Bears, Falcons both feature strong special teams

Sunday night's game between the Bears and the Atlanta Falcons matches two of the NFL's best special-teams units.

The Bears' average start after a kickoff is the 34.3-yard line, the best in the NFL. But the Falcons' kickoff-coverage team is also the best in the NFL, holding their opponents to an average starting point of the 19.4-yard line.

"They're going to be fired up, and it's going to be a battle," Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. "I told the guys, something's going to break. It's going to be us or it's going to be them, so we'll see what happens. They're a really good special-teams unit, and we're playing pretty good right now, so we're looking forward to good competition."

The Falcons are No. 8 in the NFL with an average starting point at the 27.5-yard line after a kickoff, and Eric Weems is ninth in the league with a 25.5-yard kickoff-return average. The Bears' kickoff-coverage team is a mediocre 21st, with their opponents' averaging starting spot at the 26.3-yard line.

The ill-fated squib kickoff that contributed to the Bears' loss in Atlanta last season was the result of the kickoff-coverage unit being burned by Jerious Norwood earlier in the game.

"We squib-kicked because we were having trouble (tackling) those guys," Toub said. "Jerious Norwood ripped us for an 85-yarder during that game and had some other big returns (4 kickoff returns for 178 yards and a 44.5-yard average), so that was the reason why we did kick the squib late in the game."

The Bears are also No. 6 in punt-return average, and their punt-coverage team is fifth, while the Falcons are ninth in punt coverage and just 19th in punt-return average.

Play it by ear: As much as the Bears would like another 121-yard rushing performance from Matt Forte this week, quarterback Jay Cutler says it can't be guaranteed.

"We'll see how it goes," Cutler said. "We'll see what they're going to give us. You can't say on Wednesday, 'Yeah, we're going to run the ball for 200 yards.' It doesn't work like that. I mean, Matt's going to get the ball, I can guarantee that."

After a slow start, Forte is No. 10 in the NFC with 271 rushing yards, four spots behind the Falcons' Michael Turner, who also started slowly and has 323 yards and a 3.7-yard average. Forte has averaged 4.1 yards.

Fort Knox: Rookie Johnny Knox leads the NFL with a 35.8-yard kickoff-return average and has done so well that he's allowed last year's NFL kickoff-return leader, Danieal Manning, to focus on his jobs as free safety and nickel back.

"It's hard to take Danieal out," special-teams coordinator Dave Toub said. "Danieal's still good, so there will be situations where we'll use Danieal. There will also be situations when we'll use both of them on the field. We're happy we've got two guys."

Manning has averaged 30.8 yards on 4 kickoff returns this year after his 29.7-yard mark last season.

Injury update: Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (ribs) and running back Adrian Peterson (knee) did not practice Thursday and are not expected to play Sunday.

Nick Roach will start his second straight game at middle linebacker in place of Hillenmeyer.