On Sunday, the Chicago Bears held it together to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23. After leading 31-7, the Falcons mounted a comeback into the 4th quarter, scoring 16 points, but the Bears held on.
A decent number of Bears fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta may have helped. They made up more than half of the fans present.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski took notice in his post-game press conference, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
“We love our fans,” Stefanski said. “Our fans are so supportive. We knew we likely would have to be on a silent count.”
There is no question that the Bears have one of the most loyal fanbases in the NFL. They are one of the most marketable and recognizable franchises to transcend Chicago.
In fact, Bears fans are often unmistakable in opposing stadiums. On September 13, Chicago fans unleashed “Green Bay sucks” at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte in their 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers.
That same chant appeared to resonate throughout the stadium in Atlanta while linebacker Kendal Daniels was lying motionless on the field after a brutal hit and was taken off on a stretcher.
Nonetheless, the fans showed up and showed out. Plus, they witnessed Caleb Williams return in full force after a hamstring injury, completing 30-for-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown.
The Bears are now at 4-2 and tied for 2nd in the NFC North with the Packers. They will head back to Chicago to play the New England Patriots on Thursday at 7:15 pm CST/8:15 pm EST.