LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The Bears (5-9) are looking to bounce back as they host the Cardinals (3-11) on Christmas Eve on Sunday at Soldier Field. Here are three storylines to follow in this matchup.
Response ready?
For weeks, the Bears held a firm belief that they were building momentum. There was even hope for a push to the playoffs before that was dashed with a heartbreaking loss to the Browns last Sunday in Cleveland.
The Bears may have lost their motivational edge as they prepare to play the lowly Cardinals. How the team responds Sunday will reflect on head coach Matt Eberflus, whose future in Chicago remains uncertain.
Perhaps the best case Eberflus can make to save his job is that he has kept the Bears engaged and developing throughout the course of an adversity-filled season. After blowing double-digit leads in the fourth quarter to the Broncos on Oct. 1 and the Lions on Nov. 19, the Bears rallied back to win their following game. But will the third time be an emotional letdown this Sunday?
Eberflus has closely tracked his Bears' focus throughout this week and trusts the feedback he has received through individual meetings with the players and coaches as well as his regular weekly session with the team’s leadership council.
“The guys are tight,” Eberflus said this week. “We’re just going to keep pulling together. That’s what we’ve been doing all along, and we’re going to keep doing that. It’s going to be evident in our work that we put in for this week, and it will be evident in the play we put in on Sunday.”
If the Bears are galvanized once again and produce a complete effort in a victory over the Cardinals, it will be a credit to both Eberflus and his players. But if they fall flat and fail to respond, it will be a glaring indictment of a head coach who's struggling to prove why he should remain on the job.
Fields’ opportunity
Quarterback Justin Fields might be running out of time with the Bears. With three games remaining in the regular season, he still hasn’t solidified his place for the future. Each remaining game gives him the opportunity to leave a key impression.
On Sunday, Fields will have the chance to take advantage of a porous Cardinals defense, which ranks 31st in opponents’ scoring and 25th in yardage surrendered. While Arizona's struggles have largely come in defending the running game rather than the passing attack, Fields’ dual-threat abilities can be utilized effectively in this matchup.
Fields struggled in the Bears' 20-17 loss to the Browns this past Sunday, going 19-of-40 for 166 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, both of which came on Hail Mary throws. It was a considerable step back for Fields, who had been showcasing progress since returning on Nov. 19 from a fractured right thumb.
As the team prepares for its pivotal decisions this offseason, Fields is essentially competing against top quarterback prospects Caleb Williams (USC) and Drake Maye (North Carolina), each of whom the Bears have scouted and will continue to analyze.
Takeaways trend
Across the last four games, the Bears have forced a combined 14 turnovers – and at least three in each contest. This run of playmaking has come after they had managed only nine takeaways in the first 10 games of the season.
The addition of veteran pass rusher Montez Sweat has helped fortify a defensive identity that has taken shape this season, but it’s also the byproduct of growing belief from the group.
The Bears will look to keep their defensive success going and force turnovers against quarterback Kyler Murray and the Cardinals on Sunday. Murray was picked off twice last Sunday against the 49ers, who boast one of the top defenses in the NFL. Murray has thrown four interceptions and fumbled three times in five games this season.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.