Justin Fields noticed the smoke in the air and the cigars on a table as he walked into the locker room. By then, the celebration was under way.
Fields threw for 268 yards with a touchdown pass and a rushing TD in what could be his final home game for Chicago, and Bears dealt Atlanta’s postseason hopes a big blow, beating the Falcons 37-17 on a snowy Sunday.
DJ Moore finished with nine catches for 159 yards and a touchdown, and Khalil Herbert ran for 124 yards and a score.
With little wiggle room to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017 - and coach Arthur Smith's future in question - the Falcons (7-9) got overwhelmed by Chicago (7-9).
The Bears grabbed a 21-7 halftime lead with Fields and Moore leading the way and rolled to their fourth win in five games.
Fields completed 20 of 32 passes and ran for 45 yards. Though he was sacked three times, he also spun out of a few.
Fields threw a neat 7-yard touchdown pass to Moore on Chicago’s first drive and ran for a 9-yard score on the next possession to make it 14-0 early in the second quarter.
Herbert set a season high for the second straight week after rushing for 112 yards last Sunday in a win over Arizona.
Roschon Johnson ran for a TD. Tyrique Stevenson had two of Chicago’s four interceptions, and the Bears won their fifth in a row at home after a 10-game skid at Soldier Field.
The Falcons struggled to get going on offense after setting a season high in scoring last week in a 29-10 win over Indianapolis. They finished with 307 yards, a week after gaining 406.
Taylor Heinicke, making his second straight start with Desmond Ridder benched, threw for 163 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. He scrambled 24 yards for a TD early in the fourth quarter to cut it to 27-17 and departed near the end of the game after his left ankle flared up.
Ridder threw a late pick.
Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson tied William Andrews’ team rookie record of 1,332 scrimmage yards, set in 1979. He had 75 yards rushing and 11 receiving.
Tyler Allgeier turned a screen pass into a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter. But the usually reliable Younghoe Koo had a rough time in the windy conditions, missing two early field goals as Atlanta fell to 2-6 on the road.
The Bears visit Green Bay next weekend.
