QB Ryan leads drives for 2 TDs in 4th to win
when a scrambling Ryan fired to a wide-open Hooper near midfield. The second-year tight end from Stanford raced up the right side and stiff-armed Quintin Demps on the way to the end zone to make it a 10-point game.
The Bears then went 75 yards, with Glennon hitting rookie Tarik Cohen for a 19-yard TD midway through the fourth to cut it to 20-17. Earlier Cohen had a 46-yard run on a toss that he turned back the opposite direction.
Atlanta’s Matt Bryant answered with a 37-yard field goal, making it 23-17 with 3:24 left.
Hooper, a second-year player from Stanford, felt like he “lived a lifetime” as the ball approached him.
“I think I blacked out for a part of it. Then I caught it and I felt like it was almost auto-pilot.” Ryan was nervous, too. “When people are covered, your brain just goes off and you throw it and you cut it loose,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re open, it can be the most difficult.”
For the Bears, it was an all-too-familiar result after going 3-13 and finishing last in the NFC North.
“It burns,” tight end Zach Miller said. “It burns inside because it’s close. We had ample opportunity.”
Coming off an MVP season, Ryan was 21 of 30 for 321 yards and a touchdown.
Hooper had two catches for 128 yards. Julio Jones added four receptions for 66 yards receiving and Bryant kicked three field goals.
In his Bears debut, Glennon didn’t silence fans who would rather see No. 2 overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky. He was 26 of 40 for 213 yards and a TD.
Cohen absorbed several big hits in an impressive debut, finishing with 66 yards rushing and 47 receiving. He reversed field on a 46-yard run, helping set up Howard’s 4-yard touchdown near the end of the half.
Bears receiver Kevin White, meanwhile, found himself in a familiar position, walking off the field with an injury. He had two catches for six yards before hurting his shoulder. White was limited to four games in his first two seasons after being drafted seventh overall in 2015.