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Mitchell Trubisky all but begged the Atlanta Falcons to win their first game of the 2020 NFL season, helping the NFC South contenders build a 16-point lead with an interception late in Sunday's Week 3 contest. Then the Chicago Bears unleashed their secret weapon: Nick Foles. Thrust into the game to replace Trubisky, Foles proceeded to pick apart the Falcons defense, throwing three touchdowns as Chicago dropped 20 points in the fourth quarter alone, rolling to a stunning 30-26 victory to send Atlanta to 0-3 and make the Falcons the first team in 20 years to blow multiple 15-point fourth-quarter leads in a single season.
Here are some immediate takeaways from the Bears' comeback win:
Why the Bears won
Let's not overthink this. The Bears won because they made the quarterback change they should've made before the season began. Foles was not perfect in relief of Trubisky, but he was about as good as you could've hoped for considering the circumstances. As soon as Chicago made its swap under center, the team's fortunes turned, with Foles feeding Allen Robinson en route to a three-touchdown spree in a span of under five minutes. Tashaun Gipson had the game-sealing interception, but this was completely a Foles show, with No. 9 making it immediately clear who should be leading Matt Nagy's offense going forward.
Why the Falcons lost
They are incapable of holding a lead. Seriously, by this point, it's like a tired joke to highlight Atlanta's second-half collapses, which infamously began with their Super Bowl crumble years ago. But that's exactly what caused Sunday's embarrassing defeat -- an utter and predictable lack of late-game stamina, particularly on defense. Matt Ryan should not be absolved from blame along with the Falcons' offense, which started slow and then went scoreless in the final quarter, but it was Dan Quinn's defense that really dropped the ball. Injuries may have played a part, with the club's secondary wearing thin, but that's still no excuse for how quickly and dramatically they flopped when it mattered most.
Turning point
Make no mistake: It was when Nagy finally pulled the plug on Trubisky. Foles' entrance was just the spark Chicago needed to turn it on against the Falcons' vulnerable defense, and Bears fans should be genuinely excited about what lies ahead. Nagy may not have a perfect team, but he sure as heck has a chance at tapping into more of his offense's potential with Foles under center.
Play of the game
Third down. Fourth quarter. Bears down by three. And then Foles floated a beauty to Anthony Miller while taking a hard hit up the middle, putting Chicago out in front for good:
What's next
The Falcons will use the extra rest and try and get their first win of the season on the road against the Packers on Monday night. The 3-0 Bears will host the Colts.
