As the Chicago Bears faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs, they were facing the very team that they could only dream of becoming. They were facing a team with legitimate Super Bowl potential while they were merely pretenders this season.
Matt Nagy is no Andy Reid. Mitchell Trubisky is certainly no Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs’ offensive weapons are far superior to what the Bears have on offense. And the Bears defense, while battling injuries, couldn’t hang with a legitimate NFL offense.
The Bears lost in embarrassing fashion to the Chiefs in their home finale, where they couldn’t even muster a touchdown in a 26-3 loss that seemed to sum up a disappointing season.
There was a numbing feeling about the loss. It’s hard to believe that this Bears team that dropped an embarrassing loss to the Chiefs is the same team that was once believed to be Super Bowl contenders back in Week 1. Where a season that was once bright with Super Bowl expectations was nothing more than a unachievable goal that was long out of reach before this disappointing affair.
While the Trubisky vs. Mahomes narrative sounded loud and clear through NBC’s telecast, it soon became more about the Bears’ overall struggles as a whole. The problems on this team — the problems on this offense — they extend far beyond Trubisky, who had his worst performance in the last month and a half — a performance that will linger well into the offseason, even with one game remaining.
Trubisky completed 18-of-34 passes for 157 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He added six carries for 20 yards early in the first quarter, but that would be the extent of his success in a game that you figure held significant meaning to him.
The Bears offense ended their home finale just as they started the season: Scoring a mere three points and held without a touchdown. The offensive output was embarrassing all around — quarterback play, play calling, dropped passes, pass protection.
While the Bears defense was one of the lone saving graces of this season, they were part of the problem Sunday night against the Chiefs. While they were missing several starters on defense — including Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan and even Eddie Goldman, who left the game early on with a concussion — the Bears defense had no answer for the Chiefs offense.
Nagy was out-coached in every facet of the game, and his mentor Reid embarrassed him on a national stage.
While there’s still one game left this season — a road game against a playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings team — this offseason is going to be an important one in terms of self reflection and decision making about the future of this team.
