Bears nearly upend Falcons with last-second drive, suggesting 2017 won’t be a barren wasteland

The Falcons’ quest to defend their NFC Championship nearly took an unexpected turn Sunday afternoon. Atlanta led 23-17 with 21 seconds to go, but a surprisingly efficient two-minute drill had Mike Glennon and the Bears facing first-and-goal as the Falcons, already toasted by the warm Chicago sun, began to sweat a bit more.

Ultimately, three straight incompletions and a game-ending sack prevented the visitors from starting their season 0-1, but Bears fans left Sunday’s game with a little more hope than last year’s 3-13 campaign had instilled.

While 2016 MVP Matt Ryan still managed to carve up the Chicago secondary, an energized front seven kept one of the league’s top tailback platoons from doing any sustained damage on the ground. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for just 53 yards on 20 carries. Their inability to produce lay in stark contrast for the Bears’ biggest reason for optimism.

Chicago’s ground game, led by two players with 15 games of NFL experience between them, was a revelation. 2016 Pro Bowler Jordan Howard and 2017 fourth-round pick Tarik Cohen combined for 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on only 18 carries. Cohen also emerged as the team’s top receiver on a roster devoid of true wideout talent -- he had eight receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown.

More importantly, Glennon looked like a competent, if unspectacular, passer. If 2017 is going to be the bridge year between Glennon, who can be released after the season with just $4.5 milion of the remaining $29 million in his contract on the salary cap, and rookie Mitchell Trubisky, the former Buccaneer showed he’s a capable caretaker.

Glennon’s steady two-minute drill ultimately failed, but he acquitted himself well in his first game with the team. Forced to throw all afternoon for an offense that never held the lead, he avoided backbreaking mistakes (zero turnovers) and put his team in position to win late in the fourth quarter. His numbers won’t impress anyone, but even the league’s top passers would have a hard time putting up big numbers with a receiving corps that tops out with Kevin White.

2017 probably won’t be a playoff year for the Bears, but their performance Sunday showed growth from last year’s wasted season. Chicago was easy to mock after signing Glennon for big money, trading up to select Trubisky, and neglecting to rebuild their receiving corps — and it’s possible the franchise just stumbled into adequacy after drafting players like Howard and Cohen. However, this fall could build the bridge between eternal rebuild and postseason resurgence — even if it started with a heartbreaking loss.