Chicago Bears: 10 Top Plays From Week 1 Against the Falcons

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The Chicago Bears defeated the Atlanta Falcons yesterday at Soldier Field in Chicago and reminded the league just how good they are.

The Bears seem to get no respect from any media outlet and for whatever reason, people find it hard to accept this team as one of the contenders in the NFC. 

Not that the Bears care what we think, but they had to have taken a step in the right direction in terms of earning national respect.

The Bears made plays all over the field Sunday, and this list will rank the 10 best. 

The Highlights

Whether you missed the highlights or just want to watch them again, here is a great link showing the Bears' dominance Sunday.

10. Jay Cutler to Roy Williams for 23 Yards

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Roy Williams had a surprisingly good start to his Chicago Bears career Sunday and caught four passes for 55 yards.

Williams' first catch came at a big moment early in the game when he caught a 23-yard pass for a first down.

Although I've been pretty critical of the Williams signing and the fact he is a starter, I couldn't help but smile at his signature "first-down signal" after the play.

It may be too early to say this, but Williams has a chance to be a big part of this offense if he continues to play like he did Sunday.

Mike Martz ran some great plays to free Williams up and got him the ball early and relatively often.

9. Matt Forte Run Play for a Pickup of 27 Yards

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The Chicago Bears' offense ran a very balanced attack Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons and controlled the tempo of the game by running the ball.

This Bears group looks like it will be a solid rushing team, especially when Marion Barber returns to playing, and could be one of the more balanced teams in the NFL.

Matt Forte is a quality back and ripped off a few runs that helped get the offense going.

None of them were more important than his 27-yard run in the third quarter.

The Bears were backed up inside their own 20 before Forte ripped off almost 30 yards, setting up the offense for the rest of the drive and eventually leading to a touchdown score.

Forte is going to be a major part of the Bears' offense this year, and he got off to a great start in Week 1.

8. Amobi Okoye Sacks Quarterback Matt Ryan

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While this play didn't have a huge impact on the game, it was good to see the Chicago Bears' defensive line dominate the way they did.

New addition Amobi Okoye got his first sack as a Chicago Bear on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and had an overall very nice game.

Okoye is taking the spot that Tommie Harris had owned the past five or six seasons, and he is already making as big of an impact that Harris did near the end of his career in Chicago.

Okoye should benefit from the depth of the Bears' defensive line and especially from playing alongside the type of player Julius Peppers is.

Peppers draws the offenses' attention and makes life easier for the rest of the defensive linemen, including Okoye.

7. Henry Melton's Two Sacks

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Another display of defensive line dominance, Henry Melton had a fantastic game Sunday.

Melton had a great preseason and has earned a lot more playing time this season so far.

Melton had two big sacks Sunday, including one that pinned the Atlanta Falcons on their own 1-yard line and forced them to punt from inside their own end zone.

When the Chicago Bears made the Super Bowl in 2006, one of the best, if not the best, part of their team was the defensive line.

A defensive line that can apply pressure on the quarterback and simply create havoc to throw off the offenses' timing is so vital to the Tampa 2 defense and this Bears team has one of the best defensive lines in the league.

It is only one game, but if the defensive line can keep up that quality of play, the Bears will contend for a Super Bowl.

6. Charles Tillman Forcing Yet Another Fumble

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The Chicago Bears thrive on forcing turnovers and getting good field position for their offense.

This philosophy worked perfectly Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, and the Bears' defense looked like its usual self, working together to steal the ball back from the opposing offense.

Charles Tillman made a huge play Sunday when he stripped Michael Turner of the football, allowing Julius Peppers to recover it and give the Bears possession of the ball.

Tillman has done this his entire career in Chicago and is always a threat to pop the ball out of a defender's grip.

This was such a big play in the game because it was the second possession in a row that the Falcons had turned the ball over and allowed for the Bears to completely take over control of the game.

5. Jay Cutler to Matt Spaeth for a 1-Yard Touchdown

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While my heart still skips a beat every time the Chicago Bears throw the ball in the red zone, Mike Martz did a great job of play-calling in that area of the game Sunday.

The Bears had the ball at the Atlanta Falcons' 1-yard line for a 1st-and-goal and ran a beautiful play action pass that ended with Jay Cutler tossing Matt Spaeth a perfect throw for the score.

While the Bears failed to score touchdowns a few times during red-zone trips Sunday, they did look solid on that one play, and it gave me hope that their red-zone offense could be effective this season.

Matt Spaeth wasn't signed by the Bears to catch touchdown passes, but he made his impact felt Sunday and looks like he could become a nice red-zone weapon for Chicago.

4. Brian Urlacher Intercepts Matt Ryan

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Brian Urlacher had a fantastic game Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons and will probably end up as the Defensive Player of the Week.

Urlacher made plays all over the field, including forcing the game's first turnover when he intercepted Matt Ryan's pass late in the first quarter.

Urlacher dropped into coverage and after Ryan was forced into a poor throw by the Bears' defensive line pressure, Urlacher leaped up and made a diving catch.

Vintage Urlacher.

3. Jay Cutler to Devin Hester for 53 Yards

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Devin Hester showed Sunday that he is continuing to improve as a wide receiver and could become a real offensive threat in the Mike Martz offense.

The Chicago Bears set up a perfect screen pass with a series of complex movements and fakes, throwing the defense off and allowing Hester to get into space.

Devin is the most dangerous receiver in the league in the open field and he once again showed why, taking the pass up the field 53 yards after dodging and weaving through the Falcons' defense.

Hester was knocked out of bounds at the 1-yard line, setting the Bears up for a touchdown on the next play.

Expect to see a heavy dose of screen passes this season from the Bears, with a large portion of them going to Hester.

2. Jay Cutler to Matt Forte for 56 Yards and a Touchdown

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Another guy you should expect to see catching a lot of screen passes for the Chicago Bears is running back Matt Forte.

Forte is an excellent pass-catching back, and his 56-yard touchdown on a screen pass proves it.

Forte opened up the game for the Bears, scoring the team's first touchdown of the season and making a lot of fantasy football owners happy.

The Bears should overreact to this performance and give Matt Forte a new contract.

He is obviously the Bears' back of the future and the future is now; extending his deal or giving him an entirely new one is best for both sides.

1. Brian Urlacher Recovers a Fumble for a Touchdown

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More vintage Chicago Bears defense. The forced fumble returned for a touchdown was the best play of the game Sunday.

Matt Ryan was being heavily pressured by Julius Peppers and crew and in an attempt to escape the pocket, he placed the ball on the ground and lost control of it.

Almost out of nowhere, Brian Urlacher swooped in, picking up the ball and returning it 12 yards to the end zone.

Urlacher was at the right place, at the right time, and once again showed why he is considered one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL and why he is the leader of the Bears team.

Urlacher's score essentially put the game away and clinched a huge Week 1 victory for the Bears.