Chicago Bears vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Game Preview
Chiefs Passing Offense vs. Bears Pass Defense
Oct 4, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback
Alex Smith(11) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 36-21. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City offensive line is underwhelming to say the least and have given up a league high 19 sacks through the first 4 games. The Bear pass rush is improving and even with a banged up Antrel Rolle, I don’t see KC making big plays.
It was nice to see some improvement last week from the Bear corners, who have been ripped apart like paper mache this year. Believe it or not, though, the Bears rank 4th against the pass and Alex Smith is hardly anyone to be scared of.
I get that Maclin and Kelce are good targets and Smith had a good week last week but I don’t see the ball getting down field to them too much with no time to throw.
Advantage: BEARS
Chiefs Rushing Offense vs. Bears Rush Defense
The Bears run defense is getting better and are not a complete embarrassment like they were last year. With that said, they still are 25th against the run and are going up against one of the most dynamic backs in the league.
Even with an underwhelming offensive line in front of him, Charles is still 4th in the league in rushing and if he can get past the first wave, the Bears secondary may be in trouble.
Advantage: CHIEFS
Special Teams
The Bears’ coverage units have been embarrassing and pathetic, giving up 2 touch down returns over 100 yards. That is inexcusable. It won’t get easier this week as Knile Davis and De’Anthony Thomas present a major problem in the return game.
Robbie Gould or not, the special teams unit has been a major weakness for the Bears this year. Bears’ special teams coordinator, Jeff Rodgers, better get his unit prepared or he may be bagging groceries next week. Can we have Dave Toub back please, Chiefs?
Advantage: CHIEFS
Oct 4, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox during the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Coaching
This is a tough one as both John Fox and Andy Reid are proven winners in the NFL. However, both of these teams are 1-3 with the Chiefs unarguably having more talent on the football field. I know it’s only 4 weeks in but after witnessing one of the most inept coaching staffs in Bear history last year, it’s night and day with the exception of Jeff Rodgers on special teams.
Furthermore, some of the play calling in KC has been suspect this year and may have lost them the Denver game earlier in the year. I give a very slight edge to the Bears.
Advantage: BEARS
Intangibles
Another tough one here, but I’m a big believer in momentum and mind-set in sports. The Chiefs have to be lacking a little confidence after getting beat up the last 2 weeks, while the Bears are coming off of their first win. The Bear defense looks to be gaining confidence weekly and they have played much better the last 2 weeks.
Also, the Chiefs have to be under a lot of pressure in this game as the expectations were much higher than their current 1-3 record. On the flipside, Arrowhead Stadium is never a fun place to play and gives KC a boost.
Advantage: DRAW
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Prediction: Bears 20, Chiefs 19
What do you think, Bear fans? Leave a comment and BEAR DOWN!
Next: Bears vs. Chiefs: Five Questions with Arrowhead Addict