3 keys to a Chicago Bears victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9

The Chicago Bears’ coaches, players, and fans have by now recovered from their gut-wrenching loss in Week 8 and are ready to change the narrative surrounding this team. That starts with a matchup against the 4-4 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The Cardinals have been something of an enigma so far this season. One week, they’re beating the vaunted 49ers in dramatic fashion, the next, they’re getting blown out by the Green Bay Packers.

This is an up-and-down team that has been “up” these last two weeks, which means they’re due for a letdown. That’s good news for the Bears, they desperately need a decisive win. A Week 9 victory would move them to 5-3 with a real shot to be 6-3 before their first divisional game in Week 10.

While the Cardinals are dangerous, the Bears have more than enough horsepower to outrace them, especially if they hit these three critical keys.

Get the ball to Cole Kmet

A big reason the Bears lost last week that isn’t being talked about much is that stud tight end Cole Kmet was only targeted once in the entire game. Whether the blame for that falls on Shane Waldron or Caleb Williams doesn’t matter. That is unacceptable. Getting Kmet involved early and often has been key in every Bears win this year, and they need to get him back in the game plan.

I’m not saying to force-feed Kmet targets. Williams has enough playmakers around him that he doesn’t need to lock onto #85. But one target won’t cut it. Work Kmet into the game plan, especially in the red zone.

Keep Caleb Williams upright

Another big reason the Bears lost last week was the offensive line’s performance. Granted, injuries hamstrung this unit, but the overall performance was still abysmal. No quarterback will succeed when he’s constantly under fire, especially not a rookie. Fortunately, the Cardinals have not had much success rushing the passer. They’ve accumulated just 15 sacks through 8 games, good for 24th in the NFL.

The Bears may get some reinforcements on the offensive line. Ryan Bates was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday while Larry Borom went from limited to a full participant on Thursday. They may be called into action right away as starters Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones were both trending to being out for Week 9.

Be smart

This should go without saying, but it needs to be said for this week. Despite all the miscues and poor play against Washington, the Bears would still have won if they’d just been smart. Shane Waldron, when you’re trailing in the 4th quarter and it’s goal-to-go, just hand the ball to Roschon Johnson instead of chasing a viral highlight by giving the rock to your offensive lineman turned fullback.

Roschon Johnson is the NFL’s only player to score a TD on 100% of their carries inside the five-yard line this season (min. 4 carries). What a blessing that must be for the Bears knowing that you have this sort of sure-thing option available once you get to the goal line.

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) October 29, 2024

Matt Eberflus, don’t give the other team free yardage for a Hail Mary, or at least use your timeouts to get the right personnel on the field.

And Tyrique Stevenson, if you even play on Sunday, do not taunt fans until the clock says 0:00.

Final Prediction: Bears win 28-13

Lost in the outrage after last week’s loss is this: the Bears’ defense is for real. Washington boasted the league’s top offense heading into Week 8, and for 59 minutes and 54 seconds, the Bears kept them out of the endzone entirely. Even with a fluke Hail Mary to end the game, Washington scored just 18 points, extending Chicago’s streak of giving up 21 points or less to thirteen games in a row.

Enter the Cardinals, who are 12th in total yardage and just 18th in scoring. They’ve got some star power that can’t be ignored, namely Kyler Murray and rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., but this offense has struggled mightily. Matt Eberflus should have little trouble keeping the Cardinals off the scoreboard and getting the ball back to the offense.

Expect a nice bounce-back game for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears as they win this one comfortably.