The Chicago Bears face the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday on the road. It may be early in the season, but both teams need to win this week considering their win-loss records are identical at 1-3. The Chiefs are currently in last place in the AFC West, while the Bears are in third in the NFC North. Here are some keys to victory for the Bears this weekend in order to improve to a manageable 2-3 record.
Stable Offensive Line: The Bears’ offensive line is depleted. Starting left tackle Jermon Bushrod is out because of a concussion and shoulder injury. More recently, the Bears lost starting center Will Montgomery for the season due to a fractured left tibia. Last week against the Oakland Raiders, starting guard Matt Slauson moved to center to replace Montgomery. Considering Slauson’s lack of experience at the center position, he performed well after fumbling a snap to quarterback Jay Cutler. Although offensive coordinator Adam Gase has yet to declare the starting center for this week, rookie third round pick Hroniss Grasu from Oregon may get the starting nod. The Chiefs’ defensive line may have a field day against this inexperienced offensive line. Coming into this week, the Chiefs are tied for ninth in the league in sacking the quarterback. On the flip side however, Kansas City’s offensive line has given up the most sacks this season with a league-worst 19. This matchup may be a low scoring game with the pass rush being a significant factor.
Cutler’s Hamstring: Cutler performed beyond expectations last week considering he had suffered a severe hamstring injury the week before against the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, tight end Martellus Bennett compared Cutler to Jesus when clarifying Cutler’s importance to the team. If Cutler can perform as well as he did last week, the Bears offense should be able to dominate time of possession as they have done so repeatedly this season. If Cutler can regain his typically underrated mobility this week, the offense will be more capable in avoiding momentum-deflating sacks on third down and long. Running back Matt Forte is the most consistent offensive weapon that the Bears have, but it is Cutler who makes this team go.
Antrel Rolle’s Absence: Safety Antrel Rolle is currently listed as doubtful with an ankle injury. If he cannot play against the Chiefs, the Bears’ secondary will be thin. Rolle’s counterpart in rookie starting safety Adrian Amos has been a solid defender all season, but he is only a rookie and is prone to make mental errors. The Bears will not have a veteran presence in the secondary if Rolle is out, so there may be a larger emphasis than usual for the defensive line and linebackers to blitz quarterback Alex Smith. As mentioned earlier, the Chiefs have given up the most sacks in the NFL. If the Bears can pressure quarterback Alex Smith constantly, the defense will have done its part.
The Chiefs’ lone victory came against the currently 1-4 Houston Texans, with losses coming from the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Cincinnati Bengals, all of whom are undefeated at 4-0. Although the Chiefs are 1-3, they played their stiff competition tough in close games. The Bears will most likely play without key wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey again. Although the Bears barely squeaked out a last second win over the Raiders, they simply have too many injuries to key players. Additionally, the Bears’ offensive line will have too much to handle.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Bears 17
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