Week 1 Pre-Gamin’: Falcons at Bears – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

This time it counts.

Week 1 of the NFL season kicked off on Thursday night, but things really don’t get started until your team takes the field. With that said, the first game of significance for the Chicago Bears is finally here and we are totally ready for it.

After a 2-2 preseason that featured a strong showing by the first-team defense and flashes of brilliance from rookies like quarterback Mitch Trubisky and running back Tarik Cohen, the Bears open the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons, who would have started the season as the defending Super Bowl champions had the team not coughed up a 28-3 lead.

Instead, they open as the defending NFC champions, which was no small feat.

Not only do the Falcons enter the season as a motivated bunch, they’re crazy talented, too. The offense is led by MVP-winning quarterback Matt Ryan, all-world wide receiver Julio Jones, and a high-octane running back tandem featuring Pro Bowler Devonta Freeman and the ultra-skilled Tevin Coleman. Defensively, it’s a unit that forced the normally sure-handed New England Patriots into two turnovers and sacked Tom Brady five times in the Super Bowl.

Vic Beasley could have a game that begs the question why the Bears passed on choosing him with the seventh pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

All things considered, it’s undoubtedly a tall task to take on, but it’s one a team as hungry as the Bears should be up for … especially on their home turf.

 

Game Info

Atlanta Falcons (2016: 11-5, 1st NFC South) at Chicago Bears (2016: 3-13, 4th NFC North) – noon CT on FOX-TV (Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis, Pam Oliver), WBBM-AM 780, WCFS-FM 105.9 (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Zach Zaidman)

Odds: Falcons (-7), Over/Under 48 via Bovada.lv

Game Thread and Week 1 Preview

Your game thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun. And hopefully, we can keep the good times rolling now that the regular season is here.

Your Week 1 Preview lives here.

Coaches

John Fox (128-112 overall, 9-23 with Bears) vs. Dan Quinn (19-13 with Falcons)

Starting Quarterbacks

Bears: Mike Glennon: 4,100 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, 15 interceptions, 59.4 completion percentage, 84.6 rating (21 career games)

versus

Falcons: Matt Ryan: 4,944 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 69.9 completion percentage, 117.1 rating, 83.3 QBR (16 games in 2016)

Bears Expected Offensive Starters

QB Mike Glennon

RB Jordan Howard

FB Michael Burton

WR Kendall Wright

WR Kevin White

TE Dion Sims

LT Charles Leno Jr.

LG Tom Compton/Cody Whitehair

C Cody Whitehair/Hroniss Grasu

RG Josh Sitton

RT Bobby Massie

Bears Expected Defensive Starters

DE Akiem Hicks

NT Eddie Goldman

DE Mitch Unrein

OLB Willie Young

ILB Jerrell Freeman

ILB Danny Trevathan

OLB Leonardy Floyd

CB Marcus Cooper

CB Kyle Fuller

FS Eddie Jackson

SS Quintin Demps

Bears Specialists

Connor Barth (kicker), Pat O’Donnell (punter, holder), Andrew DePaola (long snapper), Deonte Thompson (kick returner), Bryce Callahan (punt returner)

Falcons Expected Offensive Starters

QB Matt Ryan

RB Devonta Freeman

FB Derrick Coleman

WR Julio Jones

WR Mohamed Sanu

TE Austin Hooper

LT Jake Matthews

LG Andy Levitre

C Alex Mack

RG Wes Schweitzer

RT Ryan Schraeder

Falcons Expected Defensive Starters

DE Brooks Reed

DT Dontari Poe

DT Grady Jarrett

DE Courtney Upshaw

OLB Vic Beasley

MLB Deion Jones

OLB De’Vondre Campbell

CB Robert Alford

CB Desmond Trufant

S Ricardo Allen

S Keanu Neal

Falcons Specialists:

Matt Bryant (kicker), Matt Bosher (punter, holder), Josh Harris (long snapper), Andre Roberts (kick return, punt return)