The Bears (4-3) will visit the Cardinals (4-4) Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. Here are three things that should increase their chances of winning:
(1) Contain Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft is a dynamic dual-threat weapon much like the quarterback the Bears faced last week, the Commanders' Jayden Daniels. Murray ranks 10th in the NFL with a 98.0 passer rating and third among quarterbacks in rushing with 344 yards. He has thrown for 1,638 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions and has not been sacked in his last three starts.
"Great challenge in front of us this week starting with the quarterback of this offense, Kyler Murray," said defensive coordinator Eric Washington. "You could describe him as a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. This young man has tremendous speed, arm talent, he can change the arm angle against the rush. They've done an excellent job of protecting him and he's done a great job of protecting the football."
Murray had his best game of the season last Sunday in Miami, completing 26 of 36 passes for 307 yards, two TDs and a 116.3 passer rating in leading the Cardinals to a 28-27 victory. He'll face a Bears defense that leads the NFL with a 76.2 opponent passer rating, ranks fourth in points allowed per game (17.0) and has not permitted more than 21 points in its last 13 contests dating back to last year.
Murray's ability to extend plays with his legs will present a challenge for the Bears. Not only is the Cardinals quarterback dangerous as a runner, but according to Next Gen Stats, he leads the NFL with a 116.5 passer rating and four TDs on plays when he's had at least four seconds to throw.
"We've got to do a good job of making sure that we understand how to affect the quarterback with that type of speed and mobility," Washington said. "And that means that it starts with our four-man rush. Where is the launch point? How can we squeeze and collapse the pocket inside out, make sure that we stay available to follow through and just execute the plan that we have in place? Some of the quarterback runs, those are assignment driven and we have to make sure we're in great position, not only with the person who may be involved in the option play but with the entire defensive concept."
The Cardinals offense also features running back James Conner, tight end Trey McBride and rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Conner ranks eighth in the NFL in rushing with 557 yards and four TDs on 129 carries. McBride is 11th with 42 receptions for 446 yards. And Harrison had a career-high six catches last Sunday in Miami for 111 yards and one TD.
(2) Start fast on offense.
This season the Bears have been outscored 29-10 in the first quarter before outscoring their opponents 153-90 over the final three periods. They've produced just one first-quarter touchdown and none on their game-opening drives.
"It's something that inwardly we've talked about every single week," said offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. "And it's something we've addressed and talked through the 'why' each game because each game has its different set of issues that may present themselves."
After self-scouting during the bye week, Waldron pointed to a lack of success on third down as a key factor in the offense's slow starts. The Bears have converted just 16.7% of their third-down opportunities (3 of 18) this season.
They're determined to eliminate the negative plays that have put them in predictable passing situations. On their first two possessions in last Sunday's loss to the Commanders, the Bears failed to convert on third-and-20 after a sack and delay of game penalty and third-and-10 after a false start.
After failing to score on their first seven possessions in Washington, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams engineered two touchdown drives that enabled the Bears to turn a 12-0 deficit into a 15-12 lead with :25 left in the game. Williams understands the importance of getting off to a better start Sunday in Arizona.
"First half, I didn't play necessarily the way I wanted to," he said. "The ability to snap and start getting things going late in the game being down that much and having so many negative drives or stalled drives is a positive. [But] we have to start fast. We have to figure out ways to do that. We have to figure out ways to maintain and keep that going throughout four quarters or however many plays, drives you need to be able to win games."
(3) Revert to form on offense.
The offense entered the Bears' bye week on fire, having generated five touchdowns in back-to-back games for the first time since 1956 and produced at least 35 points in consecutive contests for the first time since 2006. Williams was the catalyst, posting passer ratings of 106.6, 126.2 and 124.4 in three straight wins.
After that momentum was halted last Sunday in Washington, the offense will look to get back on track against a Cardinals defense that ranks 24th in the NFL in points per game (25.6) and 27th in yards (376.5). Veteran safety Budda Baker leads the unit with 79 tackles. As Seahawks offensive coordinator the past three seasons, Waldron faced Baker twice a year as NFC West foes.
"Around the league each week there's a lot of great players on every team and then there's these unique players like Budda Baker that really set the tone, set the attitude, set the culture for a team and for a defense," Waldron said. "Talk about a fearless player that's always in attack mode. He's one of those guys that we always have to respect, we need to account for."
The Bears no doubt will once again lean on running back D'Andre Swift, whose 533 yards from scrimmage since Week 4 are second most among NFL running backs behind the Ravens' Derrick Henry. On Sunday, Swift will attempt to become the third Bears player since 1970 to generate at least 100 yards from scrimmage and rush for a TD in five straight games, joining Hall of Famer Walter Payton (1977) and David Montgomery (2020).
