RISING

1. Brandon Marshall, WR: It was only a matter of time before Marshall rebounded from his mini early-season slump. Marshall is far too talented to put up the pedestrian numbers he did from Weeks 3-5 after he re-injured his ankle leading up to the New York Jets game. With two weeks of full practice under his belt, the smart money called for Marshall to bust out against a suspect Atlanta secondary. That's exactly what happened, as Marshall torched the Falcons for six catches for 113 yards. Maybe the most impressive moment for Marshall occurred when he dropped a nasty stiff arm on a helpless Atlanta defender to gain additional yardage following a reception. When Marshall is right, he plays like a man possessed. Sixteen combined targets between Marshall and Alshon Jeffery (five catches, 136 yards) is the perfect balance. There isn't a secondary in the NFL capable of controlling Marshall and Jeffery when each are fed the ball on a consistent basis.

2. Stephen Paea, DT: Overlooked in all the excitement surrounding first-year defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton, Paea is making a strong push in a contract year. Paea had another sack in the 27-13 victory over Atlanta, raising his season total to four (a career high). With the exception of Week 1 against Buffalo, Paea has been the club's most consistent defensive tackle to date. Paea's main obstacle since entering the NFL in 2011 has been staying healthy. He's dealt with multiple injuries in his career, beginning with a devastating knee injury the week leading up to the Senior Bowl. Paea's injury issues followed him to the NFL, and he just never seemed to reach his full potential. This year has been a different story. It took time for Paea to develop, but he now resembles the disruptive force the Bears envisioned when ex-general manager Jerry Angelo moved up in the second round four years ago to draft Paea.

3. Willie Young, DE: Jared Allen finally registered a sack in a Bears uniform, but Young once again stole the show with a team-high two sacks of Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan. Young is having a career year with seven sacks, plus the highest number of tackles among the defensive lineman on the roster. Through six weeks, Young looks to be far and away the best offseason investment the Bears made in free agency. Even more impressive is the fact Young only had six combined regular-season sacks over four years in Detroit. That means he is clearly entering the prime of his career in Chicago, where he is under contract through the 2016 season. At this rate, Young figures to stick around much longer than that.

4. Jay Cutler, QB: Zero turnovers. That is Cutler's most important statistic in the win against Atlanta. Not only did Cutler value the football, he carved up the Falcons' secondary for 381 yards and one touchdown. If Cutler plays like this more often this season, the Bears are going to be serious playoff contenders in a strong NFC North division. The offense needed to deliver, and Cutler answered the call in Week 6.

FALLING

1. Jordan Mills, RT: Consider it a minor blip in what has been a remarkable journey for Mills, who grabbed the starting right tackle job last season as a rookie, this despite being a fifth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech. Mills seemed off his game on Sunday. He was called for two penalties, including an illegal formation, and allowed more pressure off the edge than usual. Nobody is immune from having the occasional bad day at the office. Matt Slauson also endured his share of struggles at left guard in Week 6. The good news is the Bears still won convincingly. For a young player, Mills carries himself with the class and professionalism of a seasoned veteran. It would be a surprise if he and Slauson fail to bounce back on Sunday against Miami.

2. Return game: Is it that hard to return a kick to the 20-yard line? The search continues for a return man with a little juice, or at the very least, with the ability to get the ball to the 20 on a consistent basis. The Bears haven't stuck to the status quo on kickoff return the entire season. That's because the team can't find anybody good enough to keep the job. Santonio Holmes is just OK on punt returns. Upgrades on both kickoffs and punt returns need to be priorities in the near future.