The Chicago Bears have a long history of great defense.
That trend seems to be carrying on just fine this season, as the unit has once again risen to become one of the NFL’s best.
Sadly, the Bears also have an agonizing history of atrocious offensive play.
That, too, is a tradition they haven’t shaken this year.
Plenty of reasons go into this. Most of it centers around their agonizing inability to find a capable quarterback.
However, it also comes down to an equally bad ability to identify capable playcallers. Luke Getsy seems to be their latest example.
The Chicago Bears chase a familiar recipe of home-cooked success when they welcome the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.
Chicago (5-9) has won its last three games at Soldier Field, toppling the Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions.
The Bears hope to bounce back after a 20-17 loss on the road last week against the Cleveland Browns.
They will try to do so against Arizona (3-11), which has lost three of four and nine of 11.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields heaved a Hail Mary pass at the end of last week’s game that landed in the arms of wideout Darnell Mooney. Mooney, however, could not finish the catch, and instead he inadvertently kicked the ball into the air for a game-ending interception.
Barring injury, Fields has four more games to show Chicago’s front office and coaching staff why he deserves to keep the starting job heading into next season. Fields has completed 61.4 percent of his passes for 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, and he has rushed for 488 yards and a pair of scores.
Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said his team faced a tough task in stopping Fields.
“Here’s what I know about him,” Gannon said. “He can make every throw on the field when it’s cold and rainy in Chicago, like it’s going to be. Wind doesn’t matter because he’s got a huge arm. He’s extremely mobile.
He’s hard to tackle. His extension of plays is very productive.
When you’ve got a play, when you have to design a plan for that type of skill set at quarterback, it makes it very challenging. …
“He can beat you when the ball comes out on time and he can beat you when the ball does not come out on time.
There’s some guys that can do that, but there’s not a ton of them.”
Gannon also is eager to see his own quarterback perform. Kyler Murray is set to make his sixth start since returning from injury.
The 26-year-old Murray has completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,075 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. He has rushed for 155 yards and three scores.
The Cardinals’ top receiving target is tight end Trey McBride, who has 66 catches for 712 yards and two touchdowns. Wideout Marquise Brown has 51 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns, but his status is in question because of a heel injury.
Brown did not take part in the Cardinals’ first full practice of the week. Neither did wideout Greg Dortch (shoulder), linebacker Victor Dimukeje (foot), tight end Travis Vokolek (personal) and cornerback Garrett Williams (knee).
The Bears had seven players miss the first practice of the week including Mooney (illness), fellow wideout Equanimeous St. Brown (pectoral), offensive lineman Tevin Jenkins (concussion) and defensive lineman Jaylon Jones (calf).
Bears safety Eddie Jackson said he was confident in himself and his teammates. The team has won two of its past three games and three of its past five.
“We’re a tough group of guys,” Jackson said. “We continue to rally around each other.”
