4 key reasons why the Bears look better

The Bears' victory over the Atlanta Falcons proved again that they travel well as they collected their third win in four road games.

There also were some other notable take-aways from the game that leveled the Bears' record at 3-3.

1. Nose tackle Stephen Paea is playing the best football of his four-year career.

“He does have quickness, and he does have exceptional strength as well,” coach Marc Trestman said. “He's just doing a very good job of disrupting and moving the pocket.”

Paea's second-quarter sack knocked the Falcons out of field-goal position and was his fourth, already a personal best for a single season.

“The best part I'm seeing right now is he's stayed healthy,” Trestman said of Paea, who missed three games with a turf toe last year that also affected his play in a few other games.

“That's something he hasn't been able to do, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that that continues.

“He's been a factor inside, he's been given some of the 1-on-1s inside with other guys getting doubled, and he's created some internal pressure.”

Paea's play should only get better now that tackle Jeremiah Ratliff is back after missing three games with a concussion.

2. Safeties Ryan Mundy and Chris Conte intimidated Falcons receivers, especially Pro Bowler Julio Jones, their go-to guy.

Conte set the tone early in the second quarter when his hit on Jones caused a drop and kept the Falcons out of field-goal range.

On the Falcons' next possession, Mundy destroyed four-time Pro Bowler Roddy White, forcing another drop on a hit that was just this side of illegal.

That play seemed to have the most effect on the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Jones.

On the next play, Jones provided a textbook illustration of the term “alligator arms,” on a ball over the middle that he noticeably shied away from, sensing that Mundy was loitering with intent.

Jones timidly halfway extended just one arm, while keeping the other arm close to his body for protection.

The Falcons had 7 drops for the game.

3. When the Bears' offense avoids turnovers, it can put up a lot of points, even when it doesn't produce a ton of yardage.

In the three games that quarterback Jay Cutler has not thrown an interception, the Bears have scored 28, 27 and 27 points.

The 28 they scored against San Francisco came on just 216 total yards, and the 27 against the New York Jets were the result of only 257 yards, although Mundy's interception-return touchdown accounted for 7 points.

At Atlanta, the Bears' 27 points featured 478 yards, as they were forced to play on a longer field because of poor field position.

In those three games, the Bears also lost a total of just 1 fumble.

4. Bad mechanics or not, Cutler can still spin it, and he can take a hit.

On his 47-yard pass to Brandon Marshall, Cutler was backing up because of pressure, and he threw off his back foot. But his long, lofted toss couldn't have been more perfectly placed or more catchable.

And once again Cutler disproved the mistaken notion that he lacks toughness.

Falcons linebacker Paul Worrilow buried his helmet in Cutler's chest, driving him to the ground and bouncing his head off the artificial turf late in the first quarter, drawing a personal-foul penalty.

On the next play, Cutler completed a 7-yard pass to Marshall and then had a potential touchdown toss to Marshall knocked loose by cornerback Robert Alford.

The first two times Cutler was sacked in Atlanta it left the Bears in third-and-long. But both times on the very next play Cutler completed passes for first downs.

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