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Falcons win battle of NFC playoff hopefuls

The Bears are no fans of Sunday Night Football.

Chicago dropped to 0-2 on NBC this regular season after a 21-14 loss in Atlanta in a game that could have a lasting impact when the NFC playoff picture comes into clearer focus later this season.

Jay Cutler moved the ball well through the air — his 41-yard touch pass to Greg Olsen on a game-tying fourth quarter drive was a thing of a beauty — but the Bears made too many costly mistakes in the red zone throughout the game.

A penalty by Orlando Pace set up a Cutler incompletion on fourth-and-six from inside Atlanta’s ten-yard line with under a minute to go in the game.  Chicago previously turned the ball over twice in the red zone on a first quarter Cutler interception and a fumble by Matt Forte on the goal line.

Chicago now trails Minnesota by two in the loss column in the NFC North, while Atlanta is 4-1 with two huge games still on tap with the undefeated Saints.

It’s still very early, but the top-heavy quality of the NFC makes it appear unlikely that any team will sneak into a Wild Card spot with only nine wins like Philadelphia did last year.

That’s why Atlanta’s victory, on a night where Michael Turner was held to 30 yards and Matt Ryan threw two interceptions of his own, could prove invaluable come January.

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7 Responses to “Falcons win battle of NFC playoff hopefuls”
  1. NelsonLRodriguez says: Oct 19, 2009 12:05 AM

    Matt Ryan is overrated. His line gives him all day to throw. Bears beat themselves

  2. skijumper says: Oct 19, 2009 12:09 AM

    “Chicago now trails Minnesota by two in the loss column in the NFC North….” with a 3-2 record. Green Bay also has a 3-2 record but by virute of beating the Bears – now sits in second place in the NFC North. And that may well change on Nov.1 with a 5 point win over the Vikings at Lambeau….

  3. SmackMyVickUp says: Oct 19, 2009 12:20 AM

    Only one team has beat Atlanta at home the past two years. Both teams had bright spots but the sloppy plays overshadowed them.
    Neither team will get a playoff win the way they played tonight.

  4. lolcopter says: Oct 19, 2009 12:30 AM

    lol
    jay cutler sucks, but not nearly as bad as the rest of his team

  5. LarryBird18 says: Oct 19, 2009 1:31 AM

    Bears are not a good football team at ALL!
    Jay Cuntler gave the game away again…Whats that 7 INT’s on the season? Brett has 2? hahaha
    All Day leading the NFL in rushing and TD’s
    Brett’s got top 3 QB rating
    The Pack aint touching this.
    The Bears blow!
    Bow down ladies and gents bow down! See around here, we back up what we say. unlike you dooshes in Chicago and Green Bay!

  6. jd says: Oct 19, 2009 9:26 AM

    Child please! Check the stats on this game. The Bears beat the Falcons all over the field in every category except one: turnovers. The Falcons couldn’t even get a first down until their 4th possesion in the second quarter. If the red zone turnovers were touchdowns, the Bears win by 14.
    Chicago is just getting warmed up. I’ve got one word for all you proud Minnesota fans:
    COLLAPSE
    or I could just say “Vikings” haha

  7. lolcopter says: Oct 19, 2009 11:29 AM

    jd says: October 19, 2009 9:26 AM
    “If the red zone turnovers were touchdowns, the Bears win by 14.”

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