The fates of the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears are diverging, and that may not change for a while. The Chiefs landed superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft, and the Bears landed Mitchell Trubisky. When the two teams met on Sunday Night Football in Week 16, that was just about all that mattered.
Mahomes (22 for 33, 251 yards, 2 TD, rush TD) got cooking very early against the Chicago defense, which was playing undermanned (Akiem Hicks didn't suit up and Eddie Goldman exited early with an injury) and yet still held up well for a while, but ultimately was not put in position to succeed. Mahomes led the Chiefs on a 15-play, 82-yard touchdown drive on their opening possession of the game, finding the end zone after he broke the pocket with the Bears in man coverage on third-and-5 from the 12-yard line.
As it turned out, that score was actually all the Chiefs needed. They added a field goal on their second drive (seven plays, 31 yards) and another touchdown on their third (13 plays, 95 yards), though, and at halftime they led the Bears 17-0. Chicago had a chance to score some points right at the very end of the half, but poor clock management and two consecutive illegal shift penalties robbed them of that chance; and instead they went into halftime without having scored a touchdown for the ninth time in their 15 games this season.
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The Chiefs left the Bears an opening to get themselves back into the game when they punted on their first two drives of the second half, but the Bears turned it over on downs inside the Kansas City 10-yard line on their first shot, and managed only a field goal on their second. The Chiefs responded to the field goal drive with another touchdown of their own, pushing their lead to 23-3 and officially putting the game out of reach. (Kansas City would tack on another field goal to make it a 26-3 final.)
The difference in the way these two teams are able to approach the game was apparent from the start, and it remained apparent throughout. One team has a star under center and knows it. The other team has a liability under center and knows it. That knowledge permeates every decision the teams make, and Sunday night's game really drove that point home.
Why the Chiefs won
Well, they're just flat-out the better team. They're better on offense, at nearly every position. Patrick Mahomes was not flawless in this game, but he displayed just about every skill in his arsenal, making plays both inside and outside the pocket, with his arm and with his legs. Tyreek Hill challenged the defense with his speed, and made several catches look far easier than they should have. Travis Kelce was just about unstoppable. After ceding early work to Spencer Ware, Damien Williams came in and ran really well. The offensive line kept rushers out of Mahomes' face and cleared the road for the run game. On defense, the Chiefs might even be better than the Bears at the moment. They barely gave Chicago any running room, and the secondary smothered the Bears' receiving options throughout the game.
Why the Bears lost
This is a team that far too often plays in fear of letting its quarterback try to make a play through the air. On consecutive third downs in the second quarter, the Bears called for a screen. On one goal line series, they called a shotgun run, a roll-out that gave Trubisky a half-field read to the left side of the formation, a zone-read run with a wide receiver as the lead blocker, and an isolation fade. The Bears seemingly had no interest in letting Trubisky try to win them the game, and instead schemed him into throws that would ensure he didn't lose it. That meant the defense and/or special teams units would have to find a way to put points on the board, and against Mahomes, Andy Reid, and special teams coordinator Dave Toub, that wasn't going to happen.
Turning point
On April 27, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers were on the clock, holding the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Before they had a chance to make their selection, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace got the Niners to agree to ship the second pick in the draft to Chicago in exchange for the Nos. 3, 67, and 111 picks, as well as Chicago's third-round pick in the 2018 draft. With the No. 2 pick, the Bears took University of North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Eight picks later, the Buffalo Bills were on the clock at No. 10 overall. Before they had a chance to make their selection, then-Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey got the Bills to agree to ship the 10th pick to Kansas City in exchange for the Nos. 27 and 91 picks, as well as Kansas City's first-round pick in the 2019 draft. With the No. 10 pick, the Chiefs took Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
This game was decided right about then.
Play of the game
A six-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open receiver doesn't normally wind up on the highlight reel, but this one was so well-designed that we have to single it out. The Chiefs marched down the field late in the second quarter by repeatedly spreading the field and flooding one side of the Bears' zone defense with multiple receivers. It worked over and over again. When they got down near the goal line, Andy Reid made the Bears think that's what was coming again, only to throw something different at them.
The Chiefs lined up in trips left, with the running back aligned to Mahomes' left as well. Then Travis Kelce motioned into the formation, and upon the snap, acted as though he were about to run a flat route to the front corner of the end zone. Suddenly, though, Kelce snapped off the route and cut back to the inside, and Mahomes hit him with a perfectly-placed pass right between three Bears defenders who were all within five or so yards of Kelce, but nowhere close to actually making the play because of how well-designed the route was.
The Chiefs have plenty of other highlight moments, but this one combined everything that makes this team so tough to beat: great players and great design.
What's next
The Chiefs advance their record to 11-4 and maintain hold of the No. 3 seed in the AFC. They are one game behind the Patriots for the No. 2 seed, and if they can secure a win next week and see the Patriots lose, they'll get themselves a first-round bye. The Chiefs may have a tough time getting that pair of results, though, because while they play the Chargers, the Patriots have a date with the Dolphins.
The Bears drop to 7-8 with the loss. They were already eliminated from playoff contention prior to the start of the game. They have a chance to play spoiler in the playoff race, though, because their regular season finale is against the Vikings, who will be playing for either the NFC North title or merely for seeding next week.
