Three days after their 21-13 loss to the Packers in Green Bay, the Bears return to the practice field Wednesday to continue preparing for Sunday night's game against the Chiefs at Soldier Field.
The Bears (7-7) have won three of four and four of six since a four-game losing streak. But they were eliminated from playoff contention last Sunday with their loss to the Packers coupled with the Vikings' win over the Chargers in Los Angeles.
The Chiefs (10-4) have won four straight and have already clinched their fourth consecutive AFC West title. Kansas City can still earn a first-round bye in the playoffs because it would win the tiebreaker with the two teams that are currently in those spots, having defeated both the Ravens (12-2) and Patriots (11-3).
Sunday night's game at Soldier Field features a matchup of Bears coach Matt Nagy against his mentor, Chiefs coach Andy Reid. Prior to being hired by the Bears in 2018, Nagy spent his first 10 NFL seasons on Reid's staffs with the Eagles (2008-12) and Chiefs (2013-17).
Series history
The Bears lead the all-time series with the Chiefs 7-5. The two teams have alternated winning the last 10 meetings beginning with a Bears victory in 1987.
The Bears won the last meeting 18-17 on Oct. 11, 2015 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Jay Cutler threw two touchdown passes in the final 3:05—including a game-winning 7-yarder to Matt Forte with :18 to play—as the Bears erased a 17-6 deficit. The Bears defense shut out the Chiefs in the second half, limiting Kansas City to 10 yards on nine plays on three straight three-and-outs to begin the fourth quarter.
Numbers game
The Bears enter Week 16 ranked 28th on offense in the NFL (29th rushing and 25th passing) and 8th on defense (6th against the run and 13th versus the pass). The Chiefs rank 5th on offense (25th rushing and 3rd passing) and 18th on defense (26th against the run and 11th versus the pass).
Talk show
Nagy will address the media Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will speak Wednesday, while offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor will conduct press conferences Thursday.
