Post by End Zone on Nov 28, 2021 5:28:41 GMT -7
Arizona Cardinals @ Chicago Bears, December 5, 2021.
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 12th Arizona Cardinals Game Day Thread (GDT). I bet that everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving Day with families and friends. I sure did enjoy my holiday time with the Missus and our friends!
And, so now it begins for the 9-2 Cardinals team—the “it” is the post-Bye week last 6 games of the Cardinals season and the playoffs. As of today, per this prediction website see projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2021-nfl-predictions/ , the Cardinals have a 99.99% chance of making the playoffs, a 91% chance to win the Division, a 49% chance to gain the 1st Round Bye, and a 14% chance to win the Super Bowl. Right behind the Cardinals is the 8-3 Packers team, with a 30% chance to sneak off with the 1st Round Bye and also a 14% chance to win the Super Bowl. How on earth the statisticians came up with 14% is not explained.
How about those 4-7 Chicago Bears last Thursday afternoon! For 59 minutes and 59 seconds on Thanksgiving Day, the Bears tried gave a victory to the winless Lions. The Bears almost succeeded in snatching a loss from the jaws of victory. But, alas, a game-ending Bears FG by K Santos pulled out a close 16-14 victory as time expired, sending the Lions to their 10th loss of 2021. Ugh, I feel sorry for Lions fans.
In Bears news, Head Coach Nagy might have bought himself a reprieve from a Windy City-anticipated end of season HC firing. I put the odds at 50/50 that Nagy is retained as Bears HC by the McCaskey family brain trust in January 2022. With a good roster and healthy players, Nagy already proved that he can win the NFC North Division, at least he did prove his worth back in 2018. Segue to 2021, and Nagy has almost no 100% healthy player on the Bears roster. Many players are activated from PS every week. The team greatly suffers from player discontinuity, causing team discombobulation.
So, how did the Bears win against the Lions? Frankly, the Lions made too many mistakes in the second half of the game and gave the victory to the Bears. The Bears did hold onto the ball for an 18-play drive, lasting 8:30, in the 4th quarter, the longest lasting Bears drive since 2013. Dalton (24/39 for 317 yards, 1 INT for the day) did not make any critical mistakes in the last quarter, completing 80% of his passes, with 4 of them going for 1st downs, and he even ran for 9 yards just before the game winning FG kick, showing off his gearbox. Before you become worried about the Bears passing game, understand that the Lions had the 31st ranked defense in the NFL last week. Dalton is an experienced QB. He took everything the Lions Defense threw at him and made the Lions pay up. Dalton did make one big gaff in the 1st half, throwing an INT in the Red Zone, killing off a promising Bears drive.
Bears to Watch vs. the Cardinals. The biggies include QB Justin Fields (if active); QB Andy Dalton; RB David Montgomery; WR Darnell Mooney; CB Arty Burns; OLB Robert Quinn (Defensive Player of the Month - November 2021); and TE Cole Kmet. All are threats. QB Fields (bruised ribs) was held out of the lineup vs. the Lions—the injury likely also will keep Fields out vs. the Cardinals. QB Dalton played in his 5th game of the season and filled in admirably as the backup QB. RB Montgomery was not 100% on Sunday, but good enough. He has been ailing most of November. His struggles continued against the Lions, one of the NFL’s worst run defenses, with Montgomery gaining just 46 yards on 17 carries. If QB Fields can play, his ability to run may increase Montgomery’s all-purpose threat. With Dalton under Center last week, the run-play-option went out the window and Montgomery had a much harder RB job. WR1 Mooney was a class act for the Bears vs. the Lions, catching 5 passes for 123 yards (longest 52 yards). Mooney is tough to defend, finds seams and exploits gaps, has good hands, and runs with excellent speed. On the year, Mooney has accumulated 692 passing yards and should top 1,000 yards for the season. CB Burns reminds me of former Cardinals prospects that looked good on paper but failed to impress on game day. Burns offered a mostly matador defense vs. the Lions passing game. He lacks experience to defend the Cardinals WR1-4 and TE1-2 sets. ILB Quinn is dangerous. The man is a beast and the pride of the Bears Defense with 11 sacks through 11 games. Quinn is a disruptive one-man wrecking crew and today is playing at a Pro-Bowl level. Lastly, there is TE Kmet. Dalton fell in love with his TEs last Thursday, hitting Kmet for 8 passes for 65 yards. It is worth mentioning that TE Graham, New Orleans Saints former great offensive threat, is now playing for the Bears. Graham is big man and blocks well. Graham is slower off the snap these days but has great hands in traffic and is a threat in the Red Zone.
