Bear Digest

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals Who Pose Big Problems for Bears

After having trouble with one mobile quarterback in Week 8, the Bears run up against another one in Arizona's Kyler Murray as the Cardinals are catching fire.

Gene Chamberlain

Kyler Murray sets up to throw as DeMarcus Walker tries to close with a pass rush in last year's 27-16 Bears win.
Kyler Murray sets up to throw as DeMarcus Walker tries to close with a pass rush in last year's 27-16 Bears win. / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
In this story:

Nearly lost in the commotion over a defeat via Hail Mary pass was how ineffective the Bears defense had been Sunday at stopping quarterback Jayden Daniels from running.

Daniels gained 52 yards on eight runs, after the Bears had held all quarterbacks on the season to 78 yards rushing. They were bad overall against the run, allowing 4.8 yards a carry to everyone else.

It's a nightmare combination for this week's game because quarterback Kyler Murray and especially running back James Conner are capable of doing similar type damage if not worse.

Arizona registered back-to-back wins over stronger opponents than the Bears have beaten this season and has plenty of players to cause problems, mostly on offense but their defense has played good situationally for a head coach who was Matt Eberflus' defensive backs coach with the Colts.

Here are the Cardinals situated best to cause the Bears problems in Sunday's game in Glendale, Az.

QB Kyler Murray

His consistency has been as strong as ever as he has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game and has a passer rating of 98.0. When the Bears faced Murray late last season, he still was trying to regain speed after his ACL tear of the previous season. He looks full strength now with 344 yards rushing but usually is running to pass. Murray is playing smarter than ever but retains a big-play style at 7.1 yards per attempt. He'll test the full Bears defense.

RB James Conner

Always one of the more underrated backs in the league, Conner's combination of size (6-foot-1, 233) and quick burst have made him a strong counter to Murray's elusive running style. He's seventh in the league in rushing and has had three 100-yard rushing games this season. He's also an all-around threat because of his contributions as a receiver. The 29-year-old former Steelers back has 250 career receptions in his eighth season, including 16 for 9.7 yards a catch—a high average yards for a back.

HAIL MARY HANGOVER PERCEIVED AS BEARS PROBLEM BY POWER RANKINGS

COLE KMET SAYS BEARS NEED TO QUIT CHEATING THEMSELVES IN PRACTICE

LEAGUE INSIDER STOKES OLD BEN JOHNSON AND BEARS RUMORS

BEARS AND CARDINALS TV, RADIO AND BETTING TRENDS

TE Trey McBride

Like with most good tight ends in the NFL, McBride needed his first year to learn and did it. He went from 29 catches as a rookie to 81 for 825 yards last year. He already has 42 receptions, although he hasn't become the dependable red zone threat like Cole Kmet has for the Bears. At 6-4, 246, the second-round pick is more than capable of doing to the Bears defense what Zach Ertz did last week with seven catches against them. He's coming in off season highs of nine catches and 124 yards against the Dolphins.

T Paris Johnson Jr.

A player the Bears might have taken instead of Darnell Wright except he went No. 6 before they picked, Johnson has blossomed in Year 2. He is leading their offensive line in Pro Football Focus blocking grade. The 6-6, 313-pounder is currently graded the No. 12 tackle in the league by PFF after he was 57th last year, and has been equally effective blocking the run or the pass. He has given up three sacks according to PFF and committed three penalties.

WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

Coming in off a game when he had a career-high for catches with six, Harrison also had 111 receiving yards and a touchdown as he began to display the big-play style he had at Ohio State. He had a 130-yard game earlier against the Rams but last Sunday's was more impressive because he hauled in six out of seven targets and in the earlier big game he was still struggling at less than 50% catch-to-target ratio over the first three games. He's become a more consistent threat. One thing they haven't seen yet from him is yards after the catch as he has averaged only 1.8 yards after the catch per reception. At 6-foot-4, though, the Bears will be challenged to keep up with him in sideline contested catches. PFF grades him as the league's 18th best wide receiver this season.

C Hjalte Froholdt

Graded the seventh-best center in the league overall and as a pass blocker, the 6-5, 310-pounder has anchored an offensive line now coming into its own. They haven't given up a sack in the past three games and at 1.4 per game are allowing the second-lowest average in the league. Froholdt is in his fifth season after he was a failed fourth-round pick by New England who came up through the practice squad route with Cleveland and Houston before landing before last season in Arizona.

S Budda Baker

Their 5-10, 195-pound safety is already at 79 tackles, which puts him on pace for a career-high total. He definitely hasn't had his best year in terms of coverage, allowing 74.3% completions when targeted, and a 122.2 passer rating. Twice an All-Pro, he's been named to five straight Pro Bowl teams and six overall and patrols the secondary with the best of them in the league but hasn't had an interception since 2022.

CB Garrett Williams

One of the more steady, young nickel cornerbacks in the league, he's taking away a lot of the interior with his coverage in his second season after coming into the league as a third-round pick out of Syracuse. Williams has had an outstanding 79.6 passer rating against both in his first year and this year, and this season is allowing only 55.6% completions when targeted (15 of 27). He's given up two TD passes this season.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.