Welcome to the Kingdom: Bears Not in Chicago Anymore as they Meet the Franchise They Strive to Be
- Clete Campbell
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
By Clete Campbell
Windy City End Zone
The sign reads “Welcome to Chiefs Kingdom.”
The place is a sea of imposing red. Fire stations aren’t this glossy. You can feel the championship tradition reverberating through the football palace they call Arrowhead Stadium. The symbols of football excellence are everywhere. Gigantic world championship banners hang above the press box.
The message is clear: Pro football’s team of the decade plays here.
All it will take is five minutes in warmups Friday night for the Bears to know they’re not in Chicago anymore.
Though the results matter only in the job and progress columns, the Bears look to cap an undefeated preseason run with another exhibition victory over the Chiefs (kickoff is 7:20 p.m.; TV: Fox 32 Chicago; Radio: ESPN Chicago AM 1000).
Though the results matter only in the job and progress columns, the Bears look to cap an undefeated preseason run with another exhibition victory over the Chiefs (kickoff is 7:20 p.m.; TV: Fox 32 Chicago; Radio: ESPN Chicago AM 1000).
This one will have a bit of a regular season feel as Chiefs coach Andy Reid says Patrick Mahomes and Co will “start it off, for sure. And then we’ll see how it goes from there.”
That statement is music to the hungry ears of a ferocious Bears defense looking to make another statement against the planet’s best quarterback and his first-string offensive orchestra.
The Bears, fresh off a 38-0 piledriving of the Buffalo Bills’ second and third units, “need to go through this,” coach Ben Johnson says.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen may just throw a surprise package or two at the Chiefs’ three-time Super Bowl champion signal caller.
“The Bears have to be prepared for the sneaky athleticism Mahomes can pull out to make plays with his legs to move the chains,” A to Z Sports’ Kole Noble writes. (Five things to watch in Bears-Chiefs preseason finale, including a big measuring stick for the defense against Patrick Mahomes - A to Z Sports). “The best way to beat this guy is to bring the fight to him, but in a strategic way. No one knows how to do that better than Allen with his exotic blitz packages and aggressive defensive front.”
For the offense, the burning question is can Caleb Wiliams and his band follow up their opening 92-yard statement touchdown drive against Buffalo’s No. 2 defense with a score against KC’s No. 1 unit? Also, will we see more creative calls for wide receiver DJ Moore?
Left tackle – the Bears’ biggest position battle -- will likely be settled by the final grade performances of incumbent starter Braxton Jones and upstart Theo Benedet.
Then there’s the men battling for their roster lives, including the longshots trying to keep their NFL playing dreams alive. Ian Wheeler is making it extremely hard for the Bears not to carry him as their No. 4 running back, especially with Roschon Johnson and Kyle Monangai battling injuries.
At wide receiver, Jahdae Walker and Maurice Alexander have made some big “wow” plays to support their depth chart roster bids.
At defensive tackle, Chris Williams and Zacch Pickens have been dueling to make the 53-man cut.
With cornerback Terell Smith now out with a season-ending knee injury, Nick McCloud and Zah Frazier are looking to be the Bears’ CB6.
But most imperatively, the Bears aren’t approaching this as any regular preseason finale. They are looking at it as the ultimate final test before the real season against the team, front office and franchise they idolize.
For the Chiefs, Windy City Gridiron’s Lester Wiltfong notes, “are what the Bears hope to be.
“A franchise that went decades searching for another Super Bowl championship until finally getting the right quarterback and head coach in place to lead the franchise to multiple Lombardi trophies.” (Bears vs Chiefs: How to watch, start time, odds, and more | Windy City Gridiron)
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