LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Atlanta Falcons are well aware of the situation they face with two games remaining in the regular season and their postseason hopes hanging by a thread.
They simply have little room for error heading into Sunday’s matchup with the host Chicago Bears.
“Unless you’re living in Perth, Australia, or something and you turn your cellphone off, I think you’re aware of it,” third-year Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “It’s just, the reality is nothing matters. When you start to get caught up, it’s just a waste of time. … Nothing matters but Chicago. … Good or bad, you’re just taking energy away from preparing for Sunday. … If you go out there and you don’t play well in Chicago, then nothing else matters.”
The Falcons (7-8) beat the Indianapolis Colts 29-10 last weekend with their best offensive performance this season. They played turnover-free ball and gained 406 yards with journeyman Taylor Heinicke starting at quarterback after second-year pro Desmond Ridder got benched for the second time this season.
Heinicke completed 23 of 33 passes for 229 yards and one touchdown, helping Atlanta shake off back-to-back losses. But the Falcons have a steep hill to climb — and quickly — if they’re going to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, whether they overtake the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South Division title or squeeze in as a wild card.
“Guys are playing for the playoffs, and we can’t make it there unless we win,” Heinicke said. “We go out there and win the next two games and don’t get in? OK. But if we’re talking about other teams winning and we don’t take care of our business, then all that talk is hearsay. Our biggest concern right now is Chicago.”
The Bears (6-9) still have a mathematical shot at the playoffs, too, though their hopes were basically extinguished two weeks ago with a 20-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Chicago was up by 10 in that game, only to blow a double-digit, fourth-quarter lead for the third time in a loss this year.
The Bears bounced back by beating the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 last weekend, with Justin Fields throwing a touchdown pass and running for another. Fields’ future in Chicago remains as murky as ever with two games remaining, but the former Ohio State star insisted he’s not thinking about what might happen in the offseason.
“None of us really have control over our future,” said Fields, an Atlanta-area native who spent his first college season at Georgia before transferring to join the Buckeyes. “The only person who really has control over it is God, and shoot, if he has control over it, then I’m good. So whatever he does with my life, I’m good with that.”
The No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Fields ranks 21st in passer rating and 28th in completion percentage this season. The Bears have to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2025. They could also have a shot at Caleb Williams from Southern California or Drake Maye of North Carolina in the next draft because they also got the Carolina Panthers’ first-rounder in the trade for star receiver D.J. Moore last March.
If the Bears decide to move on from Fields, the Falcons might be a potential trade partner.
Instability and inconsistency at quarterback has been a factor in Atlanta’s struggles. The Falcons rank 16th in total offense but only 24th in scoring.
They set a season high with 29 points last weekend and finished with at least 400 yards for the sixth time. Only the San Francisco 49ers have more 400-yard games, with nine.
Smith, who calls the plays, ultimately will be judged on the team’s offense, which he acknowledges has produced uneven results. Notably, the Falcons have scored more than 30 points in only one game in Smith’s three seasons, a 37-34 overtime win over Carolina on Oct. 30, 2022.
The more consistent production has come from Atlanta’s defense, which was the offseason focus for general manager Terry Fontenot and Smith; it ranks among the league’s top 10 in yards and points allowed.