Chiefs Bears Line

Written by Steve Janus - Google +

The Chicago Bears will look to get back on track when they host the struggling Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Both teams come into the game with their starting quarterback out with an injury. The Bears lost 20-25 at Oakland in their first game without Jay Cutler, snapping a five game winning streak. The Chiefs suffered a 9-13 loss at home to Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football. It was Kansas City’s fourth straight loss since sweeping the month of October with four straight wins.

Taking a look at the week 13 lines, oddsmakers currently have the Bears favored by 7-points over the Chiefs with the total set at 37.5 points.

Kansas City Chiefs:

As bad as things have gone for the Chiefs the last month, it’s not going to get any easier down the stretch. After taking on the Bears this Sunday, Kansas City will close out the season against the Jets, Packers, Raiders, and Broncos. Not to say the Chiefs couldn’t win one or two of those games, but their chances of returning to playoffs are very bleak at this point.

The big question coming into the game this Sunday, is who will be the Chiefs starting quarterback when they take the field against the Bears. Backup Tyler Palko has started the last two games, but the Chiefs added veteran Kyle Orton before their game against the Steelers. To Palko’s credit his first two NFL starts didn’t exactly come against the easiest of competition, but he has shown little to make you believe he has what it takes to succeed in this league. In two starts Palko is 42 for 66 with no touchdowns and six interceptions.

I for one believe the Chiefs will make the switch to Orton sooner rather than later. In my opinion Orton is clearly the better option. He might not start against the Bears, but I don’t think it will take long before he gets into the game. The Chiefs offense is desperate for any kind of momentum. They have scored one touchdown in their last four games, and that came on a touchdown pass from Matt Cassel.

The Chiefs stayed dedicated to the run against the Steelers with 34 carries for 90 yards, but you aren’t going to beat the Bears in Chicago by lining up and running it down their throats. Chicago is 8th against the run, allowing just 98.6 ypg. Where you can attack the Bears defense is through the air, as they rank 30th in the NFL against the pass. Who better to attack the Bears defense than Orton, who came up in the NFL with the Bears.

Chicago Bears:

The Bears looked like a lock to make the playoffs at 7-3, but now this team must prove they can win without Jay Cutler. Bacukup Caleb Hanne nearly led them to a remarkable come-from-behind win against the Raiders last week, with 13 points in the final quarter. However, Hanne and the offense was lucky to even have a shot in that game, as the Bears defense held Oakland to six field goals before finally giving up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Hanne ended up finishing the game 18 of 36 for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but his three interceptions are a big concern going forward. Chicago is built on being smart with the football and letting their defense keep them in the game. If Hanne continues to turn the ball over, It’s going to be very hard for the Bears to avoid a late season collapse.

While everyone expected Hanne and the passing game to struggle, star running back Matt Forte was held to just 59 yards on 12 attempts. Backup Marion Barber led the team with 63 yards on 10 carries. Forte has been the heart and soul of this offense all season, and they have to get a better performance out of him against Kansas City.

The Chiefs defense played inspired football at home against the Steelers last week. Despite the offense hurting them more than helping them, Kansas City has showed a lot of heart on the defensive side of the ball. They held Ben Roethlisberger to just 193 yards passing and allowed Rashard Mendenhall just 57 yards on the ground. This unit is more than capable of holding the Bears offense in check, especially if they can keep Forte from having a big game.