Notable Bears Statistics. 2021 record is 4 wins, 7 losses, win % is .364. Points For 179, Points Against 254. Team leaders include QB Justin Fields with 1,361 yards and 4 TDs and 8 INTs, QB Andy Dalton with 788 yards and 4 TDs and 2 INTs, RB David Montgomery with 113 carries for 476 yards and 3 TDs (just 7 games played due to injuries), and WR1 Darnell Mooney with 46 catches for 694 yards and 3 TDs. The Bears Defense has 32 sacks on the season. On Offense, the Bears average 126.3 rushing yards per game, and rank 7th, and average 195.4 passing yards per game, and rank 32nd. Overall, the Offense ranks 31st in the NFL. On Defense, the Bears allow 118.5 yards rushing per game, rank 22nd, and allow 237.9 yards passing per game, rank 10th. Overall, the Defense ranks 10th in the NFL.
Bears History. How about that I start you off with these two big facts: (1) that the Bears have been around for as long as the Cardinals, since 1920, and (2) that the Bears have the most football victories of any NFL team. Take two bows, Bears and Cardinals fans! You earned it. See this website en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Bears for all the Chicago Bears glory, most happening prior to the NFL-AFL merger. Lastly, from the far past, how was the Bears moniker “Monsters of the Midway” born? From 1940 to 1947, QB Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in 4 of 5 NFL Championship Games in which the Bears appeared. Then there was tough-guy Head Coach Mike Ditka era, 1983-1985, when the Bears were Super Bowl contenders and then winners in 1985. Also, Bears Hall of Famer (HoF) Mike Ditka is the only person in the modern football era to win an NFL championship as a player and coach for the Chicago Bears.
Bears Today. Since the famed Ditka era, the Bears history is a fan’s Trail of Tears. Failed HC’s include Lovie Smith, Marc Trestman, and John Fox. HC Matt Nagy may soon join the HC’s rogue’s gallery. Since his hiring, HC Nagy has tasted both great successes and hard times. The Bears overachieved in 2018, finishing with the NFC North Division crown at 12-4, then backed up to an 8-8 record for the 2019 season, and repeated that record in 2020 but qualified for the last Wild Card seed. For 2 of 3 years under Nagy, the Bears qualified for the playoffs—not a shabby record! However, there is almost no chance of playoffs happening for the Bears in 2021 season. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are several games ahead of the Bears in the NFC North Division standings with five games to go. Chicago has a .02% chance of making the playoffs according to www.FiveThirtyEight.com , and the team needed a last-second field goal to eke out a win over the worst team in the NFL, the Detroit Lions, on Thursday afternoon. The Bears 2021 playoffs flame is barely alive now. The Arizona Cardinals can suck the last oxygen molecules out of Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon, December 5, 2021. Go for the it, HC Kliff Kingsbury & Co. Put the Bears out of their misery.
Head Coach. I will save us time and trouble discussing HC Nagy’s future. After all, the future has not yet happened! Rumor is that Nagy is on the owner’s hot seat.
I watched the entire Bears @ Lions game last Thursday for the sole purpose of evaluating Nagy’s game-day strategy and demeanor. Nagy is a decent Head Coach based on his overall record, but not the 2021 record. He is emotional and well-liked by Bears players. It is unknown if HC Nagy or OC Bill Lazor will call the plays during the game. Nagy gave up the play-calling job to Lazor at the 4th game of the 2021 season. Nagy almost got Fields killed in the 3rd game, and could not handle the rookie. Nagy also admitted that he likes calling plays but is not very good at it.
