Bears and Chiefs Game Day Blog

Fourth Quarter

:00: Chiefs 41, Bears 10 Final

Moore with the TD catch slanting in and the Bears trail just 41-10. He also took a hit on the catch and had to go into the injury tent.
Moore with his second catch and it's a one-hander to put the Bears inside the red zone at the 15.
Roschon Johnson time. He's getting receiver work, which is valuable I guess.
Fields is fine. He got to come back on the field, which is something he must be pleased about.

The second Bears interception, this by Quindell Johnson of Gabbert. That's all the Bears needed was Gabbert on the field.
The bad thing about this is they have to put Nathan Peterman in. It would have been good to see Tyson Bagent in his first game but he is designated as emergency QB only today.
Fields taken off the field after taking a shot to the head from William Gay that was not penalized. The Bears settle for a short field goal by Cairo Santos. Chiefs 41, Bears 3

Third Quarter

Bears have been outgained 381 yards to 103, 26 first downs to five. Those are numbers you see in a college non-conference game during the first week of September when the top teams play against the teams formerly called Division I-AA
First takeaway for the Bears this season. Jack Sanborn with the pick after pressure by Ngakoue. So OK, the Bears can compete with the Chiefs JV.

Blaine Gabbert in as Andy Reid gives Mahomes the rest of the day off. Probably felt bad that he stole all Mahomes' nuggies and ate his cheeseburger. Maybe KC should have taken out all its starters because tackle Donovan Smith is injured on the second play after the Bears turned it over on downs.

Now Edmunds heading to the locker room as Bears drive dies and they turn it over on downs. That makes the day complete.

7:40: Chiefs 41, Bears 0

Marques Valdez-Scantling catch sets up another Chiefs TD on pass to Travis Kelce of 3 yards on and it's 41-0. Somewhere in the boxes, Taylor Swift is cheering.
Another sack, and they'll blame Larry Borom but Fields ran right into the pass rush.

Second Quarter

:00: Chiefs 34, Bears 0

The Bears linebackers played well back, giving the Chiefs yardage closer in lieu of time off the clock. It makes the field goal eaiser. That's surrendering. They should have been up challenging for every step from the receivers. If they don't want to play, then they should get on a flight home now. Butker hits another field goal. Chiefs 34, Bears 0
Mahomes grabbing his right ankle after Yannick Ngakoue got knocked to the ground and rolled up on him but he cometed a pass to the 26 anyway. Mahomes appears all right, walking it off.
Jawaan Taylor, the most-penalized player in the NFL, bails out the Bears on another Chiefs deep ball for a TD to Marques Valdez-Scantling.
People fell to pieces when they lost to the Buccaneers by 10. That's the high point of their last six games.
Claypool couldn't reach up for a jump ball because his arms are being held but of course it's not a penalty. Someone in the league office this year must have said this is the season it's OK to accost the receivers and we'll have receivers look the other way. It happens plenty, except in Packer games.
You know, last week at this point they would have been throwing screen passes every play but there's no point doing it now because the Chiefs aren't blitzing them to get pressure. They just get it with four men.
There should be two goals the rest of this game. First is get out of here without anyone else getting hurt. The second is get something positive from Fields, anything whether it's him running it for a touchdown or throwing for one.
Pacheco from the 1 and Bears fall to the side like bowling pins. Chiefs 31, Bears 0
Sam play Rice over the middle with the safeties back and with Tremaine Edmunds taking Kelce into the end zone. And same result, the ball at the 1.
Interception of Fields and on deflected pass thrown near Claypool. Good zone pass defense by the Chiefs, who have it at the 26.
DJ Moore hit in stride by Fields and drops it deep on the sidelines. This first half is complete.
Major success by the Bears defense forcing a Harrison Butker field goal. Chiefs 24, Bears 0
Johnson returned to the field. It's a good thing because without him on the field, they were going to be without both starting cornerbacks, one safety and the nickel back. And facing Mahomes with no pass rush.
I'm looking under a chair here to see if that interior pass rush is there. It's got to be around her somewhere. Ryan and Matt said it was coming. Maybe it's in my computer bag. My dog can rush the passer better than the Bears can.
Still waiting for that big interior pass rush Eberflus and Ryan Poles promised in the off-season would make up for the lack of viable edge rushers. They have one sack on the year, from Yannick Ngakoue, who has blown twice as many sacks tas he has made.
Maybe the Bears defensive highlight of the game, a 4-yard TFL. Chiefs at the Bears 30.
Takeaway by the Chiefs on a fumble by Herbert. That makes the Bears minus-5 on the season in turnover ratio. HITS.

