The Chicago Bears are headed for a Christmas Eve date with the Arizona Cardinals, trying to rebound after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Bears’ standing as “in the hunt” within the NFC playoff chase was promptly revoked after that collapse.
Now they need to manufacture new motivation and power to complete out one other dropping season. The Cardinals (3-11) are one in every of three groups worse than the Bears within the convention. That creates a gap this weekend for Matt Eberflus’ staff to get again on monitor. To assist set the stage, listed below are a dozen eye-catching numbers and nuggets.
24-23
Score of the Bears’ 2006 victory in opposition to the Cardinals on “Monday Night Football” within the now-iconic “The Bears are who we thought they were” recreation. The Bears trailed 23-3 late within the third quarter however by some means rallied to win with out scoring an offensive landing. On an evening throughout which quarterback Rex Grossman threw 4 interceptions, misplaced two fumbles and led just one scoring drive on 13 possessions, the Bears obtained fumble return touchdowns from Mike Brown and Charles Tillman plus a 83-yard go-ahead punt-return rating from Devin Hester to win. Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher was credited by coaches with 25 tackles within the victory.
0
Points the Bears allowed within the third quarter of their final 5 video games. They have allowed a mean of 4.4 third-quarter factors per recreation this season, and the protection hasn’t allowed a third-quarter landing since Week 5, when Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders hit Logan Thomas with a 2-yard cross in a recreation the Bears led 27-3 on the time. The Bears have been markedly worse within the fourth quarter, nevertheless, with opponents scoring 100 factors, a mean of seven.1 per recreation.
18
Bears interceptions this season, the staff’s second highest complete within the final 10 years. Twelve of these picks have come since Week 11, with Eddie Jackson, Tremaine Edmunds and Tyrique Stevenson including to that complete in Sunday’s loss in Cleveland. Jackson returned his interception to the 1-yard line to arrange the Bears’ solely offensive landing. Edmunds topped that, taking his takeaway 45 yards to the tip zone to offer the Bears a 14-7 lead.
1
Bears rank this season in run protection, up 30 spots from a season in the past. The Bears are permitting 79.8 dashing yards per recreation, a 49.3% enchancment from 2022. The Bears have held opponents under 60 dashing yards in six video games however will face a tricky activity Sunday in opposition to a Cardinals staff that ranks seventh in dashing offense (131.8 ypg). The Cardinals had a season-high 234 yards on the bottom in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
8-7
Bears document throughout Eberflus’ time as coach in video games they have been tied or led after three quarters. That features a 5-4 mark this season with three losses during which the Bears led by 10 factors or extra within the fourth quarter. On the brilliant aspect, after devastating blown-lead losses to the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions, the Bears regrouped with wins of their subsequent recreation, downing the Commanders 40-20 in Week 5 and beating the Minnesota Vikings 12-10 in Week 12.
212
Fourth-quarter passing yards from Joe Flacco within the Browns’ come-from-behind win Sunday in Cleveland. Flacco, who had thrown three interceptions within the first three quarters, accomplished 11 of 13 passes within the fourth and had 4 completions for longer than 30 yards. His 34-yard strike to tight finish David Njoku transformed third-and-15 and pushed the Browns into field-goal vary on their game-winning drive. Fields was 3-for-9 for 45 yards within the fourth quarter and has topped 212 passing yards in solely 9 video games in his profession.
55.3
Fields’ fourth-quarter passer score this season, which ranks thirty second amongst quarterbacks with at the very least 50 fourth-quarter passing makes an attempt. Fields is squeezed between Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (62.7) and the Las Vegas Raiders’ Aidan O’Connell (52.2) within the class. Brock Purdy (122.9) is the league chief, adopted by Tommy DeVito (102.9) and Justin Herbert (101.2). The prime 15 cuts off at Geno Smith (91.9)
$159,797,000
Guaranteed cash folded into the five-year, $230.5 million extension Kyler Murray signed with the Cardinals in the summertime of 2022 as he was heading into his fifth season. A bit greater than 14 months earlier, the Cardinals exercised the fifth-year possibility on Murray’s rookie contract. Murray threw for 3,787 yards and 24 touchdowns whereas including 423 dashing yards and 5 touchdowns in 2021, convincing the staff to reward him with a profitable second contract. Since signing that extension, the Cardinals are 5-11 with Murray as their starter. Murray has a 84.5 passer score during the last two seasons.
4-4
The Bears document on Christmas Eve through the Super Bowl period, together with final season’s 35-13 house loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Bears’ final Christmas Eve victory was a 20-3 blowout of the Cleveland Browns in Trubisky’s rookie season in 2017. Other video games embrace a 41-21 loss to Washington at Soldier Field (2016); a 26-21 highway defeat of the Lions (2006); a 23-20 defeat of the Lions in Detroit (2000); a 20-14 house win over the Philadelphia Eagles (1995); a 13-3 loss to the Patriots at Soldier Field (1994); and a 26-0 highway loss the 49ers (1989).
66
Receptions this season by Bears tight finish Cole Kmet and Cardinals tight finish Trey McBride. Kmet has produced 571 yards and 6 touchdowns, together with Sunday’s 5-yard rating from Fields in Cleveland. McBride, who was a second-round pick of Colorado State in 2022, has a team-best 712 yards and two scores.
3
Seasons spent teaching collectively in Indianapolis by Eberflus and Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon. The duo labored alongside each other from 2018-2020 with Eberflus because the Colts defensive coordinator and Gannon because the defensive backs coach. Gannon’s NFL begin got here as a high quality management coach with the Atlanta Falcons (2007) earlier than he spent three seasons as a scout within the Los Angeles Rams group (2009-2011). Gannon was employed as Cardinals coach in February after serving because the Eagles’ defensive coordinator for the earlier two seasons.
4
Bears gamers among the many prime 10 Pro Bowl vote getters at their respective positions from inside fan balloting. Montez Sweat is sixth amongst defensive ends, Jaylon Johnson is eighth amongst cornerbacks, Kmet is No. 10 at tight finish and Khari Blasingame is sixth at fullback. McBride (No. 9 at tight finish) is the one Cardinals participant within the prime 10. Pro Bowl fan voting will conclude Monday. Players and coaches additionally will vote, and the NFC and AFC rosters can be introduced Jan. 3.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com