OC Lazor Summary. Lazor is 49 years old. He previously served as QB coach for the WFT, Seahawks, and Eagles. He is the former OC for the Dolphins and Bengals. He played QB for Cornell from 1991 to 1993. Back to Nagy’s strategy, he apparently made no big mistakes in game management last week. He used players in ways that took advantage of their top-end skills and limitations. Players played disciplined football, a reflection of the coaching staff’s professionalism and team preparation.
The Cardinals will be well-rested and mostly healed by next Sunday. If the Cardinals show up at Chicago acting fat and lazy after the Bye week, the Bears will shred the Cardinals and eat wings for dinner. Nagy will have his Bears ready for a hard battle with the top-ranked Cardinals team. The Bears would like nothing better than to pull off a shocking win vs. a League-leading Cardinals team, a team maybe looking at the follow-on game on the Cardinals schedule, Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals.
QB. I will come back to this one with an update in a few days. QB Fields is QB1 (22 years old, 6’3”, 227 lbs, Ohio State), but likely is OUT due to injuries and will not play vs. the Cardinals. QB2 Dalton (34 years old, 6’2”, 220 lbs, TCU) is likely to start. Dalton is an okay backup QB2, but not exciting or particularly effective. His last full season as a starter was 2019, when he started all 16 games and led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 2-14 record. Replacing Fields vs. the Ravens on November 21, 2021, Dalton breathed new life into the Bears Offense, generating just enough of a passing game to make that game close on the scoreboard: the Ravens put up 10 points in the 4th quarter and barely won, 16-13. Dalton again performed about the same vs. the Lions last week, but this time the Bears won on a FG as time ran out, 16-14. Dalton will not be fooled by the Cardinals Defense on December 5th. Dalton has seen every imaginable defensive scheme since his rookie year in 2011. Today, Dalton just suffers from a severe lack of WR and TE talent, or his QB rating would be above average.
Bears fans want excitement in the form of Fields and those fans want Fields to play now. It is a fact that most fans are completely dumb about football injury rehabilitation. The extent of Fields injuries are being evaluated through early December. The Bears reported that Fields has bruised ribs and maybe spleen damage from several hard tackles at the Ravens game. The Bears QB3 is Nick Foles, 32 years old.
Injury Reports. See FLCF’s post. Moderators will post player injury data provided by the Cardinals medical or coaching staff no more than 24 hours prior to the game. It is NFL policy that, “If any player has a significant or noteworthy injury, it must be listed on the practice report, even if he fully participates in practice and the team expects that he will play in the team’s next game. This is especially important for key players whose injuries may be covered extensively by the media.” Moreover, the policy also reads, “The information must be credible, accurate, timely, and specific within the guidelines of the policy, which is of paramount importance to maintaining the integrity of the game.” Teams found in violation of the policy face the risk of being fined or forfeiting Draft picks.
Roster Information. The Cardinals team roster information (updated weekly) can be reviewed at www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/ARZ . Roster Rules 2021 (COVID-19): (1) Expansion of practice squads to 16 players, including up to 6 who have more than 2 accrued seasons; (2) The ability to protect up to 4 practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams; (3) Elevation of up to 2 practice squad players to the active roster, without removing any current players, before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game; (4) Elevation of 1 additional practice squad player within 90 minutes before kickoff in the event of a late COVID-19 positive test result; (5) Players placed on injured reserve can return after 3 weeks, rather than 6 weeks as in normal seasons; (6) Removal of the limit for how many players can be activated from injured reserve.
Odds. Per the latest professionals posting lines on December 1, the Cardinals are 7.5 point favorites over the Bears. The O/U is 45.5. Not many professionals see the Bears Offense putting up many points vs. the Cardinals Defense.
