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Alex Smith completed first-half passes to eight different receivers and the Kansas City Chiefs combined ball control offense with a stifling defense to beat the Chicago Bears 23-7 in a preseason game Saturday at Soldier Field. It was the Chiefs' first preseason victory after a pair of one-point defeats, and the Bears' third defeat in three games. It was also the second time in two games at home that Chicago's offense was ineffective.
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Smith, playing only the first half, completed 20 of 30 passes for 181 yards as Kansas City controlled the ball for nearly 22 of the 30 minutes. The Chiefs, however, were stymied twice near the goal line and had to settle for field goals, not scoring a touchdown until Spencer Ware's 1-yard run with 10 seconds remaining in the half.
In the third quarter, a 58-yard pass from Nick Foles, the Kansas City backup quarterback, to Tyreek Hill, a rookie receiver drafted in the fifth round, put the Chiefs in position for their second touchdown, a 4-yard run by Darrin Reaves.
Cairo Santos kicked three field goals for the Chiefs from 20, 28 and 41 yards.
Jay Cutler, the Bears' starting quarterback, directed four possessions, not counting a six-second "drive" near the end of the half, and those produced the meager total of five first downs and 55 yards of offense. He completed 6 of 15 passes for 45 yards.
The closest the Bears came to scoring with Cutler in the game was a 48-yard field goal attempt by Robbie Gould that sailed wide left. Chicago finally scored for the first time in two exhibition games at home with 5:40 remaining on a 16-yard pass from fourth-string quarterback Connor Shaw to wide receiver Cameron Meredith.
Chicago, which was outgained 239 to 20 in the first half when both teams had mostly starters on the field, has scored just one touchdown in the 10 possessions led by Cutler during three preseason games.
