Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals: 5 storylines to watch in Week 9

LAKE FOREST – The Chicago Bears will try to put the Hail Mary behind them. It’s time to move on from Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’ 52-yard game-winning toss.

As Bears veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said this week, “Sunday comes fast.” The Bears are on to their next opponent, and the next opponent is the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Matt Eberflus and his team will try to turn the page and bounce back with a win against quarterback Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.

The Bears beat the Cardinals 27-16 last season when they squared off on Christmas Eve. But Murray and the Arizona offense is rolling right now. Like the Bears, the Cardinals have won three of their past four games.

The Bears (4-3) and the Cardinals (4-4) will kick off at 3:05 p.m. Sunday from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game will be broadcast on CBS. Here are the top five storylines to watch in Week 9.

1. Can the Bears rebound from dramatic loss?

The Hail Mary touchdown has hung over Halas Hall all week. It was made worse by the fact that cornerback Tyrique Stevenson didn’t appear to be paying attention when the Hail Mary play began.

Eberflus has not said if he will bench Stevenson, a second-year starter, for his lapse in focus. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if Stevenson finds himself on the bench to start this game. Backup Terell Smith is healthy after missing about a month with a hip injury.

“I’m not going to talk about who’s going to be starting at that particular spot,” Eberflus said Friday. “I’ve talked to Tyrique, he’s had a really good week of practice.”

The Bears had a lot of soul searching to do this week. Eberflus met with the team captains this week to try and figure out how to move this team forward. Returning to the field is the first step.

“As much as you want to feel sorry for yourself, not really feel sorry for yourself, but dwell on the past, you’re going to trip going forward,” Edmunds said. “So we’ve got to turn the page.”

2. Who will start on a banged-up offensive line?

The Bears will definitely be without one starter and could be without two on the offensive line. Left tackle Braxton Jones (knee) and backup Kiran Amegadjie (calf) have been ruled out of Sunday’s game. The Bears are expected to activate tackle Larry Borom off injured reserve. Borom appears most likely to handle the left tackle position in place of Jones. Borom has appeared in 39 NFL games with 23 starts.

Borom has been on IR since Week 1. He suffered an ankle injury in the preseason finale. This was his second week back at practice, and he was listed as a full participant all week.

“It wasn’t how I planned this year going for myself,” Borom said this week. “So it [stinks], but I got through it. [I’m] just continuing to prepare and just stay in the fold.”

Additionally, left guard Teven Jenkins is questionable with a knee injury. Eberflus sounded optimistic Friday that Jenkins could be ready to play.

“Jenkins was good today,” Eberflus said Friday. “He participated most of the practice, and he looks good out there, feels good.”

3. Slowing Kyler Murray

Last week, Daniels completed 14 of his 17 pass attempts from outside the pocket for 226 yards. The mobile rookie proved tough for the Bears to track down.

Arizona’s Murray is similarly mobile and has had success throwing the football from outside the pocket. Murray has completed 20 of his 34 passes from outside the pocket this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. His 296 passing yards from outside the pocket are the fourth most in the league. Murray has also rushed for 129 yards on 14 designed runs this season.

“He’s got a lot of good skills, especially his escapability, his speed, his running – he moves well,” Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon said. “So it’s all about just taking it away from him and suppressing that.”

Rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 overall draft pick, is coming off a big game last week against Miami. Harrison totaled 111 yards and a touchdown on six catches. He has quickly become a dangerous weapon.

“I would say a smooth route runner,” Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “I would say great catcher. I feel like his catch and tracking the ball is one of his best attributes.”

4. Is Caleb Williams ready to bounce back?

Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is coming off a tough game. As he said himself this week, he uncharacteristically missed some easy throws against the Commanders. He had only three completions at halftime and finished the day 10-for-24 passing for 131 yards.

“We have to start fast,” Williams said this week. “We have to figure out ways to do that. We have to figure out ways to maintain and keep that going throughout four quarters.”

Despite some struggles, Williams had the Bears in position to win the game in the final minute. That’s what made the Hail Mary so heartbreaking.

A week later, Williams is going up against a Cardinals defense that is struggling to defend the pass. On paper, this looks like a chance for Williams to bounce back. Arizona is surrendering 235.6 passing yards per game (ranked 26th among 32 teams), 7.63 yards per completion (29th) and 25.6 points per game (24th). They also rank dead last in the league on third down.

The Cardinals defense isn’t as fearsome as others, but it does present some different looks. Safety Budda Baker moves all over the field and leads the Cardinals with 79 total tackles.

5. D’Andre Swift is rolling

Following a slow start, Bears running back D’Andre Swift has been on a roll the past month. Last week, his 56-yard touchdown run sparked the Bears in the second half and kicked off their comeback effort. Swift has totaled at least 119 yards from scrimmage in each of the past four games. He had 129 rushing yards and a touchdown last week against the Commanders.

The Cardinals defense isn’t much better against the run than it is against the pass. There’s an opportunity for this offense to get back on track. When it has played well this season, it has been behind big efforts from Swift and the run game.

Swift has quickly emerged as the sole focus of this rushing attack, so much so that Khalil Herbert didn’t even play last week. Swift’s 647 yards from scrimmage this season are by far the most on the Bears roster. He could rack up more on Sunday.