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 The Bears were down 17-3 at halftime, and trailed 17-6 going into
the fourth quarter before Cutler was able to avoid pressure from the
Chiefs defense and took the offense down the field for a 22-yard
touchdown to wide receiver Marquess Wilson. He then threw the
winning score on a 7-yard play to running back Matt Forte with
seconds left.
The Chiefs attempted a 66-yard field goal on the game's final play,
but the attempt by kicker Cairo Santos was well short, barely making
it into the end zone. It capped a disturbing afternoon for the now
1-4 Chiefs as they may have lost the engine of their offense. Pro
Bowl running back Jamaal Charles left the game six minutes into the
third quarter with what appeared to be a serious injury to his right
knee.
Charles was unable to walk off the field without help as he could
not put any pressure on his right leg as linebacker Justin Houston
and trainer Rick Burkholder provided support. There was no word on
the severity of the injury immediately after the game from the
Chiefs. Charles missed 14 games of the 2011 season when he suffered
a torn ACL in his left knee playing against the Lions in Detroit.
Health was also a factor with the Bears, as they had 16 players on
the injury report before the game, and did not have their two best
wide receivers and their No. 1 center available. Early in the third
quarter, Chicago lost inside linebacker Shea McClellin with a left
knee injury.
The Chiefs scored touchdowns on offense and defense in the first
half, along with a field goal. They reached the end zone the first
time on the work of their defense. Defensive linemen Jay Howard and
Allen Bailey overwhelmed the interior of the Chicago offensive line,
sacking Cutler two yards deep in the end zone. Bailey knocked the
ball out of the quarterback's hands and Chiefs linebacker Ramik
Wilson fell on the fumble in the end zone for a Chiefs touchdown.
Late in the first quarter, the Bears got on the scoreboard with a
44-yard field goal from Robbie Gould that made it 7-3. After that
possession, the Chicago offense did not progress past its own
28-yard line for the rest of the first half.
Kansas City added an offensive touchdown on a 19-yard pass play from
quarterback Alex Smith to wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas to cap a
7-play, 54-yard drive. Santos added a 35-yard field goal to set a
17-3 score at intermission.
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The Chiefs had the first possession of the second half and drove
down the field, largely on the legs of Charles. But that's when
disaster struck on a first-and-goal run from the Chicago 9-yard
line. Charles was stopped for no gain by outside linebacker Sam
Acho, and on the play suffered a right knee injury.
Losing Charles seemed to take the wind out of the Chiefs, as they
were unable to reach the end zone and a 27-yard field goal try by
Santos was blocked by Chicago linebacker Pernell McPhee. The Bears
went down the field and eventually picked up a Gould field goal of
30 yards and the score was 17-6 at the end of the third quarter.
Cutler kept Bears hopes alive through the fourth quarter and
connected with Wilson in the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown.
Wilson beat Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters on the score that capped
an 11-play, 88-yard drive. Chicago went for two points, but Cutler's
throw to wide receiver Marc Mariani came up short of the end zone,
setting the score at 17-12.
Kansas City's offense was unable to hold onto the ball, and the
Bears moved back down the field with help from a pass interference
penalty against Peters. Cutler fumbled the snap and had a Kansas
City pass rusher grabbing at his feet, but he found Forte in the end
zone for the winner.
NOTES: Sunday was just the second home game in five weeks for the
Chiefs. ... Bears K Robbie Gould became the leading scorer in
franchise history for Chicago, picking up six points against the
Chiefs, giving him 1,118 points and passing K Kevin Butler at 1,116
points. Gould grabbed the record with a 30-yard field goal late in
the third quarter.
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