Caleb Williams completes first 12
passes in return after missing 3 games as Bears top Falcons 31-23
[October 19, 2026]
By CHARLES ODUM
ATLANTA (AP) — Caleb Williams had been “itching” on the sideline
while missing three straight games.
Finally cleared to play, Williams performed as if determined to make
up for lost time.
Williams completed his first 12 passes in his return from a
hamstring injury, D'Andre Swift ran for two touchdowns and the
Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23 on Sunday.
“You’re itching on the sideline during the season,” Williams said.
“I’ve had a hamstring injury before, but it was at the end of the
year. I had three weeks to be able to get back and play. And so
being able sit back and recover, recover, recover ... and when I get
back just to show who I am and who we are.”
Williams said he “felt comfortable from the rip.”
The Bears led 31-7 before holding off Atlanta's comeback attempt in
the final quarter.
Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon, who was activated from the physically
unable to perform list before the game in his return from a calf
injury, had three sacks and two forced fumbles. Gordon's big day was
capped by a sack of Michael Penix Jr. and forced fumble with 2:54
remaining and the Bears protecting a 31-23 lead. The fumble was
recovered by Devin Bush at the Atlanta 28.
Gordon was limited by a groin injury to three regular-season games
and two playoff games last season before suffering the calf injury
which delayed his 2026 debut.
“I asked him if he was ready to go,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said of
his update with Gordon this week. “He said ‘absolutely’ and he
certainly was.”
The Bears ran out the clock inside the Atlanta 5.
Williams was both mobile and accurate in his impressive return for
the Bears (4-2). He opened the game by completing 6 of 6 passes for
64 yards, including a 14-yard scoring pass to Colston Loveland, on
Chicago's opening drive.
Williams was 12 of 12 for 142 yards before throwing his first
incompletion in the second quarter. Though the Bears won two of
three games with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum filing in at
quarterback, Williams' return sparked the offense. He completed 30
of 36 passes for 305 yards with one touchdown.
“I didn’t know that I went 30 for 36, and so I've got to go
obviously back and watch the tape,” Williams said when asked if this
was his best game. "I missed a couple things.”
Penix completed 19 of 33 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns
for Atlanta (2-4) after leaving last week’s 30-23 overtime loss to
the Baltimore Ravens with a rib injury.
The Bears' strong start diminished the effectiveness of Falcons
running back Bijan Robinson, who had only nine carries for 61 yards.
“We just can’t get off a schedule like that,” Penix said. “We’ve got
to find a way to start fast so that we can keep Bijan in the game,
keep the running backs and the running game going so that we can go
out there execute things in the pass game as well.”
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes against the Atlanta
Falcons during the first half of an NFL football game in Atlanta,
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Penix threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jahan
Dotson in the second quarter. The perfectly placed back-shoulder
fade pass cut the Bears' lead to 14-7, but a fumbled fair catch
attempt by Zachariah Branch gave Chicago possession at the Atlanta
10 late in the first half. Branch also lost a fumble on a kickoff
return late in the third quarter.
The Falcons didn't score again until Penix found Kyle Pitts on a
10-yard scoring pass in the fourth quarter. Penix then completed a
pass to Branch for the 2-point play.
Roschon Johnson's lost fumble set up Penix's second
scoring pass to Pitts with 5:41 remaining. After leading 31-7,
Chicago's advantage was trimmed to 31-23 on Penix's 2-point pass to
Drake London.
Overcoming penalties
Chicago overcame 12 penalties for 133 yards. Wide receiver Jahdae
Walker was ejected in the fourth quarter after being called for a
personal foul for head-butting Atlanta's Chris Blair.
“We just got to be more aware of it and play cleaner football with
our hands and things of that nature,” Johnson said. “So what we’ll
look at that. We had some penalty issues early in the season. Last
few weeks we cleaned those up significantly. This one is kind of
back up again."
Slow start is frustrating for Falcons
The strong start by Williams and the Bears meant a slow start for
the Falcons.
“We talked at length about starting fast in this ball game, and we
did not,” said Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski. “That’s on me and our
and our staff. We’ve got to get that fixed because that’s when we
just put ourselves in the hole."
Injuries
Bears: DB Cam Lewis was evaluated for a concussion in the second
quarter. RB Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) was inactive. RG Jonah
Jackson was ruled doubtful to return with a hip injury in the third
quarter.
Falcons: ILB Kendal Daniels was carted off the field midway through
the third quarter after making a helmet-first tackle on tight end
Colston Loveland. Daniels' head snapped back and Falcons players
circled Daniels as he was strapped onto the stretcher and driven off
the field. He was officially ruled out with a neck injury and the
Falcons announced he was alert and had movement in all extremities
and was being evaluated at Grady Hospital in Atlanta . ... ILB
Divine Deablo (arm) was ruled out in the second quarter. CB Avieon
Terrell (left shoulder) left the game in the second quarter. DB
Billy Bowman Jr. was ruled doubtful with a hamstring injury.
Up next
Bears: Host New England on Thursday night.
Falcons: Host San Francisco next Sunday.
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