"Official" Chiefs (4-7) vs. Bears (7-4) Game Day Thread

**TopekaRoy** · 12-04-2011, 03:13 AM

VS.
Team Stats Team Stats
Kansas City Chiefs (4-7) vs. Chicago Bears (7-4)
At

Soldier Field, Chicago, IL Sunday, December 4 at 12:00pm CT
ON

Watch online at Chicago Bears vs Kansas City Chiefs Live Stream Online

Line: Bears by 7 Over/Under: 37
2011 Trends:
The Chiefs are 6-5 ATS.
The Chiefs are 3-2 ATS away.
The Chiefs are 6-2 ATS as the underdog.
The Chiefs are 3-2 ATS as an away underdog.

The Bears are 6-5 ATS.
The Bears are 4-2 ATS at home.
The Bears are 4-1 ATS as the favorite.
The Bears are 3-1 ATS as a home favorite.

Chiefs Leaders:
Passing

Matt Cassel 160-269, 1713 yds, 10 tds

Rushing:

Jackie Battle 104 car, 456 yds, 1 td

Receiving

Dwayne Bowe 55 rec, 819 yds, 4 tds

Bears Leaders

Passing

Jay Cutler 182-314, 2319 yds, 13 tds

Rushing

Matt Forte 198 car, 985 yds, 3 tds

Receiving

Johnny Knox 28 rec, 622 yds, 2 tds

ESPN Preview

The Chicago Bears indicated they still have faith in their No. 2 quarterback despite a difficult performance last week. Their next opponent doesn't appear to feel the same way.

While Chicago sticks with Caleb Hanie, the Kansas City Chiefs could end up turning to former Bear Kyle Orton over struggling starter Tyler Palko in Sunday's game at Soldier Field.

The Bears remain in position for a wild-card berth, but a 25-20 loss in Oakland last Sunday halted a five-game winning streak and left them as one of three NFC teams with a 7-4 record. To build a lead over the other contenders, Chicago could use some better games from Hanie.

In his first start for the injured Jay Cutler and first action since last season's NFC title game, Hanie threw three interceptions in the first half but rebounded to go 10 of 18 in the fourth quarter for 175 of his 254 yards. He had two touchdown passes and ran for 50 yards, but also ended Chicago's final drive after being called for intentional grounding because he took a few steps back before spiking the ball.

It appears Hanie will remain the starter considering Cutler said Wednesday he might not return this year, plus rookie Nathan Enderle has no NFL pass attempts and fellow Bears backup Josh McCown has none since September 2009.

"He'll play better this coming week than he did the last," coach Lovie Smith said of Hanie. "That's normally how you would expect a guy to start off when he hasn't had a lot of time, but once he got going, especially in the second half, he made a lot of plays. You could see him getting more and more comfortable in the pocket and leading our offense."

A matchup with the struggling Chiefs (4-7) might help Hanie get even more comfortable. Kansas City's defense is 23rd in the league with 24.1 points allowed per game and has only one interception during the team's current four-game losing streak.

The Chiefs offense has been limited to 25 points during that skid, including one touchdown.

Kansas City held Pittsburgh to one TD last Sunday night but lost 13-9. Palko, in for the injured Matt Cassel, had three interceptions for the second straight game and fumbled a snap.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley said Wednesday that Palko will remain the starter, though he's only getting 60 percent of the first-team reps in practice this week while Orton gets the remaining 40 percent. Orton, claimed off waivers last week after being cut by Denver, is still learning the playbook but could get on the field Sunday if the struggles continue for Palko, who has yet to throw a TD pass.

"Tyler's our starter. We're getting Kyle ready to play," Haley said. "He's not like a guy who's been here a couple of years. It's a different situation. So we're getting him ready to play."

Orton spent his first four seasons with the Bears and helped lead them to the playoffs as a rookie in 2005. He was shipped to Denver in the trade for Cutler in April 2009 and was the starter in his two-plus seasons there before being supplanted by Tim Tebow in Week 6 this year.

"It's not a perfect world. It's not going to be perfect," Orton said. "You just make do the best you can, prepare yourself the best you can. That's something that I've always prided myself on, being the best prepared on the field every week."

