Potential Trouble Bears Present to Chiefs

Going into Kansas City to face the NFL champions shorthanded on the offensive line, again, with the defense still trying to blend in seven new starters is not the easiest assignment.

The Bears get to try it in a week when they've endured the distraction of their defensive coordinator's resignation and are without the intended left side of their starting offensive line.

Yet, there are Bears who can take advantage of situations or create matchup issues for the Chiefs.

Not all of them are players.

Here are the Bears who can cause problems for the Chiefs.

1. RB Khaili Herbert

They've managed to give Herbert, their starting, healthy running back, only 16 carries in two games. They had given starting running back David Montgomery twice as many carries in the first two games last year.

And it's true they signed D'Onta Foreman and he could take away carries from Herbert, but they left him inactive last week.

Sure, they have rookie Roschon Johnson, but they've thrown him as many footballs as they've let him carry.

One key for stopping Kansas City and Mahomes is to keep him off the field, and the conventional running game with ball control can be a key here.

It might be too much to ask for a running attack when their third different offensive line in three weeks will be starting, but it's all they have. And there is talent in their backfield if they use it.

They might even dust off a couple of Justin Fields planned runs, if they feel like risking it. Anything to keep the clock running and Mahomes on the sidelines.

2. WR DJ Moore

He made six catches last week as the connection with Fields started to develop. Moore will be going against L'Jarius Sneed, who has been an effective starter for Kansas City in past years but is limited in practice due to a knee injury.

Pro Football Focus has graded him 82nd overall out of 98 cornerbacks graded this season, and 79th in coverage.

3. DE DeMarcus Walker

Walker has three sacks against the Chiefs in the past and five QB hurries, and as a former AFC West opponent with the Broncos he got to experience a large dose of Mahomes. Walker is the kind of defensive end who should play well against KC as his strength is holding the edge and preventing the QB from getting outside when he is on the edge. Also, Walker is going against Jawaan Taylor, the Chiefs right tackle and free agent acquisition who is tied with Bears tackle Braxton Jones for the league lead in penalties with six.

4. DE Yannick Ngakoue

Ngakoue has had good history going against Mahomes with three sacks and nine QB hits. He is playing against a veteran tackle new to the Chiefs, too, former Buccaneers tackle Donovan Smith. While Smith has been solid in the past, PFF grades his effectiveness as lower than both Bears tackles Darnell Wright and Jones so far, at 53rd out of 71 tackles graded.

5. S Jaquan Brisker

Brisker has been around the ball but hasn't been able to come up with the takeaway yet. Last week he had a few chances and a player like he is can cause trouble for Mahomes, but not necessarily because of poor play by the Chiefs passer. Mahomes' receivers haven't exactly been sure-handed. They lead the NFL in dropped passes. Kadarius Toney, in particular, has endured hands problems. It's not exactly like watching a volleyball match but the ball is being tipped around a lot and Brisker is the kind of player who could take advantage of shaky handling of Mahomes passes.

6. Coach Matt Eberflus

The coach?

It's Flus' defense against Matt Nagy's offense. But let's be real, it's Andy Reid's offense and it's run by Mahomes. Still this is a potential problem for the Chiefs because Eberflus managed to come up with a scheme to shut down a more potent KC offense as Colts defensive coordinator in 2019, during a 19-13 Indianapolis win. Since that game, only once have the Chiefs been held to fewer points in a regular-season game.

Eberflus was asked about the secret to his performance this week.

"I would just say it was good fundamentals," he said. "Right? The guys did a nice job with their effort and the intensity was right, and the rudaments of the game were there. Right? So if you want to go back and watch the tape you'll see all of those things there. Were there different things that we did in terms of the scheme, coverage, different things? Sure. Right? That's how you've got to play this guy.

"So very good team, obviously a lot of good skill. We've got a big challenge and a big opportunity ahead of us."

Mahomes still threw for 321 yards on 22 of 39 but the Colts kept him contained and out of the end zone except for one TD to Travis Kelce, and limited his rushing to 17 yards.

Whether Eberflus has a success formula for the game isn't certain because it was long ago now and Mahomes was in his first year as a starter.

However, that was Kansas City's Super Bowl-winning team and it was before the Colts had the benefits of DeForest Buckner as a three technique to rush the passer from inside.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven