NFL game summary for 11/19/1978:
A steady defensive effort and outstanding special teams play enabled Chicago to snap an eight-game losing streak. Bruce Herron's block of John James' punt set up a short touchdown burst by Walter Payton that overcame a 7-3 halftime deficit. In the second half, the Bears' defense stopped the Falcons at Chicago's 9, 12 and 33 yard lines. Payton moved past Gale Sayers to become the Bears' second all-time leading rusher with 4,974 yards.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 104.0 (28) | 131.9 (22) | 235.9 (28) | 26 |
| DEFENSE | 125.3 (6) | 130.6 (3) | 255.9 (3) | 31 | |
 | OFFENSE | 158.2 (5) | 146.9 (17) | 305.1 (11) | 28 |
| DEFENSE | 143.0 (13) | 156.6 (12) | 299.6 (14) | 21 |
Line: Falcons by 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons (7-5-0) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Chicago Bears (4-8-0) | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
( 7- 0) ATL Jim Mitchell 7 yard pass from Steve Bartkowski (Tim Mazzetti kick)
( 7- 3) CHI Bob Thomas 32 yard field goal
( 7-10) CHI Walter Payton 2 yard rush (Bob Thomas kick)
( 7-13) CHI Bob Thomas 37 yard field goal
ATL CHI
First Downs: 21 13
Rushes-yards: 42-149 42-111
Yards/rush: 3.5 2.6
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 16-32-215-1 7-14-95-0
Sacked-yards: 2-20 2-23
Net pass yards: 195 72
Net yards/pass: 5.7 4.5
Total net yards: 344 183
Total plays: 76 (55% run) 58 (72% run)
Yards/play: 4.5 3.2
Fumbles-lost: 3-1 0-0
Turnovers: 2 0
Penalties-yards: 8-74 3-30
Attendance: 46,022
Passing:
ATL: Steve Bartkowski, 16 of 32 for 215 yards and 1 TD (1 int) CHI: Mike Phipps, 4 of 8 for 38 yards; Bob Avellini, 3 of 6 for 57 yards
Rushing:
ATL: Bubba Bean, 17 for 61 yards; Haskel Stanback, 15 for 39 yards; Ray Strong, 4 for 24 yards; Ricky Patton, 4 for 17 yards; Steve Bartkowski, 2 for 8 yards CHI: Walter Payton, 20 for 34 yards and 1 TD; Roland Harper, 11 for 43 yards; Mike Phipps, 4 for 10 yards; Bob Avellini, 4 for 7 yards; Vince Evans, 3 for 17 yards
Receiving:
ATL: Billy Ryckman, 8 for 107 yards; Jim Mitchell, 5 for 65 yards and 1 TD; Alfred Jackson, 1 for 18 yards; Bubba Bean, 1 for 17 yards; Wallace Francis, 1 for 8 yards CHI: Golden Richards, 3 for 30 yards; Walter Payton, 2 for 40 yards; Roland Harper, 1 for 19 yards; James Scott, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Dennis Pearson, 4 for 87 yards CHI: Brian Baschnagel, 1 for 32 yards; Wentford Gaines, 1 for 22 yards
Punt returns:
ATL: Billy Ryckman, 3 for 33 yards CHI: Virgil Livers, 1 for 7 yards
Interceptions:
CHI: Len Walterscheid, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
ATL: John James, 4 for 118 yards CHI: Bob Parsons, 7 for 204 yards
Field Goals:
CHI: Bob Thomas, 2/3
ATL: Steve Bartkowski, 16 of 32 for 215 yards and 1 TD (1 int) CHI: Mike Phipps, 4 of 8 for 38 yards; Bob Avellini, 3 of 6 for 57 yards
Rushing:
ATL: Bubba Bean, 17 for 61 yards; Haskel Stanback, 15 for 39 yards; Ray Strong, 4 for 24 yards; Ricky Patton, 4 for 17 yards; Steve Bartkowski, 2 for 8 yards CHI: Walter Payton, 20 for 34 yards and 1 TD; Roland Harper, 11 for 43 yards; Mike Phipps, 4 for 10 yards; Bob Avellini, 4 for 7 yards; Vince Evans, 3 for 17 yards
Receiving:
ATL: Billy Ryckman, 8 for 107 yards; Jim Mitchell, 5 for 65 yards and 1 TD; Alfred Jackson, 1 for 18 yards; Bubba Bean, 1 for 17 yards; Wallace Francis, 1 for 8 yards CHI: Golden Richards, 3 for 30 yards; Walter Payton, 2 for 40 yards; Roland Harper, 1 for 19 yards; James Scott, 1 for 6 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Dennis Pearson, 4 for 87 yards CHI: Brian Baschnagel, 1 for 32 yards; Wentford Gaines, 1 for 22 yards
Punt returns:
ATL: Billy Ryckman, 3 for 33 yards CHI: Virgil Livers, 1 for 7 yards
Interceptions:
CHI: Len Walterscheid, 1 for 0 yards
Punting:
ATL: John James, 4 for 118 yards CHI: Bob Parsons, 7 for 204 yards
Field Goals:
CHI: Bob Thomas, 2/3