Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (ribs) practiced fully Wednesday and is expected to start against a Chicago Bears front that will not have Montez Sweat. The Bears placed Sweat on the suspended list, leaving Atlanta with an opportunity to protect its injured starter and keep its run-first offense on schedule.
Sweat and defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo entered the week as Chicago’s top edge options, but Odeyingbo also did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Locked On Falcons host Aaron Freeman said the potential absence of both players could give Penix a cleaner pocket than the Falcons faced in their Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Penix took every first-team rep Wednesday after leaving late in the Ravens game with a rib injury. Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said he expects Penix to start Sunday if the quarterback continues to progress through the week. Atlanta has a more explosive passing element with Penix available, and the Bears’ depleted edge group could limit its ability to make him uncomfortable without bringing extra rushers.
Locked On Bears host Lorin Cox said Chicago may need defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to manufacture pressure with blitzes because a four-man rush may not consistently disrupt Penix. That creates another calculation for the Bears: added pressure can help an undermanned line, but it also can expose the secondary to play-action throws toward Falcons wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. or vertical targets Jahan Dotson and Zachariah Branch.
Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson makes the matchup even more difficult for Chicago. Robinson enters Week 6 with 580 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and the Falcons lead the NFL in rushing percentage. Freeman framed the run game as Atlanta’s clearest path to dictating the game, particularly if the offense can stay out of long-yardage situations.
Cox pointed to Chicago’s linebacker situation as another problem in containing Robinson. T.J. Edwards did not practice Wednesday, while the Bears must decide how often to add safeties near the line of scrimmage or commit more defenders to the box. Either choice could leave room for Penix to attack favorable matchups after the run game pulls the defense forward.
Atlanta will get a clearer picture of the matchup when Chicago releases its final injury report. If Odeyingbo cannot play, the Falcons can lean on Robinson early and ask Penix to capitalize when the Bears commit extra help to stopping the run.
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