It’s been an interesting week for the Chicago Bears at Halas Hall ahead of their Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Quarterback Justin Fields admitted he felt that he’s being overcoached and he’ll try to play to his strengths more in Sunday’s game, head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed that starting left tackle Braxton Jones has been placed on injured reserve with no clear timetable for his return and defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned from his position to address his health.
Buy Bears TicketsAs nightmarish as these last few days have been for Chicago, it may do some good to look ahead to Week 3 ‘s matchup between the Bears and Chiefs.
Here are five things to know heading into Bears vs. Chiefs in Week 3.
1
The game will be the 14th all-time meeting between the Bears and Chiefs
Despite the Bears being one of the oldest teams in the NFL and the Chiefs joining the league in 1970, the two organizations have surprisingly not crossed paths too often. Chicago is 7-6 all-time against Kansas City, and they have a 3-3 record when playing on the road. The clubs played their first game against each other in the 1973 season.
2
The Chiefs dominated the Bears in their most recent meeting
It’s been nearly four years since the Bears last played the Chiefs. Their most recent meeting was a late December game in 2019, which the Chiefs won 26-3. Although the game didn’t move the needle much for either team — the Chiefs continued their AFC dominance and the Bears remained right around the .500 mark in the standings — it remains as a sore point for the Chicago faithful. All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes found the ever-reliable Travis Kelce for a touchdown and subsequently used his fingers to count to ten afterward, opening an old wound for Chicago fans.
For those unaware, the Bears found themselves with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft and in dire need of a franchise quarterback. Chicago opted to veer away from the likes of wildly successful Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and the uber-talented Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes to select North Carolina signal-caller Mitchell Trubisky, trading up one spot to land him. Mahomes was selected eight picks later at No. 10 overall by the Chiefs, and the rest is history.
Chicago’s selection of Trubisky with the second overall pick created one of the biggest “what if?” questions in NFL history, and Mahomes made it a point to remind the Bears of what they could’ve had by counting out how many players were selected ahead of him.
3
Bears GM Ryan Poles and Chiefs OC Matt Nagy face their former teams
Bears general manager Ryan Poles will be returning to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday after spending 13 years with the Chiefs, and current Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will face Chicago after being the club’s head coach for four years.
Poles began his career with Chiefs in 2009 as the team’s Player Personnel Assistant. He rose through the ranks for over a decade until he was anointed as the Chiefs’ Executive Director of Player Personnel in 2021. Chicago brought him to be the Bears’ general manager on Jan. 25, 2022, making him only the seventh general manager in franchise history.
Nagy was hired on Jan. 8, 2018, after the Bears fired former head coach John Fox. Nagy found immediate success in coaching the Bears, leading his squad to a 12-4 record in 2018. Nagy won the NFL Coach of the Year award for his efforts. The team suffered greatly after defensive mastermind Vic Fangio departed, and the team regressed to records of 8-8, 8-8 and 6-11 in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Nagy and former general manager Ryan Pace were fired in tandem on Jan. 10, 2022, making way for Poles and current head coach Matt Eberflus.
Sunday’s game will be the first time Poles and Nagy face their former teams in the regular season.
4
The Bears are 2-0 against the Chiefs in September
The two teams haven’t played much, but Chicago has had Kansas City’s number in September. Their last September game was on Sept. 16, 2007. Former Bears quarterback Rex Grossman passed for a touchdown and Devin Hester, one of the greatest kick returners of all time, returned a 73-yard punt return for a tpicjdpwm to help his team secure the win. Kansas City quarterback Damon Huard threw a touchdown and an interception. Hall of Famer Tony Gonzales only brought in four catches for 43 yards on the day.
5
Both teams have a few players dealing with injuries
The Bears and Chiefs are battling some injuries ahead of their Week 3 matchup.
For Chicago, defensive back Josh Blackwell, safety Eddie Jackson, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and center Lucas Patrick all are dealing with injuries. Mooney and Blackwell practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday, while Jackson and Patrick did not. To make matters worse, the Bears placed left tackle Braxton Jones on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four games.
For Kansas City, running back Isiah Pacheco, receivers Richie James and Kadarius Toney, and linebackers Nick Bolton and Willie Gay Jr. all are listed on the Chiefs’ injury report. Kansas City head coach Andy Reid stated that all players on the report are day-to-day, with the exception of James, who might have a long-term issue.