The Bears are in danger of losing by 10 or more for the sixth straight time. This is not done a lot in the NFL. The reason for that is when it happens they fire coaches.

3:05: Chiefs 21, Bears 0

Another TD pass to McKinnon, this for 3 yards. Chiefs 21, Bears 0
Tyrique Stevenson is being evaluated for a concussion. Johnson went into the locker room, was limping a little.
Jaylon Johnson injured at the back of the end zone after a Mahomes overthrow. Plenty of speculation this week Johnson is going to get traded because he doesn't have a contract. Didn't we see already what happens when you trade away key players on defense at the trading deadline last year?
Bears defense blown off the ball completely. Defensive front out o f their gaps and Pacheco gets 13 yards. It's at the Berars 16.
Double pass play and it looks illegal. Bears stupidly didn't check replay. The pass back to Mahomes was a forward pass and the officials then let Mahomes get away with throwing downfield for 9 yards. Should have been challenged and reversed.

Mahomes steps up and then throws to Justin Watson at the Bears 47. That's the play the Bears want Fields to make. They want him to step up in the pocket and then hit the pass rather than escape backwards and to the side the way he's doing. And he resists. It's easier to keep your eyes downfield for players breaking free when you're looking forward rather than running backwards or sideways..
Brilliant tackle by Edmunds in open field of Skyy Moore. That's a small, fast receiver getting stampeded by a big, fast linebacker.
Trenton Gill with a bomb of a punt, only 43 yards but hang time looked like it was dropped from a plane. Chiefs backed up at their 12. That's one way to prevent more punt returns.
The other danger when Fields holds the ball too long is someone on the Bears holds. And Roschon Johnson just did as Fields has it forever. Bears punting.

Fields' second-best play of the game is similar to the other, a rollout pass to Cole Kmet. Both were better than his 17-yard scramble because he let someone else make the play.
This is where Luke Getsy gave up on the run in the last two games. Down two scores, scrap the run. If they do it again, they'll lose by 40.

11:34: Chiefs 14, Bears 0

Clyde Edwards-Helaire scores from the 1. That's the bad news. The good news, Brisker is back for what that's worth. Chiefs 14, Bears 0

Two backup safeties in now, Elijah Hicks and Quindell Johnson, and Mahomes sees it right away as the safeties back off and Rice catches and runs to the 1-foot line. Called a TD but he's obviously down.
Chiefs 10 first downs, Bears 3. Chiefs 145 yards, Bears 52.
For the third time in three games Bears safety Jaquan Brisker is down on the field. Medical people tending to him. The Chiefs are rolling now at the Chicago 15.
Pacheco with a nice counter run left for 18. The Bears were totally pulled out of position with the motion on that play.
Terell Smith non-chalant on the tip of Kelce down after a first down catch when he didn't get touched earlier. He needs to make a more pronounced touchdown of the ball carrier because that has burned the Bears in the past.
This Fields needs to get rid of the ball stuff isn't just a bunch of hot air from old football people. He doesn't hold it too long to find receivers. He holds it too long and then gets sacked. That's a good way to get hurt, to ruin the offense, to fail.