Referee Crew Information - see www.footballzebras.com/2021/06/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-season/ . Referee assigned to today's game is #23 Jerome Boger. Boger was promoted to Referee in 2006. Boger worked the Cardinals at Titans game to open the 2021 season--the Cardinals easily won the game and shocked many NFL stoolies that day. Boger's crew dished out 15 penalties, 8 on the Cardinals for 59 yards, and 7 on the Titans for 57 yards. History buffs also will love this fact: Boger was the Referee for the Cardinals / Bears MNF in 2006. Later, HC Dennis Green uttered his famous line: "They Are Who We Thought They Were." See link: . Referees Boger and Darrell Jenkins worked Super Bowl XLVII. Boger was chosen to be the referee of Super Bowl XLVII, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on February 3, 2013, only the second African-American to do so behind Mike Carey five years earlier. This caused several other NFL officials to question the leagues' officiating department's grading process, claiming that all of Boger's downgrades during the season were reversed. He was also the alternate referee of Super Bowl XLV, which was held on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. Other officiating information: For 2020, NFL games averaged 156.4 plays; there were 40,032 total plays; 99.1% of the plays were officiated on the field without Instant Replay Booth involvement; only 364 of the plays were reviewed; the most commonly reviewed plays were pass completion (82), incomplete pass (47), and runner broke the goal line plane (44).
Weather. Who's up for a trip to Chicago in early December? Not me. I avoid Chicago from December through March like a plague-riddled city. I have frozen near to death while strolling the blustery shores of Lake Michigan, slept on the floors of O'Hara Intl Airport, and freaked out watching a large jet fishtail on a runway, trying to stop on the black ice. Chicago's early winter weather can be awful. About the only guarantee for Chicago's game day weather is that it will not be pleasant outdoors, at least not for a person with blood as thin as mine. I hate cold Midwest weather if you can't tell by now. I was born in Illinois, and so I know a thing or two about the Windy City climate in late Fall. If attending this game outdoors at kickoff, be prepared for 50F for a high, rain showers, 10-15 mph winds -- perfect Midwest US football weather. Remember also that Chicago invented the men's full-length Beaver fur coat and hat. The coat is practical in Chicago's late Fall football climate. Wear one of those big Capone gangster type fur coats if you have a chance. You won’t regret the look.
Stadium Information. Soldier Field is an NFL and Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, IL near Downtown Chicago. It opened in 1924 and is the home field of the Chicago Bears, who moved there in 1971, and Chicago Fire FC of MLS. It has a football capacity of 61,500, and it is the oldest stadium in the NFL. Beginning in 1978, the bare plank board seating known as soggy wet on rainy days and icy cold on snowy days was replaced by individual hard plastic seats with backs and armrests -- and the Arizona Cardinals fans thought they had it bad sitting on scalding hot aluminum benches in the hot ARZ sun! The Soldier Field interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility but lowered seating capacity, while also causing it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the former Chicago Cardinals and the University of Notre Dame football. Other historic events have included large rallies with speeches, including by Amelia Earhart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr. For many decades, the McCaskey family has threatened to leave Chicago and Soldier Field for a new and upgraded stadium site. On June 17, 2021, the Chicago Bears submitted a bid for the Arlington Park Racetrack land, making a move from Soldier Field to a new venue more possible. For more information on Soldier Field, see soldierfield.net/ .
Game Broadcasts. Game will be carried by FOX and 98.7 FM. Kickoff at Soldier Field is 11:00 AM MST.
Next week's game: LAR (7-4) visits ARZ (9-2). This one is the long-awaited Monday Night Football (MNF) game and the 2nd nationally televised game of the year for the Cardinals. Kickoff is 8:15 pm ET.
Odds and Ends. Baked Chicago-style deep dish pizza made with sausage, pepperoni, cheese, and tomato sauce is unique and some of the tastiest pizza in the world. Chicago is also known for its many fine craft beers and tiny breweries. Much of Chicago’s best eats and drinks are within easy walking distance of Soldier Field and downtown hotels and motels. Go for it!
