Both the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals had games last week decided on the final play. The similarities end there, however, as the Cardinals hope to ride the momentum from their last-second win into Week 9 against the shell-shocked Bears in a matchup that Vegas views as a toss-up.
Arizona (4-4) has won back-to-back games on Chad Ryland field goals as time expired and finds itself in first place (via tiebreaker) in the NFC West — despite a negative point differential (-27) and the Cardinals giving up more yards per game (376.5) than gained (338.5).
Chicago (4-3) came off of its bye riding a three-game winning streak, but then disaster struck in the form of a 52-yard Hail Mary that wiped out what had been a spirited comeback in a heart-wrenching 18-15 road loss to the Washington Commanders. The Bears really had no business winning, considering they gave up a season-high 481 yards and didn’t produce more than 31 yards on any of their drives until late in the third quarter.
The offensive line continues to hinder Chicago’s offense, which puts even more pressure on quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears offense must fix their first-quarter woes. The fact that they have scored just 10 total points in the first quarter this season but maintain the fifth-best point differential (+44) in the NFC is a testament to the offense’s potential and indicates how well the defense has played (17.0 points per game allowed, fourth in the NFL). Now, the Bears can’t let disappointment and frustration linger as they aim for their first road win (0-3) this season.
Jayden Daniels was the first quarterback to light up Chicago’s defense, and Kyler Murray will present a similar challenge. The key to the Cardinals extending their win streak is running the ball well and subsequently stopping the run. Last week, the Bears gave up a season-high 168 rushing yards, and Arizona allowed six yards per carry.
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(Photo of Kyler Murray and James Conner: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)