Game: Kansas City Chiefs @ Chicago Bears
Date / Time: Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Noon CT
Place: Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois
TV: NFL Network
Listen: 106.5 The Wolf (Kansas City residences only)
There’s been plenty of excitement surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs over the last few months, but now the coaching staff is about to see exactly what they have to work with, as the first week of preseason games is set to kick off this weekend. Kansas City will have its first scrimmage in Chicago at historic Solider Field against the Bears.
The Chiefs’ retooled defensive line will have the task of going up against second-year Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who’s looking to build off of his rookie campaign by showing Chicago’s coaching staff he is the future face of their franchise. Fields is also the type of QB that gives the Chiefs’ defense the opportunity to do some good things. Fields is 2-8 as a starter and was sacked 36 times in 10 starts last season.
On offense, the Chiefs will face a defense that ranked third against the pass and 23rd against the run last season. However, that shouldn’t prevent Mahomes and his new wide receiving core from running a few passing plays against a young secondary featuring Bears rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon and third-year vet Jaylon Johnson.
Things to watch
Wide receiving core
As I just mentioned, Kansas City is going to want to get some tap of their new receivers. Going up against a very young Chicago secondary, the Chiefs shouldn’t have much of a problem doing just that. While guys like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and rookie Skyy Moore are definitely at the top of the list to keep an eye on, underneath players like Justin Watson, Cornell Powell, Daurice Fountain, and Josh Gordon are also some receivers to watch on Saturday.
Second-year offensive line
Staying on offense, another area to watch will be the offensive line. Kansas City rehauled the o-line last season, and it resulted in Kansas City finishing the 2021 season with one of the best o-line units in the National Football League. Left tackle Orlando Brown finished with his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod, Joe Thuney was solid at left guard, and rookies Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith were sensational on the interior.
But as good as this unit was in 2021, the expectation is they should be even better in their second year. On Saturday, the Chiefs’ o-line will be lining up against Chicago’s first-team defensive line, which features Robert Quinn, Justin Jones, Angelo Blackson, and Trevis Gibson. While there’s no saying how long the starters will be out there (Andy Reid said the Chiefs’ first-team players will play the entire first quarter), getting a glimpse of how the o-line looks following a whole offseason of being together will be something to watch.
Isaiah Pacheco
The Chiefs’ backfield is another area to watch, but there’s a specific player that’s expected to be all over the place on Saturday, and that’s rookie running back Isaiah Pacheco. Kansas City is very high on the rookie from Rutgers, and he’ll be getting his fair share of the offensive snaps and some snaps on special teams as a returner.
“We’re going to give [Pacheco] every chance to be that guy [for us],” said special team coach Dave Toub on Wednesday. “I mean, I just think he’s got all the attributes [to be] a good kick returner. He’s gotten better and better at practice, he’s doing the little things better, and he’s catching the ball great,” he explained. “[But] now we’ve got to see what happens with live bullets when guys are coming down there to take your head off. It’s a little bit different, so we’ll see how he handles it.”
Frank Clark
One of the more exciting stories to come out of camp is the buzz surrounding veteran defensive end Frank Clark. Entering a contract season, Clark reportedly came to camp approximately 35-pounds lighter and reportedly spent the offseason changing his lifestyle and getting his mind right for the season. Further reports say Clark is an entirely different player from years past, and Saturday will be a chance to see how much better he’s gotten.
Secondary
One key area the Chiefs retooled their defense is in the secondary. At the top of the list, first-round pick Trent McDuffie is currently the only rookie on the depth chart that is circled in as a potential day one starter. But going down the depth chart, guys like Joshua Williams, Jaylen Wilson, Dicaprio Bootle, Lonnie Johnson, and Rashad Fenson will all be looking to make some plays on Saturday.
History
Chiefs are 8-3 all-time against the Chicago Bears in preseason play. The last time Kansas City scrimmaged the Bears was in 2018; the Chiefs lost 27-20. The last time the Chiefs and Bears met was in Week 16 of the 2019 regular season on Sunday Night Football, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for two touchdown passes and ran in another to defeat Chicago 26-3.