Cardinals Football Trivia Q&A. The Chicago Cardinals were "named" the NFL Champions in 1925. Why was the Cardinals named the Champions? Answer: The NFL began playoffs in 1932 and no championship game was played. Before 1932, the team with the best NFL season record was simply named the NFL Champion. A good deal of team hanky-panky went on in those days, with all kinds of backroom deals made to make money and keep teams operating. The 1925 Championship naming includes much controversy. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_NFL_Championship_controversy . Regarding controversy, it is multifaceted. The Pottsville Maroons, a dominating NFL team, defeated the Chicago Cardinals. 21-7, on December 6, 1925, claiming the best NFL record. However, the NFL Commissioner later determined that the Maroons played an 'illegal exhibition' game earlier in the year, thus earning the Commissioner's wrath. The Commissioner suspended and removed the Pottsville Maroons from the NFL. Also, the Chicago Cardinals were sanctioned because a Cardinals player, Art Folz, hired 4 high school players under fake names to play on a team against the Cardinals, practically assuring a Cardinals victory. In 1963 the NFL re-investigated the 1925 Championship issue and rejected the Pottsville case on a vote of 12-2, with the Steelers and Bears dissenting. The 1925 NFL Championship was allowed to stand for the Chicago Cardinals. In 2003, the Eagles and Steelers organizations again argued that the NFL should reopen the case. The NFL again refused the case, voting 30-2 to end the controversy. Note that the Eagles are the successor of the Frankford Yellow Jackets of Pennsylvania, a team that in 1925 filed the initial protest against the Chicago Cardinals organization and ultimately went bankrupt and was replaced by none other than the Philadelphia Eagles. Was the Eagles interest in claiming the 1925 Championship for itself? Perhaps.
Bears Football Trivia Q&A. What Chicago Bears running back was known as "The Galloping Ghost?" HoF RB Harold Grange, All-American from the University of Illinois, in the 1920s, played for the Chicago Bears until 1935. He was also known as "Red Grange."
PutMeIn Bottom Line. Who is up for a shutout? I am. A shut out is very unlikely. Cardinals 40, Bears 6.
On paper, the 9-2 Cardinals will dominate the 4-7 Bears. The Bears Offense is averaging 16.27 points per game. The Bears Defense is allowing 23.09 points per game. That is -75 points (about 1 TD + XP) differential in 11 games. The Bears are 2-3 at home and 2-4 on the road. The Bears beat the Bengals (2nd game of the season, at home, 20-17), the Raiders (5th game of the season, at LV, 20-9), and the Lions twice, 24-14 and 16-14. The Bears Offense has not been shut out, but scored less than 10 points in 3 of 11 games. The Bears Offense has scored more than 20 point in just 3 of 11 games. High-powered offenses manhandle the Bears Defense. Buccaneers scored 38, Rams scored 34, and 49ers scored 33. Other key Bears statistics: 3rd down conversions 44/131, 4th down conversions 5/14, sacks 32 (2.9 per game), FGs 16/19 (1.4 per game), TDs 19 (1.7 per game), and turnover ratio -4 – the Bears Defense scored 2 of the teams’ 19 TDs. Time of possession averaging 29:12.
Other math I want to share includes these background facts. There is no such thing as a HOT team at the end of a season. There is myth about ‘End of Year Win Streak’ (EYWS) translating into some kind of playoffs power. Hogwash. Per my research, Denver had an 11-game win streak, and lost to the Ravens in the first round. Washington had and 8-game win streak, and lost to Seattle (Seattle had a 5-game win streak and was the team that beat Washington 8-0 that day). Minnesota had a 4-game win streak, and lost to Green Bay, a Packers team the Vikings had just beaten the week before! So, forget about winning streaks meaning anything in the first round of the playoffs. Every team in the playoffs is technically HOT. The way to stay HOT is to be ready, execute, and win.
