Everything we know heading into Bears’ Week 13 game vs. Cardinals
The Chicago Bears (4-7) are hosting the Arizona Cardinals (9-2), where Chicago has a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive with an upset over Arizona. But it’s going to be a tall order.
The Bears are coming off a narrow Thanksgiving victory over the winless Lions, thanks to a last-second field goal, and now they’re about to face the top two teams in the NFL. That starts with the Cardinals, who are getting back Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins.
Here’s a rundown of what we know heading into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals:
How to watch
Game information:
Who: Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals
When: Sunday, Dec. 5, Noon CT
Where: Soldier Field – Chicago, IL
Streaming:
In-market live stream: fuboTV (try it for free).
Broadcast:
TV: FOX
Radio: WBBM 780 (Chicago)
Betting line
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears are considered 7.5-point underdogs against the Cardinals, according to Tipico Sportsbook. The over/under is 42.5.
Game-day roster
Here’s a look at the Bears’ game-day roster:
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Game picks
Alyssa Barbieri: 34-16 Cardinals
Brendan Sugrue: 24-17 Cardinals
Ryan Fedrau: 31-10 Cardinals
Nate Atkins: 28-20 Cardinals
Bold predictions
AP Photo/John Amis
David Montgomery finds the endzone for the first time in a long time
Rodney Adams gets his first regular season catch
Chandler Jones gets two sacks against the Bears
Robert Quinn continues his dominating play
Jaylon Johnson nabs an interception against DeAndre Hopkins
Who has the advantage?
AP Photo/David Banks
In our weekly preview series, Alyssa Barbieri from Bears Wire and Jess Root from Cards Wire went deep into the matchup to determine who has the advantage at the five key factors for winning football games in the NFL.
Quarterback play: Cardinals
Line of scrimmage: Cardinals
Turnovers: Cardinals
Situational: Cardinals
Injuries: Cardinals
Verdict: Advantage Cardinals
Last meeting: 16-14 Bears (09/23/2018)
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The last time the Bears faced the Cardinals, they were just starting what would become a magical 2018 season during Matt Nagy’s first season as head coach. But it was certainly a hard-fought win, where Chicago’s defense stole the show with a dominating effort with four sacks, three interceptions and one fumble recovery.
Ironically, kicker Cody Parkey kicked a 43-yard field goal with 4:31 left to give the Bears the win and the lead in the NFC North at 2-1, where Chicago would go on to win the division at 12-4.
Last week
AP Photo/Rick Osentoski
Bears: Won 16-14 at Lions
Cardinals: BYE
Chicago is coming off a narrow victory over the winless Lions on Thanksgiving, which snapped a five-game losing streak. The Bears will get a well-rested Cardinals team coming off a bye week with quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins gearing up for their return to the lineup.
Team ranks
AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
Team ranks, via Team Rankings
CHI | ARI | |
Points per game | 16.3 (29th) | 28.2 (5th) |
Points allowed per game | 23.1 (18th) | 18.4 (4th) |
Turnover differential | -4 (T-22nd) | +8 (T-5th) |
Passing yards per game | 169.8 (32nd) | 255.9 (9th) |
Rushing yards per game | 126.3 (8th) | 123 (10th) |
Passing yards allowed per game | 215.8 (8th) | 204 (4th) |
Rushing yards allowed per game | 118.5 (22nd) | 113.8 (17th) |
Sacks allowed | 37 (32nd) | 26 (20th) |
Sacks against | 32 (T-2nd) | 29 (T-8th) |
Cardinals players to watch
USA Today Sports
WR DeAndre Hopkins: Like Murray, Hopkins last played in Week 8 against the Packers and is gearing up for a return against the Bears. Hopkins needs no introduction — he’s one of the NFL’s best receivers, and he’ll likely be shadowed by cornerback Jaylon Johnson all afternoon. Still, he’s a playmaker, and he’s going to have his moments against this Chicago defense.
OLB Chandler Jones: Jones is one of the NFL’s most fearsome pass rushers, and he has 8 sacks in 6 games this season. Jones had 5 sacks against the Titans in Week 1, but he’s only had 3 since. Still, Jones remains a prime reason why Arizona’s pass rush has been dominant this season, and it could be a long day for whichever Bears QB lines up under center.
S Budda Baker: Arizona’s defense is one of the best in the NFL, and Baker is a huge part of that. Baker, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, has two interceptions and three pass breakups this season. Baker has a knack for making plays, which means he’s someone either Justin Fields or Andy Dalton will have to be aware of.
RB James Conner: Conner has found new life with the Cardinals, where he’s been a big part of the success of their top-10 run game. Conner has 555 yards on 146 carries for 12 touchdowns. He’s also contributed in the passing game, where he has 18 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. Chicago has had its struggles against the run, and they’re going to have to contend with Conner, who’s just hitting his stride.
Injuries to know
AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
Bears: Chicago is beat up on the injury report, which doesn’t bode well heading into this matchup against the top-ranked Cardinals. Quarterback Justin Fields (ribs) returned to practice in limited fashion this week, but his status is still in question. Meanwhile, linebacker Roquan Smith hasn’t practiced all week after suffering a hamstring injury last Thursday against the Lions. Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (ankle) and receiver Allen Robinson (hamstring) also remain sidelined.
Cardinals: Arizona is in much better shape than the Bears as two of their biggest offensive threats in quarterback Kyler Murray (ankle) and receiver DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) are gearing up for their returns. Both have missed the last three games, but they also benefitted from the bye week. Offensive lineman Justin Pugh (calf) and safety James Wiggins (knee) didn’t practice for the Cardinals on Thursday, putting their statuses in doubt.
Storyline to watch: How do the Bears respond after their Thanksgiving win?
AP Photo/Duane Burleson
The Bears finally snapped their five-game losing streak with a narrow victory over the winless Lions on Thanksgiving, which might’ve saved Matt Nagy’s job for the time being. But it did require a last-second field goal from Cairo Santos to do it. Now, Chicago is going from the worst team to the best team in the NFL, where the expectation is the Bears don’t stand a chance. It certainly doesn’t help that Chicago will be without some key starters, including Roquan Smith, Justin Fields, Akiem Hicks and Allen Robinson. With the Cardinals and Packers on deck in the next two weeks, we’ll see how Nagy prepares his team against the two top seeds in the NFC.
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