SUNDAY SNAPSHOT
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m. Central
Surface: Grass
Television: FOX – Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver
Series: 88th regular-season meeting. The Bears lead 55-26-6 and have won the last three. The teams last met in 2006 and, in Arizona, the game is known as the Monday Night Meltdown. The 1-4 Cardinals at the time led the undefeated Bears 23-3, but they let Chicago score three touchdowns in the final quarter to lose 24-23. That touched off former coach Dennis Green's famous postgame rant. "You want to crown them, go ahead and crown their asses," he said, his voice rising. "But they are exactly who we thought they are, and we let them off the hook."
KEYS TO THE GAME
Cardinals QB Kurt Warner is coming off a six-turnover game and has been impatient of late, with defenses playing back in a lot of deep coverages. It would help to get rookie RB Beanie Wells more involved to set up play action, and Warner needs to take more deep shots to WR Larry Fitzgerald and let him make plays even against double coverage. The Bears' ground game showed a glimmer of life last Sunday, while Arizona fell from first to eighth in run defense after giving up 270 yards to Carolina. QB Jay Cutler makes too many mistakes when the offense becomes one-dimensional and is also coming off a game in which he was physically battered by Cleveland.
FAST FACTS
Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin has 537 career receptions, passing RB Larry Centers for the franchise lead. ... The Bears have a six-game home winning streak.
WR Earl Bennett
Getty Images: Kevin C. Cox |
PERSONNEL NEWS
Bears: WR Devin Hester missed a second straight day of practice with a mildly sprained ankle, but he is expected to play Sunday. ... WR Johnny Knox would move into a starting role if Hester can't play Sunday. Knox, a fifth-round rookie from Abilene Christian, is third on the team with 310 receiving yards on 24 catches. ... DT Tommie Harris (knee) was a full participant at Thursday's practice after being limited on Wednesday. ... CB Charles Tillman is likely to have primary responsibility for Fitzgerald on Sunday. He leads the Bears with two interceptions and is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles. ... WR Earl Bennett, who is second on the team with 25 catches and 334 receiving yards, would replace Hester as the No. 1 punt returner. Bennett has averaged 15.8 yards on four punt returns this season.
Cardinals: Boldin has missed two practices this week and likely will be a game-time decision on Sunday. Boldin has a sprained ankle that might not improve until he takes time off. He doesn't seem keen on sitting out, however. ... CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie continues to play with a small cast on his right hand, and he suffered a sprained ankle last week. But he's participated fully in every practice this week and seems to be running well. ... S Antrel Rolle has a small rupture in a ligament in his right foot and has practiced on a limited basis this week. He should play in the game. ... DE Darnell Dockett is playing through a sore right ankle. He missed Wednesday's practice but is expected to play. Dockett, in his sixth season, has never missed a game. ... LB Gerald Hayes missed practice this week with back spasms. He is expected to play Sunday at Chicago.
PREDICTION
Cardinals 30, Bears 24.
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