First Quarter

:00: Chiefs 7, Bears 0

Quarter ends after a short pass over the middle to Kelce sets up third-and-2 at the 33. The Bears rallied nicely to the ball on that one to limit Kelce's yards after carry. They didn't do this as well on the first drive. Chiefs 7

Did someone let the White Sox infielders into the Bears locker room? Jaylon Jones has chance to down the ball at the one and lets it slip right past him. Haven't seen that since the last grounder at The Rate.
Fields does exactly what the Bears coaches have been fearful of when they have wanted him to get rid of the ball. He held it until the rush was on top of him and then Chris Jones got the sack to kill the drive outside field goal range.
The old Justin Fields gets 17 yards on a scramble when he sees no one open. Held it a long time but still gained.
Bears use the running game for a change. Khalil Herbert with two runs for a first down. Gains 11 and 7 yards.

6:51: Chiefs 7, Bears 0

Bears fell for the old shovel pass and McKinnon scores from 6 yards. The play shouldn't work against the Bears because for it to work the defense needs to get some penetration to get guys out of position, but the Bears defensive line usually has no penetration. It worked anyway.
Kelce moves before the snap. Probably lost concentration thinking about Taylor.
Tyrique Stevenson took himself out of the game by hitting Pacheco at the 1 near the sideline. Then officials with a questionable call for something. Maybe helmet to helmet but one angle on the replay didn't look like contact was even made. Either way, Stevenson got the worst of it as he was down on the sidelines and now the Bears dig even deeper into their bench in the secondary with Eddie Jackson and Kyler Gordon already out.
Mahomes forced to scramble but the Bears have no speed up front. No one gets near him even as he ran laterally. Zacch Pickens couldn't catch up and Chiefs are at the 3.
Two Mahomes passes and they're inside the 15-yard line.
Kelce for 24 yards on first down and it was possible because Pacheco picked up Rashee Green on the pass rush.
Bears started the season playing good coverage on punts and kicks but the last few at the end of last week and the 23-yard return show they have work to do.
Lucas Patrick hit in the face by Chris Jones after the play and no call. From past experience, the Bears get 15 for this or ejected.
Fields sacked on third down for zero loss. Held it too long and actually a great job of getting back to the line of scrimmage at the 24.
Ja'Tyre Carter starting for Davis even though Davis is active.
Roschon Johnson in the game very early. His time has come.
Beautiful execution by Fields deep in his end zone, seeing nothing, moving out of the pocket and finding Chase Claypool along the sideline at the 18 for a first down.
That's five straight drives by the opponent with a point scored. Is the defense starting to make the progress Matt Eberflus has said he's seeing?

12:25

Coffin corner punt and the Bears take over inside their own 5.
Bears getting the ball after Mahomes overthrew Rice on third down.
Tremaine Edmunds seems pumped with a big hit on second-down tackle but the 5 yards allowed was too much.

14:00

The first third-and-long and of course the Chiefs convert on a pass to Travis Kelce. The Bears can't defend on third down.

Chiefs have it at the 25 to start.

Pregame

The Bears won't be alone in the NFC North basement. The Vikings couldn't pull off the comeback. Poorly managed comeback by the Vikings while the Packers had a brilliant comeback, and one helped greatly by a few poor pass interference calls.
The biggest news at Arrowhead Stadium is not that Alan Williams was fired or what Justin Fields said about Luke Getsy. It's that Taylor Swift is in the house to see her boyfriend play, tight end Travis Kelce.

Taylor Swift is attending today's Chiefs vs Bears game at Arrowhead Stadium, per @Schultz_Report

Travis Kelce is GOING TO GO OFF 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Y7z4xvZrtt
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) September 24, 2023

Even veteran reporters are shaking in their boots they're so excited.

Taylor Swift is at Arrowhead Stadium to watch Travis Kelce and the Chiefs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2023

The concern over Bears players being "distracted" by the events of this week seem to be kind of a stretch when Alan Williams hasn't been with the team since the Wednesday after the loss to Green Bay. The comments by Justin Fields seemed to be over when Luke Getsy and he were hugging it out on the practice field.

The Bears won a game in Washington in 1988 after their coach had a heart attack.

Ready for battle ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/otTgdKXDKu
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 24, 2023

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven