If I had to describe last week’s win for the Chiefs over the Jaguars in one word, it would be gutsy, as they had their struggles offensively in the 17-9 victory, but the return of Chris Jones made all the difference in the world on defense. Jones himself recorded 1.5 sacks and the defense as a whole recorded four sacks against Trevor Lawrence.
Additionally, the run defense was miles ahead of where it was against the Lions. The Jaguars could only accumulate 74 yards on the ground as a team. Running back Travis Etienne could not find any holes in the Chiefs’ defense all day as he only had 40 yards on 12 carries. After the game, Jones told the media “With a game like this, have fun, play hard, and find a way to win”. This type of performance on defense can carry over into the next week, especially against a team that has been struggling over the last season or so to find a rhythm offensively: the Chicago Bears are up next on the schedule. More on this game in just a minute.
Offensively, on the other hand, Patrick Mahomes and crew couldn’t quite find their rhythm until late in the game. The first four drives for the Chiefs went like this: punt, punt, fumble by Justin Watson, Patrick Mahomes interception. They finally managed to get on the board after a seven-play, 50-yard drive culminating in a nine-yard touchdown reception by Skyy Moore. Moore would have another big play late in the game to ice it. I’ll get to that in a minute. Kansas City’s only other touchdown came from Travis Kelce.
Skyy Moore Seals the Deal
Now, I said earlier that Skyy Moore made a huge play late in the fourth quarter. Third and six with the game on the line with Kansas City up 17-9. Watch this terrific play that was the nail in the coffin for the Jaguars. The Chiefs offense should be able to find their groove next week against an opponent who has struggled mightily: the Chicago Bears.
Bad News Bears
The Chicago Bears had spent the entire off-season trying to upgrade their roster, primarily trading for wide receiver DJ Moore. So far, it hasn’t worked out as they might’ve hoped. Moore has been non-existent as he only has eight catches and 129 total yards through two games. If the Bears are going to turn around their offensive woes, it starts by getting the ball to him early and often in games. The offensive line has been banged up with injuries and they have struggled to do the one thing they were so good at last season: running the football. Through two games, Chicago has only averaged 94.5 yards per game on the ground. They also struggle with giving up sacks as quarterback Justin Fields was sacked five times in the 27-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bears passing game? Not much better either as the team has averaged 214 yards through the air in two games. Justin Fields also has three interceptions through two games thus far. This was supposed to be the year he takes the giant leap forward and he still has the potential to do so. The Bears offensive coaching staff needs to play to his strengths which is getting him on the move and using his legs as a weapon. The more he gets a chance to move and not be stationary, the better he gets.
On the other hand, I can’t even begin to describe how horrible the Bears’ defense has been to start this year. I’ll just be straight-up honest: they can’t stop a cold let alone opposing offenses (sorry Bears fans). Head coach Matt Eberflus has a lot on his plate to try to get Chicago back to being a competitive team. After going 3-14 last season, Bears fans and the media figured things can only go upwards from here but so far, they look just as bad as they did last year and it will not get any easier going against Patrick Mahomes on Sunday afternoon. This game could get ugly very fast. The last time the Bears and Chiefs played in 2019, the Chiefs dominated at Soldier Field winning 27-7.