HC Kingsbury is 0-2 coming off the Bye versus ‘above the spread’. So what does that mean on Sunday. Nothing. I expect the Cardinals team to now appreciate what is on the line for the next 6 games and to get the job done each week. You know, 1-0. The first job is earning the NFC West Division title. The Cardinals are close, but not there yet. However, this is a unique year for the Cardinals and the NFC Bye clearly is within reach. Earning the first round Bye is incredibly valuable in the playoffs—that is one less game vs. top NFL talent, one less game risking player injury, and one game closer to the NFL Championship. Beyond that, the Bye is not worth much. Per my research, since 1990, teams with a bye through the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, won 12% more games than home teams in the Wild Card and Conference Championship rounds. On average, teams with a Conference Bye week win 74% of the time. The Conference Bye is not a ticket to the Super Bowl but it gives a team a significant readiness advantage. Perhaps also the Bye team is just the best Conference team!
Go Cardinals. Beat the Bears.
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 12th Arizona Cardinals Game Day Thread (GDT). I bet that everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving Day with families and friends. I sure did enjoy my holiday time with the Missus and our friends!
And, so now it begins for the 9-2 Cardinals team—the “it” is the post-Bye week last 6 games of the Cardinals season and the playoffs. As of today, per this prediction website see projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2021-nfl-predictions/ , the Cardinals have a 99.99% chance of making the playoffs, a 91% chance to win the Division, a 49% chance to gain the 1st Round Bye, and a 14% chance to win the Super Bowl. Right behind the Cardinals is the 8-3 Packers team, with a 30% chance to sneak off with the 1st Round Bye and also a 14% chance to win the Super Bowl. How on earth the statisticians came up with 14% is not explained.
How about those 4-7 Chicago Bears last Thursday afternoon! For 59 minutes and 59 seconds on Thanksgiving Day, the Bears tried gave a victory to the winless Lions. The Bears almost succeeded in snatching a loss from the jaws of victory. But, alas, a game-ending Bears FG by K Santos pulled out a close 16-14 victory as time expired, sending the Lions to their 10th loss of 2021. Ugh, I feel sorry for Lions fans.
In Bears news, Head Coach Nagy might have bought himself a reprieve from a Windy City-anticipated end of season HC firing. I put the odds at 50/50 that Nagy is retained as Bears HC by the McCaskey family brain trust in January 2022. With a good roster and healthy players, Nagy already proved that he can win the NFC North Division, at least he did prove his worth back in 2018. Segue to 2021, and Nagy has almost no 100% healthy player on the Bears roster. Many players are activated from PS every week. The team greatly suffers from player discontinuity, causing team discombobulation.
So, how did the Bears win against the Lions? Frankly, the Lions made too many mistakes in the second half of the game and gave the victory to the Bears. The Bears did hold onto the ball for an 18-play drive, lasting 8:30, in the 4th quarter, the longest lasting Bears drive since 2013. Dalton (24/39 for 317 yards, 1 INT for the day) did not make any critical mistakes in the last quarter, completing 80% of his passes, with 4 of them going for 1st downs, and he even ran for 9 yards just before the game winning FG kick, showing off his gearbox. Before you become worried about the Bears passing game, understand that the Lions had the 31st ranked defense in the NFL last week. Dalton is an experienced QB. He took everything the Lions Defense threw at him and made the Lions pay up. Dalton did make one big gaff in the 1st half, throwing an INT in the Red Zone, killing off a promising Bears drive.
