Bears Down and Out: Cardinals Dominate Week 9 Matchup

The end-of-game drama from Week 8 resulted in Terrell Smith getting the start over Tyrique Stevenson in the Bears' secondary. Arizona got off to a slow start with a three-and-out forced by Smith's pass breakup.

The Bears' offense, also a bit banged up, featured Larry Borom starting at left tackle. Caleb Williams got things going with a quick pass to DJ Moore for seven yards. The drive looked promising early as Rome Odunze hauled in catches of 17 and 15 yards. But Chicago stalled out quickly due to a -2-yard rush by D'Andre Swift, a penalty, and a seven-yard sack, resulting in a punt.

Both offenses struggled on their ensuing possessions. Smith chipped in a tackle for loss followed by Kevin Byard's third-down sack.

Chicago's offense endured a quick three-and-out due to Odunze's drop. The Bears' special teams lapsed on the punt, allowing a 27-yard return.

The Cardinals then kicked their offense into gear with James Conner's 15-yard run. Kyler Murray saved the drive on third down with a 15-yard pass to Trey McBride, who then took a handoff into the end zone to open the scoring.

Situational Blunders Bite Bears Again

The Bears' offense seemed destined for another stalled drive as Swift was only able to gain two yards on second down. However, on third-and-seven, Williams uncorked a 44-yard bomb to Odunze. But the explosive was all for naught as the Bears had to settle for a field goal, making it a 7-3 game.

Chicago's defense came out firing as T.J. Edwards crushed Conner to force a third-and-long situation. Murray connected on a long ball to Marvin Harrison Jr., but undrafted free agent rookie Reddy Stewart popped the ball free to give the Bears a much-needed takeaway.

The Bears' fourth drive began with Swift's strong run to set up second-and-short. Swift moved the sticks with a hard-earned two-yard run up the middle, but Chicago stalled out on three straight plays that went nowhere. Cairo Santos cut Arizona's lead to one with a big 53-yard field goal.

The Cardinals began their stretch of dominance starting with a huge 17-yard run upon getting the ball back. Jaylon Johnson then whiffed on a tackle, allowing Conner to take a check-down pass for eight yards. Arizona's veteran running back continued gashing the Bears with five carries in a row for 39 yards. Tyrique Stevenson made his presence known with a big pass breakup to set up a huge third down. Chris Williams chipped in with a sack to seemingly end another drive with a field goal, but the Bears' good vibes evaporated immediately as Gervon Dexter Sr. was flagged for a ridiculous "leverage" penalty. With a fresh set of downs, Murray handed it off to Tre Benson who punched it in and put the Cardinals up 14-6. 

Chicago responded with a strong drive that ultimately stalled out, ending with another Santos field goal to make it 14-9. The Bears' defense just had to hold strong for 26 seconds to escape to the locker room, but disaster ensued.

After last week's meltdown against the Commanders, one would think Eberflus's defense would be better prepared for critical scenarios. Instead, the Bears allowed Emari Demercado to scamper for 53 yards into the end zone, putting Arizona up 21-9 at halftime and deflating any morale the visitors still possessed.

Bears' Offensive Struggles Persist

The Bears began the second half the way they played in the first... poorly. Williams and Co. quickly went three-and-out after a seven-yard sack on second down. Perhaps the only bright spot of this poor offensive output is the continued spotlight on Tory Taylor. The rookie punter booted the ball 62 yards all the way down to the three-yard line, but it was overshadowed by another poor effort by the coverage team which allowed a 17-yard return.

Arizona's rushing attack continued to expose Chicago's defense. The Cardinals methodically drove down the field to the Bears' seven-yard line before settling for a field goal to make the score 24-9.

Chicago's offense finally showed some life as Williams connected with Odunze for 17 yards on second-and-12. It seemed the drive was destined to stall but Williams salvaged it with a fourth-down dart to Keenan Allen for the conversion. However, that sliver of momentum fizzled out after Williams missed his next two throws and was sacked to close out the third quarter.

Collapse Continues with Safety as Cherry on Top

The Bears once again went for it on fourth down only for Williams to take a sack for a huge loss. Arizona's offensive possession began on Chicago's 40-yard line, but the Bears continued their bend-but-don't-break red-zone ways and forced a field goal to make it 27-9.

The Bears' offensive line continued to struggle as Williams was sacked again en route to a three-and-out. Taylor crushed another punt 67 yards down to Arizona's six-yard line, but his efforts were undermined as the coverage unit allowed a 14-yard return.

Murray got another Cardinals' drive going with a 23-yard strike to Elijah Higgins. After a holding penalty on Arizona, the Bears' defense rebounded to force a punt and give the offense another chance with just over eight minutes remaining. Unfortunately, they started on their own one-yard line after a stellar punt and coverage by the Cardinals.

Things went from bad to worse as Swift was flagged for an illegal chop-block on second down. The play occurred in the end zone, resulting in a safety. Trailing 29-9, the Bears had to reach into their bag of tricks in an effort to stay alive with an onside free-kick attempt. Naturally, this failed and the Cardinals took over at the Bears' 34-yard line.

Arizona went into close-out mode by running the ball on four straight plays, but the Bears' defense didn't go out quietly and forced a fumble on fourth down. But in predictable fashion, Chicago's offense failed to get anything going and the Cardinals emerged with a 29-9 victory.

Extra Points

The Bears looked woefully underprepared in a crucial game. Chicago's defense allowed 213 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. This was another game in which Matt Eberflus was outcoached as all three units performed poorly.

Caleb Williams was sacked six times and the offense only mustered 241 total yards. It's a concerning trend as Chicago's schedule only gets tougher throughout November.

This was a loss the Bears couldn't afford. They're now 4-4 on the season, their confidence is shaken, and they lack the leadership to right the ship as divisional play quickly approaches.