The Chicago Bears (0-2) face their toughest test of the 2023 season to date this weekend when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs (1-1). The reigning Super Bowl champions haven’t had the explosive start to the season as they have been accustomed to, but with stars all over the field and head coach Andy Reid running a tight ship, it’s only a matter of time until they get things right.
That very well could come against the Bears, who have struggled mightily to start the season. Head coach Matt Eberflus has his work cut out for him as he looks to get things back on track, especially after a tumultuous week at Halas Hall. Planning for the Chiefs seems like the least of his worries, but he’ll need to keep tabs on these five players heading into the game.
1. QB Patrick Mahomes
Let’s be honest, who isn’t watching for Patrick Mahomes on Sunday? The best quarterback in the league and reigning MVP faces the Bears for the first time since 2019, when he let everyone know how he felt about being passed up in the 2017 NFL Draft. Mahomes threw for two touchdowns and ran one in that day against a much better defense than the one he’s facing this week.
The good news for the Bears, however, is that the Chiefs offense has had a slow start to the year. They have scored the exact same amount of points as Chicago through two games and are still finding their footing. This will either be a get-right game for them or perhaps an opportunity for the Bears to capitalize.
2. RB Isiah Pacheco
Isiah Pacheco took over the Chiefs starting running back job during his rookie season and has yet to give it up. The second-year back couldn’t get going in Week 1, but found more success last weekend against the Jaguars. Pacheco carried the ball 12 times for 70 yards in the Chiefs victory but could be hobbled for this game against the Bears.
Pacheco missed Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury. It’s too early to tell if that will impact his availability for Sunday’s game, but one has to wonder if it will limit his touches. That could benefit the Bears rush defense, a unit that has improved from a year ago. Through two games, the team is allowing 106 yards per game, down from 157 in 2022.
3. TE Travis Kelce
Star tight end Travis Kelce has been all over the news for his ties to Taylor Swift, but he’s still working his way back into the football limelight. Kelce returned to the Chiefs last week after missing their season opener with a knee injury and wasn’t the same player we’re accustomed to seeing. Kelce caught four passes on nine targets for 26 yards and a touchdown. Normally, he’s stretching the field a lot more but is still catching up after missing his first game due to injury since 2014.
This week, don’t be surprised to see Mahomes and Kelce re-establish their connection. The Bears secondary is banged up, and the Chiefs will look to take advantage of mismatches with their star pass catcher. All eyes will need to be on No. 87 when he breaks the huddle.
4. DT Chris Jones
Defensive tackle Chris Jones is another key member of the Chiefs who returned to the lineup after missing Week 1. But his absence was for far different reasons than Kelce’s. Jones held out from the Chiefs as he pined for a new contract. A deal finally got done, and Jones returned to the lineup without missing a beat.
The disruptive defensive tackle notched two tackles (one for a loss), 1.5 sacks, one pass defensed, and two QB hits. If there were any questions about his play taking a dive after a long layoff, those were answered quickly. Jones is one of the best in the league and will undoubtedly give the Bears’ interior offensive line fits on Sunday. They won’t be able to stop him, but hopefully they can contain him.
5. CB L'Jarius Sneed
Bears quarterback Justin Fields met with the media on Wednesday and discussed his desire to play more freely and possibly not stay confined to the pocket as much as he has these last couple weeks. If that’s the case, Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed will have his hands full and could be a weak link the Bears can target.
Sneed has had strong and weak moments through two weeks of the season. He was able to shut down Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley last week, and he’s been active in various blitz packages to get into the backfield. But he’s missing tackles at an alarming rate. According to Pro Football Focus, Sneed has a tackling grade of 28.2 with an overall grade of 50.1. He could be the primary defender covering D.J. Moore, but the Bears receiver has the chance to break tackles and generate plenty of yards after the catch.