Bears to Watch vs. the Cardinals. The biggies include QB Justin Fields (if active); QB Andy Dalton; RB David Montgomery; WR Darnell Mooney; CB Arty Burns; OLB Robert Quinn (Defensive Player of the Month - November 2021); and TE Cole Kmet. All are threats. QB Fields (bruised ribs) was held out of the lineup vs. the Lions—the injury likely also will keep Fields out vs. the Cardinals. QB Dalton played in his 5th game of the season and filled in admirably as the backup QB. RB Montgomery was not 100% on Sunday, but good enough. He has been ailing most of November. His struggles continued against the Lions, one of the NFL’s worst run defenses, with Montgomery gaining just 46 yards on 17 carries. If QB Fields can play, his ability to run may increase Montgomery’s all-purpose threat. With Dalton under Center last week, the run-play-option went out the window and Montgomery had a much harder RB job. WR1 Mooney was a class act for the Bears vs. the Lions, catching 5 passes for 123 yards (longest 52 yards). Mooney is tough to defend, finds seams and exploits gaps, has good hands, and runs with excellent speed. On the year, Mooney has accumulated 692 passing yards and should top 1,000 yards for the season. CB Burns reminds me of former Cardinals prospects that looked good on paper but failed to impress on game day. Burns offered a mostly matador defense vs. the Lions passing game. He lacks experience to defend the Cardinals WR1-4 and TE1-2 sets. ILB Quinn is dangerous. The man is a beast and the pride of the Bears Defense with 11 sacks through 11 games. Quinn is a disruptive one-man wrecking crew and today is playing at a Pro-Bowl level. Lastly, there is TE Kmet. Dalton fell in love with his TEs last Thursday, hitting Kmet for 8 passes for 65 yards. It is worth mentioning that TE Graham, New Orleans Saints former great offensive threat, is now playing for the Bears. Graham is big man and blocks well. Graham is slower off the snap these days but has great hands in traffic and is a threat in the Red Zone.
Notable Bears Statistics. 2021 record is 4 wins, 7 losses, win % is .364. Points For 179, Points Against 254. Team leaders include QB Justin Fields with 1,361 yards and 4 TDs and 8 INTs, QB Andy Dalton with 788 yards and 4 TDs and 2 INTs, RB David Montgomery with 113 carries for 476 yards and 3 TDs (just 7 games played due to injuries), and WR1 Darnell Mooney with 46 catches for 694 yards and 3 TDs. The Bears Defense has 32 sacks on the season. On Offense, the Bears average 126.3 rushing yards per game, and rank 7th, and average 195.4 passing yards per game, and rank 32nd. Overall, the Offense ranks 31st in the NFL. On Defense, the Bears allow 118.5 yards rushing per game, rank 22nd, and allow 237.9 yards passing per game, rank 10th. Overall, the Defense ranks 10th in the NFL.
Bears History. How about that I start you off with these two big facts: (1) that the Bears have been around for as long as the Cardinals, since 1920, and (2) that the Bears have the most football victories of any NFL team. Take two bows, Bears and Cardinals fans! You earned it. See this website en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Bears for all the Chicago Bears glory, most happening prior to the NFL-AFL merger. Lastly, from the far past, how was the Bears moniker “Monsters of the Midway” born? From 1940 to 1947, QB Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in 4 of 5 NFL Championship Games in which the Bears appeared. Then there was tough-guy Head Coach Mike Ditka era, 1983-1985, when the Bears were Super Bowl contenders and then winners in 1985. Also, Bears Hall of Famer (HoF) Mike Ditka is the only person in the modern football era to win an NFL championship as a player and coach for the Chicago Bears.
Bears Today. Since the famed Ditka era, the Bears history is a fan’s Trail of Tears. Failed HC’s include Lovie Smith, Marc Trestman, and John Fox. HC Matt Nagy may soon join the HC’s rogue’s gallery. Since his hiring, HC Nagy has tasted both great successes and hard times. The Bears overachieved in 2018, finishing with the NFC North Division crown at 12-4, then backed up to an 8-8 record for the 2019 season, and repeated that record in 2020 but qualified for the last Wild Card seed. For 2 of 3 years under Nagy, the Bears qualified for the playoffs—not a shabby record! However, there is almost no chance of playoffs happening for the Bears in 2021 season. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings are several games ahead of the Bears in the NFC North Division standings with five games to go. Chicago has a .02% chance of making the playoffs according to www.FiveThirtyEight.com , and the team needed a last-second field goal to eke out a win over the worst team in the NFL, the Detroit Lions, on Thursday afternoon. The Bears 2021 playoffs flame is barely alive now. The Arizona Cardinals can suck the last oxygen molecules out of Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon, December 5, 2021. Go for the it, HC Kliff Kingsbury & Co. Put the Bears out of their misery.
