Is This the Given Sunday for Bears?

In the NFL, there is comfort for those struggling with the phrase "on any given Sunday."

The Bears want this to be the given Sunday as they go into Kansas City to face the defending Super Bowl champions and Patrick Mahomes with virtually nothing going their way.

It's not often a team loses a defensive coordinator and starting left tackle, has the quarterback saying he's not being used properly and has their lawn maintenance equipment stolen from their home stadium all in one week.

In fact, it's probably never happened, but the last thing anyone needs after such a week is facing Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones.

The Bears can look at their old head coach, who is the offensive coordinator and remember Matt Nagy loves to forget about the running game. It's right there in the season stats this year, as KC has let running backs carry it 28 times in two games.

It's something to log away in the unlikely event the Bears actually do find themselves in the lead late.

Perhaps the best thing the Bears can remember is someone in their own division already beat Kansas City in Arrowhead.

"We seen Detroit go in there and do it," cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. "So we know it can be done."

Here are the three keys to a Bears upset, and they are not the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, although prayer wouldn't hurt on this given Sunday.

3. Challenge the Linebackers

Kansas City's linebacker group is not filled with household words. There are no Pro Bowls or All-Pros in this group, although Nick Bolton has been solid and is a promising young player. He has 15 tackles but is out for the game with an ankle injury.

Drue Tranquill is a former Chargers player. Leo Chenal was a more decorated teammate of Jack Sanborn's at Wisconsin, and a third-round draft pick, but he has started just eight games and has four tackles for loss for his career. It's an uncommon trait for all the Chiefs linebackers this year to be behind the line tackling. Bolton, Chenal and Tranquill have one TFL between them.

The Bears can attack them with double tight end formations using Robert Tonyan Jr. with 6-foot-6 Cole Kmet.

Using the backs as receivers is another way to challenge them. The linebackers are solid rallying to the ball in coverage but have no pass breakups this year.

The play-action pass and Justin Fields properly executing RPO can be especially effective here.

2. Stick to the Run

It doesn't matter if it's Fields on planned runs in this one, or all the backs and the receivers rushing, the Bears can't give up on the run the way they did against Tampa Bay once they were down 10. They fell so far behind Green Bay in only a few minutes of the third quarter that it was understandable they would abandon the run.

In this one it's important to be running because the last four times Kansas City lost in the regular season, dating back to the beginning of 2022, they were outrushed by their opponents.

The Lions outrushed them 118 yards to 90 in this year's opener. The Bengals last year outrushed them 152 yards to 138. Buffalo outrushed them 125-68 yards and Indianapolis knocked them off last year and outrushed them 82 yards to 58.

It keeps Mahomes on the sidelines to keep the sticks moving and running will help set up better down and distance situations. Of course, to do this they need to be efficient on the offensive line and avoid presnap penalties because first-and-15 is not a running situation.

If it's in the formula for each team that beat the Chiefs, then they'd better stick to it. Besides, it's something they'll need to do to improve as a team this year as offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has his offense ranked 23rd in rushing attempts. A run-oriented, play-action team doesn't succeed by running it 15 times a game with their backs like the Bears are averaging.

1. Containment

There is no other way to approach it against Mahomes. At least there is no other way for the Bears.

Eberflus coached the Colts to a win over Mahomes in 2019 before they had the benefit of DeForest Buckner in their lineup. They had only an average pass rush. He wasn't giving away any secrets when asked about it, other than a few words about fundamentals.

Keeping safeties deep to prevent any big plays and to get physical with receivers, and mixing up looks in the secondary are big, but even moreso is containing Mahomes within the pocket. Defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue can't be taking the wide approach in at the passer because Mahomes will merely step up and outside to where they abandoned the spot and then either buy time rolling as he looks downfield or scramble for yards.

The other way a defense can approach stopping Mahomes is to blitz him out of the ballyard, the way Tampa did in the Super Bowl after the 2020 season. Of course, the Bears do not blitz and if they do, they aren't effective at it because it's not part of their normal defensive approach.

Limiting Mahomes' big gains and forcing the Chiefs to drive without many yards after the catch is what this scheme needs to do, particularly because the Chiefs' receivers have had so much trouble hanging onto the ball as seven drops and several passes tipped up into the air suggest. A pass tipped up into the air should be a pick.

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