(Photo: Denver Sports Radio)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week Nine
Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals
Bears: That was as heartbreaking of a loss as it can get. First, they fumbled an opportunity at the goal line to come away with points and they turned the ball over trying to give the ball to an Offensive Tackle in the backfield as part of the jumbo formation. I immediately took to social media and said this is what happens you try to be cute in short-yardage situations. Many of you who have followed me over the years know I always say in short-yardage situations to run the football up the middle. I will never understand why teams try to throw the football or run trick plays because it never works. Be smart, hand the ball off and you have a good chance of converting. They did get the ball back and finally fed the Running Back the ball and then, arguably the play of the year happens in the unfortunate Hail Mary to end the game. What annoyed me was Tyrique Stevenson and his taunting of Commanders fans only to get back over to the play scene and the ball bounced off his hands and into the hands of Noah Brown to call game. In this business, you learn from what happened, look back at it, and turn the page. This was all just a learning experience for the Bears. One thing I took away from this game was how good this defense is and I’ll take them any Sunday. I still feel this is a team that can make the playoffs. On Sunday, the Bears will look to redeem themselves in the desert.
Cardinals: I know they’ve struggled these last few seasons and Kyler Murray has dealt with injuries, but this year, I noticed a group that plays hard and leaves everything on the field. I also know the ball won’t always roll their way. I remember when they gave the Buffalo Bills all they could handle back in week one and it looked as if they were going to leave Orchard Park with an upset victory, but the Bills had other plans. I was so impressed with the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Much of the reason why they’ve struggled is they haven’t been able to close games out. That wasn’t the case on Sunday and we all know how tough it can be for west coast teams to travel east and win the early 1:00 games and the same can be applied to any east coast team traveling west. Believe it or not, the NFC West is as wide open as it has been in several years. The Seahawks are slowly coming back down to reality and that was to be expected with a rookie Head Coach, the Rams are healthy and just got back Puka Nacua, and Cooper Kupp are back in the lineup giving their offense a boost and a major reinforcement in Christian McCaffrey could be returning for the San Francisco 49ers in a few weeks. Do not count these Arizona Cardinals out of the race. The duo of Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr will only get better from here on out. This Sunday, Arizona will welcome the Chicago Bears to town.
Bears X-Factor: D’Andre Swift– Good things happen when he touches the ball for this offense. Against the Washington Commanders last weekend, he ran for 129 yards on the ground in the loss. This is a message to Shane Waldron. Feed Swift the football a bit more. It will help open up the passing game for your offense and most importantly, it takes pressure off the rookie Quarterback who doesn’t have to put on the cape and save the day. D’Andre is a solid playmaker for this Bears offense.
Cardinals X-Factor: Michael Wilson– He doesn’t get the credit he deserves for this Arizona offense. Michael is the number two receiver on the depth chart behind Marvin Harrison Jr and has been a solid weapon for Kyler Murray. He’s very smooth in his movements and when it comes to contested catches, he makes it look effortless. Michael provides depth for this Arizona offense and I expect Kyler to feed him the ball any chance he can get.
Final Thoughts: The storylines in this game are something. Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray. Two Heisman Trophy winners who both played football at the University of Oklahoma. They were also both number-one draft picks. This is a matchup of potential playoff hopefuls in the NFC. How do the Bears come out after that devastating loss to the Commanders? This Chicago defense will come ready to play and throw everything they can at Kyler. They will still be angry after letting a loss slip from their hands. The Cardinals enter this game on a two-game winning streak. They have looked good recently and Kyler Murray has been looking like the franchise Quarterback that many hoped he would be. I can see the Cardinals giving the Bears a tough time in this game on Sunday. The Bears on the other hand have the defense to contain Kyler and keep him in the pocket. I see the Bears responding with a strong defensive effort which will carry them to a bounce-back victory.
Prediction: Bears 23, Cardinals 20
