Chiefs vs. Bears: Writers picks and predictions are in for Week 3

Life returns to Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday. The traffic will be horrendous, the concessions will be overpriced, and some fans may get too rowdy for their own good. Yet, this is our cathedral. For a few Sundays every year, Kansas City Chiefs fans gather for a different type of church.

It isn't perfect, but it is ours and that is all that matters.

The Chiefs return home in search of their first win at Arrowhead this year. The season opener against the Detroit Lions sent fans home sad, but hopefully, this week will provide a different outcome. There are a litany of off-field stories swirling around this game, but they all point to this: the visiting Chicago Bears are on fire in the worst way.

That is not the Chiefs' problem. That is their opponent's, but Kansas City can take advantage of the situation. The Chiefs are the heavy betting favorites in this Week 3 matchup and our writers agree with Las Vegas on this one. Before we get into this week's predictions, let's look at how our writers fare through two weeks of NFL action.

Tyler Brown
This could quite possibly be the most favorable matchup the Chiefs have all year. The Bears are in the midst of organizational chaos and the quarterback does not seem to like how he's being used thus far. I would expect Fields to play more freely this week, utilizing his legs, but luckily it feels like the Chiefs have the linebacking core to be up to the task this year. While the Chiefs may be without Nick Bolton, Willie Gay, Drue Tranquill, and Leo Chenal all have good speed and will have big gains. As for the Kansas City offense, I think this will be a get-right game. Chiefs win.
Chiefs 30, Bears 17

Matt Conner
The spread is 13 but I still think the Bears’ desperation will trump a bit of the Chiefs energy back at home to keep this closer than fans might like. That’s not to say the Bears are ever in it, but I’m not sure facing Chicago in a single week is going to rectify all offensive wrinkles at the same time. 
Chiefs 21, Bears 12

Josh Fann
The Bears seem to be one of the most dysfunctional organizations in the league right now. It would appear this thing is close to the wheels coming off. With the Chiefs having something to prove on offense and coming off two dominant defensive performances to begin the year, this smells like a double-digit win for K.C. Chiefs 31, Bears 10

Greg Florkowski
Week three is going to be a “get right” game for the Chiefs offense. The defense is going to manhandle the Chicago offense, giving Patrick Mahomes and Co. multiple chances to show they are the high-powered offense we believe they are.
Chiefs 35, Bears 9

Lyle Graverson
This feels like it's going to be one of those ugly games where you're never really worried that the Chiefs will lose, but they don't look good enough to truly put it away until late. The Bears organization is kind of a train wreck right now, so this should be a good week for the Chiefs to shake off some of their early-season rust. I just have a feeling that the offense still won't quite be firing on all cylinders yet.
Chiefs 27, Bears 13

Anthony Hatton
Maybe, just maybe, the Chiefs' defense led by a motivated Chris Jones is the strength of the team. They are slated to be 12.5-point favorites which seems a little inflated given how the offense has looked through 2 games. Kansas City’s offense does just enough here to stay ahead by double digits at home.  Expect their defense to keep Chicago’s offense mostly in check. 
Chiefs 27, Bears 17

Greg Morse
The Bears continue their annual hibernation with a beat down by the defending champions. Justin Fields says he’s going to say “F--- it” and play differently. That sounds like it’ll be a fun day for the Chiefense.
Chiefs 42, Bears 10

Jacob Milham
Larry of the Bears Talk Underground Podcast was nice enough to have me on ahead of this week's matchup. I cannot see the Bears beating the Chiefs, but I can see the Chiefs beating the Chiefs. This needs to be a no-doubt win, a game where Kansas City edges Chicago in all facets of the game. The punt return committee and possible starter limitations make this interesting to start, but Kansas City pulls away at the end and covers a double-digit spread.
Chiefs 31, Bears 14

Charles Robinson
The Chiefs have one job this week - avoid the dreaded "let down" game against the Bears. It happened last year against the Colts early in the season, two seasons ago against the Chargers at home then at Tennessee, and three years ago with Jon Gruden and the Raiders taking a victory lap around Arrowhead Stadium after a stunning Chiefs loss. Kansas City has been notorious for playing down to their competition at times in the Mahomes era, and have to avoid that this week. Chicago appears to be in shambles and the Chiefs look like they've found their groove defensively and are finding it on offense after an encouraging second-half performance against a traditionally stiff Jacksonville defense. I like the Chiefs to win this one, but I can't get the early season blues out of my head just yet. Wishfully I want to see a blowout, but realistically I think this one will be closer than any of us expect.
Chiefs 23, Bears 20

Stacy Smith
The Chicago Bears are a trainwreck coming into NFL Week 3. Offensive questions abound, their defensive coordinator stepped down, and Justin Fields isn't playing particularly well. The Chiefs will come into this game a bit nicked up still trying to sort through some offensive issues of their own. That said, Kansas City proves to be the superior team, wide receivers get it going with a shorter rotation and the defense plays well again
Chiefs 27, Bears 17

Lucas Strozinsky
All the signs are there for a Chiefs blowout. Travis Kelce is healthier, Patrick Mahomes is a Chief, the Bears are a bad team, Kansas City's defense is awesome, and Chicago is dealing with a lot of drama. Have I mentioned that the Bears aren't good? This should be an easy win, but the Chiefs always keep things interesting, even against bad teams (See the Texans game last year).
Chiefs 26, Bears 14

Grant Tuttle
If there was ever a time for the Chiefs offense to wake up, it’s now. The Bears are a mess in every sense of the word. I look for Isiah Pacheco to feast on a terrible run defense.
Chiefs 41, Bears 10

What is your score prediction for this Week 3 game? Let us know in the comments!