When the Bears take on the Cardinals Sunday in Arizona, keep an eye on these three key matchups:
Bears WR Allen Robinson II vs. Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson
Robinson has been a big addition to Chicago's offense, tallying up 14 catches for 144 yards in the team's first two games. Ten of those catches came Monday night against the Seahawks. It was Robinson's first 10-catch game since late in the 2015 season — the same year he recorded 80 catches and reached the end zone 14 times en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Robinson also has shown that he has quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's trust to target him deep down field. In Week 1, Robinson snagged a catch for a 33-yard pickup. Robinson has done everything the Bears brought him into do, but he hasn't reached the end zone yet. He'll try to record his first score of the season facing off against Peterson and the rest of the Arizona secondary.
Peterson intercepted Rams quarterback Jared Goff last week and had eight tackles and a pass breakup, but the Cardinals defense gave up 354 yards in the air and have allowed an average of 294.5 passing yards in their first two games, the sixth most in the league. Sunday will give Robinson plenty of opportunities to add to his receptions and yardage total and could also be a chance for him to get his hands on his first touchdown reception from Trubisky.
Bears CB Prince Amukamara vs. Cardinals QB Sam Bradford
Amukamara's interception Monday night was his first since the 2015 season, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The eighth-year veteran picked off Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson late in the fourth quarter and ran it the other way for his first-career touchdown to help the Bears clinch their first win of the year.
For Amukamara, it's all part of his plan. Before the season started he set a lofty goal for himself — 10 interceptions, and he legitimately thinks he has a shot at getting it done. He'll be looking to get closer to that goal against Bradford on Sunday. Bradford has completed 60.7 percent of his passes in Arizona's first two games, but has thrown an interception in each. The quarterback is returning from a knee injury after playing just two games a year ago.
The Cardinals offense has struggled so far with Bradford throwing for just 243 yards total — the fewest of any quarterback in the league to play the entirety of his team's first two games. If the Cardinals try to get their numbers up through an aerial attack against the Bears, look for Amukamara to look to put a quick end to it and build his own stats.
Bears LT Charles Leno Jr. vs. Cardinals DE Chandler Jones
Leno, along with the rest of the team's offensive line, has done a nice job protecting Trubisky and giving him plenty of time to find receivers downfield. The Bears defense allowed just two sacks Monday against the Seahawks. Leno will have a tough test on Sunday, though, squaring off against Jones.
Jones has only one sack this season, but he's coming off a year in which he recorded 17 sacks, 59 tackles and two forced fumbles. Leno has been a consistent workhorse for the Bears, starting 47 straight games, and will try to use his 6-3, 306-pound stature to keep Jones from bringing pressure on the edge.
