Chiefs vs. Bears, Week 3 preview
The Chiefs return to Arrowhead for Week 3, and we preview the game with key players, stats, picks and more.
Wes Roesch
It’s back at Arrowhead for the Chiefs, who are also (hopefully) back to winning.
The Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) take on the Chicago Bears (0-2) in a Week 3 matchup that’ll feature the first regular season clash between quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields. It’s also Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s first regular season game against Chicago since he was fired in 2022.
Key game details
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Date: Sunday, Sept. 24
Time: 3:25 p.m. CT
Network/streaming: FOX
Radio: 106.5 The Wolf, Chiefs mobile app
Broadcasters: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen
Referee: Alan Eck
Betting line: Chiefs -12.5
Weather: Approx. 75°, mostly sunny, 9 mph winds, chance of rain 20%
Injury reports from Thursday
We will update the following info Friday afternoon when game designations are released.
Chiefs
Did not practice: Nick Bolton (ankle), Richie James (knee), Kadarius Toney (toe)
Limited participants: Willie Gay (quad), Isiah Pacheco (hamstring)
Full participants: L'Jarius Sneed (knee), Jawaan Taylor (shoulder), Nic Jones (hand), Justin Watson (ankle), Jaylen Watson (shoulder)
Game designations: Will release Friday afternoon
Bears
Did not practice: Nate Davis (NIR), Marcedes Lewis (NIR), Eddie Jackson (foot)
Limited participants: Darnell Mooney (foot), Khalid Kareem (hip)
Full participants: Josh Blackwell (hamstring), Lucas Patrick (illness),
Game designations: Will release Friday afternoon
Key players and matchups to watch in Week 3
Chiefs’ pass rush
Probably the biggest surprise through two weeks, outside of the offensive struggles, is how well the Chiefs’ pass rush has performed. Chiefs pass rushers earned four sacks against the Jaguars in Week 2: 1.5 for defensive end George Karlaftis, 1.5 for defensive tackle Chris Jones, 0.5 for rookie DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah and 0.5 for DE Mike Danna. The defense also combined for 24 total pressures.
Chicago is tied for second for most sacks allowed with 10, so, needless to say, this could be a great week for the Chiefs’ front seven to feast. I’m curious to see whether Karlaftis can continue to disrupt pockets like he’s been doing so far, and if Anudike-Uzomah can keep making his presence known despite limited snaps.
WR Skyy Moore
Moore quietly led the Chiefs in passing yards last week. That’s a surprising stat to learn because he only had four targets, until you realize that 54 of his 70 yards came on one catch. So, before that pass, he had two catches for 16 yards and a touchdown.
It’s an improvement that Moore had a touchdown and any catches at all after failing to reel in a catch in Week 1, but it’s still a tad concerning that he hasn’t been a more reliable piece for Mahomes so far. That could change — after all, it’s the beginning of year two for him — but soon I’ll be looking for Moore to take over a game and establish himself as WR2 at the very least.
QB Justin Fields and WR D.J. Moore vs. Chiefs’ DBs
Fields hasn’t exactly been impressive so far this season, but the talent is there, and he has D.J. Moore to lean on in the passing game. Moore earned over 100 yards last week on seven targets, so don’t be surprised when Fields looks his way aplenty. I’m curious to see how the Chiefs’ defensive backs do against Moore. Particularly cornerback Trent McDuffie, who has been the Chiefs’ best player in coverage so far this year.
Top stats to know
9 and 12.
Receiver Justyn Ross had only nine snaps in Week 2, while rookie WR Rashee Rice was given only 12. Will those numbers go up anytime soon? Chiefs general manager Brett Veach did note that those guys still need to learn the playbook, so it may be midseason before we see a bigger workload from them.
4.
Receiver and returner Richie James has earned just four yards per punt so far this season, and also muffed a punt in Week 2. He’s been disappointing to say the least — a good yards per punt average is typically around 10, and he doesn’t even have half of that. If James can’t get anything going against the Bears, a change at punt returner might be needed.
Chiefs-Bears matchup history
The Chiefs are 6-7 against Chicago dating back to 1973.
The last time the Chiefs and Bears played…
The Chiefs beat the Bears 26-3 on Dec. 22, 2019. That was the only regular season matchup between 2017 NFL draftees Mahomes and former Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky, who was drafted eight spots ahead of Mahomes.
The best Chiefs-Bears game ever was…
There haven’t been a ton of close games with high stakes between the Chiefs and Bears. Two of the Chiefs’ last three wins against Chicago were decided by over 20 points. There was a close game between the two in the ‘90s — the Chiefs won 14-10 as running backs Marcus Allen and Greg Hill combined for 116 yards rushing. Other than that, none really stand out.
Chiefs-Bears prediction, picks
Sometimes, when a really good team plays a really bad team, it’s considered a “trap game” for the good team. This is not one of those times. I’d be surprised if the Bears make this a close game.
Will the Chiefs beat the Bears?
Yes, the Chiefs will win. The K.C. defense has been playing like a top-five squad, and the Bears have a struggling quarterback, a poor offensive line and not many truly scary playmakers on offense. This would be a good game for the Chiefs’ offense to get back in its groove as well.
Will the Chiefs cover the spread?
Normally I’d say no, especially with such a large spread at 12.5 points, but I honestly see no reason why the Chiefs shouldn’t cover, unless the offense continues to shoot itself in the foot. I wouldn’t put your life savings down on the Chiefs to cover, but I’d consider a small bet.
Wes’ pick: Chiefs 27, Bears 13
