A lot went wrong in the Falcons’ 31-23 loss to the Bears, but an argument could be made that the game essentially came down to two special teams errors, both from rookie third-round pick Zachariah Branch.

Late in the first half, right after the Falcons had swung the momentum, Branch muffed a punt 10 yards from his own goal line. The Bears recovered and scored a touchdown to stretch the lead to 14.

Branch then ended the very next quarter with a fumble on a kickoff return, setting the Bears up for another three points and a 31-7 cushion.

It’s amazing the Falcons fought back and made a game of it at all, even getting a chance to drive down and tie it with four minutes left. Branch played a part in that too, hauling in one of Atlanta’s two two-point conversions to cut the lead to eight.

It was a learning moment for the rookie, but not one that’s going to push the team off using him in the return game, Kevin Stefanski told reporters Wednesday.

Stefanski said Zachariah Branch's role will remain the same on the return team. #Falcons

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) October 21, 2026

No team turns the ball over twice on special teams and wins very often — especially against one of the best offenses in the league and a playoff team from a year ago.

But in no scenario should the Falcons make considerable changes off one bad performance. They invested a lot in Branch, and before Sunday, he’d flashed a ton of explosiveness in the return game.

If anything, the Falcons should be looking to give him more opportunities. He made an impact on offense in the second half once his snaps picked up, and Olamide Zaccheaus has been a no-show week after week.

If you’re selling your Zachariah Branch stock, I’m buying.

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Photo: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire