoring five rushing touchdowns in one game, including three from the team's second running back, shows why Atlanta's rushing attack is difficult to contain. Defenses cannot focus exclusively on Bijan Robinson without risking a productive game from Brian Robinson Jr.
Chicago also has a potent rushing attack when its running backs are healthy. However, with Kyle Monangai potentially missing another game, the Bears could have a harder time establishing their own ground game.
If Chicago wants to keep Atlanta's offense from taking control, it will need to find a way to slow down both running backs while making the most of its own offensive possessions.
What the Bears Need to Do to Slow Down Atlanta
Even though the Bears' run defense has looked solid over the last three weeks, their best way to slow down the Falcons' rushing attack is to control time of possession on offense. The way to do that is by running the ball effectively.
Unfortunately, as mentioned above, Monangai is dealing with turf toe. Bears fans will have to wait until Friday to find out if he will be active on Sunday.
If Monangai is inactive again, the Bears need to find another solution in the running game. Last week, Roschon Johnson had just five carries for six yards. That clearly isn't good enough to complement Swift in the backfield.
The Bears elevated Xavier Scott from the practice squad to face the Green Bay Packers, but Ben Johnson didn't get him involved much. Scott is a bigger back like Monangai, so having him active made sense. However, the Bears need to give him more opportunities if they want to see what he can offer in the running game.
Another option on the practice squad is Salvon Ahmed. Ahmed was a preseason standout, and the 27-year-old offers speed similar to Swift. However, if the Bears want a different running style to complement Swift, Scott might make more sense.
Regardless of who gets the carries, the Bears need to establish their running game against Atlanta. Otherwise, they risk putting more pressure on their defense to stop a Falcons offense that has found its rhythm.
That said, the Bears can't rely only on their offense to control this game. Their defense will need to find ways to slow down Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson. Chicago will need to fill holes quickly to prevent Bijan from breaking off explosive runs
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With Dayo Odeyingbo (quad) and T.J. Edwards (hamstring) likely both out, the Bears' defense will have a more difficult time stopping the run.
The Bears also can't let Brian Robinson grind out tough yardage. If they can limit both running backs, they have a chance to slow down the Falcons' rushing attack.
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