Falcons-Bears series history: Atlanta getting closer to .500

The Atlanta Falcons are just hours away from starting their 2017 season in Chicago with a meeting with the Bears at 1:00 p.m.. This will be the 27th meeting in this series.

Atlanta and Chicago have both been around the league for a while and tend to play each other once every few years—it is pretty rare for these two to play one another two years in a row. The Bears own a 14-12 series advantage over the Falcons, including winning the last two matchups in 2014 and 2011.

Biggest win, biggest loss

Most of the games in this series have been relatively close. Relative to what, you ask? Well, relative to the 36-0 thrashing the Falcons received on November 25, 1985. The rest of the losses have been within ten points or so. David Archer and the Falcons couldn’t overcome the strong rushing attack of Walter Payton and the Bears, plus they could barely move the ball against a fantastic defense.

Twelve years earlier, though, the Falcons took down the Bears in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium on October 14, 1973 by a score of 46-6. That 40 point victory is far and away the largest win the Falcons have had in this series.

What about this week?

This week the Falcons look to get this series closer to a dead heat and take things to a record of 14-13. A big part of that, obviously, is Matt Ryan and how he performs--we all remember the famous comeback he led in 2008. Including that win, Ryan is 2-2 against Chicago, though we know that this team is nothing like the other Falcons teams that have played since 2008. In the four games he has played against the Bears, Ryan has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions, with a completion rate of 61.9 percent.

Dan Quinn has yet to coach against the Bears as a head coach. Let’s hope he starts out 1-0.

The Falcons and the Bears will play at Soldier Field in Chicago tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. on FOX. The game can also be listened to on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta. Atlanta is currently favored by 6.5 points.