Chiefs return home to face reeling Bears, losers of their past 12 regular-season games
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) is sacked by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Scott Audette
CHICAGO (0-2) at KANSAS CITY (1-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, FOX
BETTING LINE: Chiefs by 12 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Chicago 0-2; Kansas City 1-1
SERIES RECORD: Bears lead series 7-6.
LAST MEETING: Chiefs beat Bears 26-3 on Dec. 22, 2019, in Chicago.
LAST WEEK: Bears lost to Buccaneers 27-17; Chiefs beat Jaguars 17-9.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) catches a touchdown pass under pressure from Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) and Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Scott Audette
BEARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (22), PASS (25), SCORING (T22)
BEARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (29), RUSH (16), PASS (27), SCORING (31)
CHIEFS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (T20), PASS (6), SCORING (T22)
CHIEFS DEFENSE: OVERALL (13), RUSH (12), PASS (19), SCORING (T3)
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bears minus-4; Chiefs minus-2
BEARS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Justin Fields is off to a dismal start to the season. He was 16 of 29 for 211 yards with one touchdown pass, two interceptions and a miserable quarterback rating in last week's 27-17 loss to Tampa Bay. He was sacked six times in the game, and he's been sacked 101 times since entering the league in 2021. The Bears are currently last in the NFL in sack percentage.
CHIEFS PLAYER TO WATCH: TE Travis Kelce had a rollercoaster return from a hyperextended knee that kept him out of Week 1 last week in Jacksonville. He had four catches for 26 yards and a touchdown, but he also missed a couple of balls he normally catches and was frustrated throughout the game by the Jaguars, who kept taking shots at him whenever they had an opportunity. With the heat index near triple digits, it was hardly surprising that Kelce's temper was often on the brink of boiling over.
KEY MATCHUP: Chiefs DT Chris Jones against the Bears offensive line, which hasn't protected Fields at all this season. Jones missed Week 1 while holding out but returned last week against Jacksonville. And despite having no offseason or training camp, practicing a few times and only playing a fraction of his normal snaps, Jones still finished with 1 1/2 sacks while putting pressure on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence all game.
KEY INJURIES: The Bears placed LT Braxton Jones (neck) on injured reserve this week, and coach Matt Eberflus would not say if he is finished for the season. S Eddie Jackson (foot), WR Darnell Mooney (knee) and DB Josh Blackwell (hamstring) were banged up. ... Chiefs LBs Nick Bolton (ankle) and Willie Gay Jr. (quad), RB Isiah Pacheco (hamstring) and WRs Kadarius Toney (toe) and Richie James (knee) missed time in practice this week. James could be out for a while but the others could play Sunday.
SERIES NOTES: The teams have only played 13 times since their first game in November 1973, and the closeness of the series has been reflected in the way they have alternated wins and losses over the past nine games. That odd stretch began with Kansas City’s win on Dec. 29, 1990, and the most recent game ended with the Chiefs rolling to a 26-3 win four years ago at Soldier Field.
STATS AND STUFF: Chicago has lost 12 consecutive regular-season games. ... The Bears have not won in Kansas City since Week 5 of the 2015 season, when they scored two fourth-quarter TDs for an 18-17 victory. ... QBs are 20 of 23 for 282 yards and three TDs against the Bears on third and fourth down through the first two weeks. ... Bears WR DJ Moore has been a bright spot, catching six passes for 107 yards against Tampa Bay last week. ... Bears LT Braxton Jones has been penalized six times in two games. ... Bears GM Ryan Poles began his career in Kansas City as a player personnel assistant in 2019. He worked his way up to executive director of player personnel before leaving for Chicago. ... Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was head coach of the Bears from 2018-21. ... Chiefs coach Andy Reid can break a tie with Tom Landry for fourth on the career wins list with his 271st. ... Patrick Mahomes needs 51 yards rushing to pass Alex Smith (1,672) for most among Chiefs quarterbacks. ... Mahomes needs 228 yards passing to eclipse 25,000. He would do it in 83 games Sunday, faster than any player in NFL history. ... Kelce has the second-longest active streak with a reception at 144 games. The Titans' DeAndre Hopkins is at 147. ... Kelce needs four TD catches to pass Tony Gonzalez (76) for second in franchise history. ... Chiefs K Harrison Butker has 23 field goals of at least 50 yards since 2017. He needs one more to break into the top five among NFL kickers in the category.
FANTASY TIP: The Bears have the league's 27th-ranked pass defense and are second to last in scoring defense, so it could be a good week for Kansas City's high-powered offense to finally hit its stride. Mahomes and Kelce are always must-start options, but Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore are all worth taking a flier on as a flex option or third wide receiver. The trick is to guess which one gets the most work given Mahomes' propensity for spreading the ball around.
More football news
