Bears Get Firsthand Look At What Might Have Been

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CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- For four quarters at Soldier Field on Sunday night, the Bears got an up-close look at the team they once expected to be.
The Chiefs beat up the Bears, 26-3, doing so with the kind of play-calling creativity, dynamic quarterback play and stifling defense that Chicago had once dreamed would be its identity. In a primetime game that was set back in April for two projected Super Bowl contenders, the Bears learned how far they've fallen.

"This one was just embarrassing," edge rusher Khalil Mack said of the loss.

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With the Bears (7-8) eliminated from playoff contention a week prior, they were left to play for pride. It wasn't there.

Instead, the Bears were reminded of their disheartening reality. The Chiefs' Andy Reid outcoached his protege, Matt Nagy, with Reid's play-calling showcasing what Nagy once promised for the Bears. Patrick Mahomes outplayed Mitchell Trubisky, reminding Chicago of what it could've had at quarterback if it made the right decision in the 2017 draft. The Chiefs looked ready for a deep playoff run, while the Bears looked ready for a miserable season to end.

The Bears were left hopeless, admitting to the embarrassment of how it all played out.

"I would say it's pretty accurate," Trubisky said. "I just feel like we let each other down. We let the fans down. That's not how we want to finish our last home game at Soldier Field. We just left a lot of plays out there and a lot of uncharacteristic things that you're embarrassed of. 

"We've just got to want more for ourselves and more for each other."

The Bears opened their anticipated regular season by scoring three points in a loss to the Packers on Sept. 3. That seemed stunning at the time. In Chicago, there was a strong belief that the Bears had an offense ready to break through and a deep playoff run in store. 

The Bears again scored three points Sunday in their final home game of the season. This time, it wasn't at all surprising. 

The Bears' offense dramatically regressed in Nagy's second season as coach, and Trubisky did too in his third year as the team's starting quarterback. 

On Sunday, Trubisky was 18-of-34 for 157 yards as the Bears posted only 234 yards of offense. Mahomes was 23-of-33 for 251 yards with two passing touchdowns and another score on the ground in an impressive performance that still seemed average by his standards.

While the Chiefs look forward to the playoffs, the Bears will spend January lost in self-reflection.

"I've done a lot throughout the year," Nagy said. "But not like what you're able to do when the season ends. That's obviously an area that I know, that we know that we've got to be a lot better. I can just say that I will be doing everything in my area to do whatever we can to get this offense better."

In 2018, the Bears and Chiefs each went 12-4 in the regular season and won their respective divisions. The Bears fell in the wild-card round, while the Chiefs lost in the AFC Championship game.

The expectation was for both be playoff teams again in 2019, with their meeting Sunday in primetime set as a potential Super Bowl preview. Only one team has lived up to that billing.

The Chiefs showed Chicago what might have been, and the Bears were left embarrassed.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.