Gervon Dexter Sr. spent three seasons collecting paychecks at Halas Hall. On Sunday, he lines up across from the Chicago Bears as the Atlanta Falcons’ newly paid centerpiece up front, and he isn’t the only storyline this matchup carries from Lake Shore Drive to Peachtree Street. Our look at how the Bears have similar dilemmas covered the overlap. These four things are all about Atlanta.
Gervon Dexter’s $78 million bet
The Bears shipped Dexter to Atlanta on cut-down day in August for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round pick. A month later, the Falcons handed him a four-year, $78 million extension with $46.5 million guaranteed.
The box score hasn’t caught up yet. Dexter has just 0.5 sacks and three quarterback hits through five games, per Pro Football Reference. The pressure numbers tell the louder story: he had 15 of Atlanta’s 34 pressures through three weeks, the most among interior defenders, as we noted when the Falcons led in pass-rush win rate. Joe Thuney and the interior line will know his tendencies, and he’ll know theirs.
A quarterback carousel for the record books
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Four different Falcons quarterbacks have thrown an interception in five games, a league record, according to the Associated Press preview. Cooper Rush threw four picks during a 0-2 start, and Tua Tagovailoa’s overtime interception ended the Ravens game.
Penix steadies all of it. Atlanta has scored on 17 of 27 possessions since his return, and he took every first-team rep Wednesday. “It’s not always comfortable, but I made every throw today,” Penix told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Drake London’s three-week heater
From Weeks 3 through 5, no player in the league has more receiving yards than London’s 408, and Brock Bowers sits nearly 100 behind him. He also has 221 yards after the catch, the most of any non-running back, per the Falcons’ team website.
“He’s playing at an extremely high level—like, everything he’s doing,” Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s difficult to defend in all areas of the field.” The oddity is that London still hasn’t caught a touchdown pass this season.
A thin Falcons secondary
Atlanta’s cornerback room is short-handed. A.J. Terrell is on injured reserve, and C.J. Henderson has been ruled out with a groin injury, leaving Mike Hughes and second-round rookie Avieon Terrell to handle Chicago’s receivers.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich isn’t flinching. “Mike Hughes is a top-end starter in this league,” Ulbrich said, per the Falcons’ injury report. “Avieon (Terrell) is emerging.” If Williams is cleared, this is where the Bears should test Atlanta early.
More on the Chicago Bears
- 6 Make-or-Break Players Who Will Decide Whether the Bears Leave Atlanta With a Week 6 Win
- Austin Booker’s 4 Sacks vs. Michael Penix Jr.’s Sore Ribs Could Decide Bears-Falcons
- Bears Stat Line Predictions: Three Players Poised to Deliver Against Falcons
- 4 Things Bears Must Do to Beat the Falcons in Week 6
