With Forte being held in check the last two weeks, the Bears have relied more on Orton, and the fourth-year signal-caller has delivered. He threw three first-half touchdown passes in the club's key Week 4 victory over Philadelphia, then followed up with a career day versus the Lions last Sunday despite not having top wideout Brandon Lloyd (15 receptions, 1 TD) at his disposal. Slot receiver Rashied Davis (15 receptions) and return specialist Devin Hester (10 receptions, 2 TD) came through with strong games in Lloyd's absence, with the former posting career highs of six catches and 97 yards and the latter contributing 66 yards and a score on five grabs. Tight end Greg Olsen (13 receptions, 1 TD) added a personal-best 87 yards on three receptions, and is averaging nearly 14 yards per catch this season. Lloyd, who's dealing with a sprained PCL in his left knee, is considered iffy to return this week.

The Falcons have hardly been a stone wall on defense early on, with the team ranking 23rd overall in total yards allowed (347.4 ypg), 22nd against the pass (221.6 ypg) and 21st in rushing defense (125.8 ypg) at the moment. The unquestioned standout of the unit has been end John Abraham (15 tackles, 2 forced fumbles), who has racked up a league-best seven sacks even with opposing offenses focused on containing him. Linebacker Michael Boley (21 tackles, 3 TD) has been an impact player as well, and the strongside starter came up with one of the biggest plays of last week's win when he intercepted Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown. The young cornerback combo of Brent Grimes (26 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD) and Chris Houston (10 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PD) has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but has experienced its share of growing pains as well.

Look for Chicago to run Forte heavily at an Atlanta defense that is surrendering a mediocre 4.6 yards per rush this season. Veteran weakside linebacker Keith Brooking (30 tackles) and rookie middle man Curtis Lofton (31 tackles) will be counted on to keep the ground game under control, and expect the Falcons to employ hard-hitting strong safety Lawyer Milloy (37 tackles, 1 INT, 3 PD) near the line of scrimmage to offer further support against the run.

WHEN THE FALCONS HAVE THE BALL

The unquestioned centerpiece of the Atlanta offense is Turner (543 rushing yards, 6 TD, 3 receptions), and it's no coincidence that the Falcons have won every time the ex-San Diego Charger has had a big day. The 244-pound bruiser is the physical part of a highly-effective backfield tandem, with Jerious Norwood (249 rushing yards, 1 TD) the home-run hitter of the duo. The third- year speedster has averaged a tremendous 6.2 yards per rush over his career and also ranks second on this year's team with 11 receptions in a third-down role. The Falcons have put up 318 and 186 rushing yards in their two previous home games of 2008, although those totals came against two of the NFL's dregs in Detroit and Kansas City.

The Bears certainly have the personnel to prevent Turner from running wild, as the defense has yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this year and is giving up a scant 74.2 yards per game on the ground. As usual, Chicago's stout play against the run has been spearheaded by linebackers Brian Urlacher (29 tackles) and Lance Briggs (32 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT), who have nine Pro Bowl trips between them, while the return of nose tackle Dusty Dvoracek (10 tackles) from a knee injury that caused him to miss all but one game last season has certainly helped as well. The defense has excelled despite getting little contribution from three-time Pro Bowl tackle Tommie Harris (3 tackles), who has sat out the last two weeks with a sore knee and a team-issued suspension. He's expected to be back for Sunday's tilt but will likely rotate with capable reserve Israel Idonije (8 tackles, 2 sacks).

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