Should he face his former team for the first time, Orton will try to help the Chiefs avoid their first five-game skid since 2009 and keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Kansas City has lost four of five all-time trips to Soldier Field and in its most recent visit in 2007, Devin Hester had a 73-yard punt return for a touchdown as the Bears won 20-10.

Hester has returned a punt or kickoff for a TD in three of his last four home games.

Another player making an impact for the Bears is Marion Barber, who had a team-best 63 yards on 10 attempts against Oakland. Barber could continue taking some more carries away from Matt Forte, who has averaged 60.0 yards over the last three games after averaging 137.2 in his previous five.

"(Barber is) a weapon that we need to use," Smith said.

The Bears might get another one to use with cornerback D.J. Moore hoping to return from an injured ankle.

**kcvet** · 12-04-2011, 11:07 AM

Haley should start Orton today. and let him play out the season. OJT time. let see what he can do. but hey im just a fan. what the H do I know

**spiman** · 12-04-2011, 12:06 PM

You know as much as the rest of us. I would expect Orton just b4 1/2

**TopekaRoy** · 12-04-2011, 12:26 PM

Obviously I'm expecting the Bears to win this game but if the Chiefs play defense the way they did against the Steelers, they do have a legitimate chance to win this game. Unfortunately, I think Starting Palko will give that chance away.

The Bears defensive front four - Julius Peppers (8 sacks), Israel Idonije (3 sacks), Henry Melton (5 sacks), and Anthony Adams, with Amobi Okoye (4 sacks) off of the bench - are going to tear up the Chiefs O-line and force Palko to make dangerous passes. Orton would be less likely to turn the ball over, but by the time he comes in it may be too late. The Bears are 42-9 under Lovie Smith when they lead the game at halftime.

The Chiefs pass defense can compete with the Bears, but we will have trouble stopping Matt Forte on the ground. That will allow the Bears to control the clock and wear down our defense.

The Bears defense is very good agaisnt the run, but they will give you the 5 or 6 yard passes all game long. The Chiefs best chance to move the ball is to take advantage of those seams in the Bears zone defense and and keep our defense off of the field. The Chiefs will need to win the turnover battle to win the game. Last week the Bears had 401 yards of total offense, their highest output of the season, but they stilll ost the game because they lost the turnover battle 3-1. The Raiders scored 7 times against the Bears, but only had one TD. The Chiefs will have to find ways to get into the end zone.

As a Bears fan and a Chiefs fan I would like to see the Bears win 27-24 on a last second FG. I don't see that happening but I do think the Chiefs can keep the game close until late in the game.

Bears 23
Chiefs 13

**kcvet** · 12-04-2011, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by TopekaRoy

Obviously I'm expecting the Bears to win this game but if the Chiefs play defense the way they did against the Steelers, they do have a legitimate chance to win this game. Unfortunately, I think Starting Palko will give that chance away.

The Bears defensive front four - Julius Peppers (8 sacks), Israel Idonije (3 sacks), Henry Melton (5 sacks), and Anthony Adams, with Amobi Okoye (4 sacks) off of the bench - are going to tear up the Chiefs O-line and force Palko to make dangerous passes. Orton would be less likely to turn the ball over, but by the time he comes in it may be too late. The Bears are 42-9 under Lovie Smith when they lead the game at halftime.

The Chiefs pass defense can compete with the Bears, but we will have trouble stopping Matt Forte on the ground. That will allow the Bears to control the clock and wear down our defense.

The Bears defense is very good agaisnt the run, but they will give you the 5 or 6 yard passes all game long. The Chiefs best chance to move the ball is to take advantage of those seams in the Bears zone defense and and keep our defense off of the field. The Chiefs will need to win the turnover battle to win the game. Last week the Bears had 401 yards of total offense, their highest output of the season, but they stilll ost the game because they lost the turnover battle 3-1. The Raiders scored 7 times against the Bears, but only had one TD. The Chiefs will have to find ways to get into the end zone.

As a Bears fan and a Chiefs fan I would like to see the Bears win 27-24 on a last second FG. I don't see that happening but I do think the Chiefs can keep the game close until late in the game.

Bears 23
Chiefs 13

uh what's an end zone????