Head Coach. I will save us time and trouble discussing HC Nagy’s future. After all, the future has not yet happened! Rumor is that Nagy is on the owner’s hot seat.
I watched the entire Bears @ Lions game last Thursday for the sole purpose of evaluating Nagy’s game-day strategy and demeanor. Nagy is a decent Head Coach based on his overall record, but not the 2021 record. He is emotional and well-liked by Bears players. It is unknown if HC Nagy or OC Bill Lazor will call the plays during the game. Nagy gave up the play-calling job to Lazor at the 4th game of the 2021 season. Nagy almost got Fields killed in the 3rd game, and could not handle the rookie. Nagy also admitted that he likes calling plays but is not very good at it.
OC Lazor Summary. Lazor is 49 years old. He previously served as QB coach for the WFT, Seahawks, and Eagles. He is the former OC for the Dolphins and Bengals. He played QB for Cornell from 1991 to 1993. Back to Nagy’s strategy, he apparently made no big mistakes in game management last week. He used players in ways that took advantage of their top-end skills and limitations. Players played disciplined football, a reflection of the coaching staff’s professionalism and team preparation.
The Cardinals will be well-rested and mostly healed by next Sunday. If the Cardinals show up at Chicago acting fat and lazy after the Bye week, the Bears will shred the Cardinals and eat wings for dinner. Nagy will have his Bears ready for a hard battle with the top-ranked Cardinals team. The Bears would like nothing better than to pull off a shocking win vs. a League-leading Cardinals team, a team maybe looking at the follow-on game on the Cardinals schedule, Los Angeles Rams @ Arizona Cardinals.
QB. I will come back to this one with an update in a few days. QB Fields is QB1 (22 years old, 6’3”, 227 lbs, Ohio State), but likely is OUT due to injuries and will not play vs. the Cardinals. QB2 Dalton (34 years old, 6’2”, 220 lbs, TCU) is likely to start. Dalton is an okay backup QB2, but not exciting or particularly effective. His last full season as a starter was 2019, when he started all 16 games and led the Cincinnati Bengals to a 2-14 record. Replacing Fields vs. the Ravens on November 21, 2021, Dalton breathed new life into the Bears Offense, generating just enough of a passing game to make that game close on the scoreboard: the Ravens put up 10 points in the 4th quarter and barely won, 16-13. Dalton again performed about the same vs. the Lions last week, but this time the Bears won on a FG as time ran out, 16-14. Dalton will not be fooled by the Cardinals Defense on December 5th. Dalton has seen every imaginable defensive scheme since his rookie year in 2011. Today, Dalton just suffers from a severe lack of WR and TE talent, or his QB rating would be above average.
Bears fans want excitement in the form of Fields and those fans want Fields to play now. It is a fact that most fans are completely dumb about football injury rehabilitation. The extent of Fields injuries are being evaluated through early December. The Bears reported that Fields has bruised ribs and maybe spleen damage from several hard tackles at the Ravens game. The Bears QB3 is Nick Foles, 32 years old.
Injury Reports. See FLCF’s post. Moderators will post player injury data provided by the Cardinals medical or coaching staff no more than 24 hours prior to the game. It is NFL policy that, “If any player has a significant or noteworthy injury, it must be listed on the practice report, even if he fully participates in practice and the team expects that he will play in the team’s next game. This is especially important for key players whose injuries may be covered extensively by the media.” Moreover, the policy also reads, “The information must be credible, accurate, timely, and specific within the guidelines of the policy, which is of paramount importance to maintaining the integrity of the game.” Teams found in violation of the policy face the risk of being fined or forfeiting Draft picks.
Roster Information. The Cardinals team roster information (updated weekly) can be reviewed at www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/ARZ . Roster Rules 2021 (COVID-19): (1) Expansion of practice squads to 16 players, including up to 6 who have more than 2 accrued seasons; (2) The ability to protect up to 4 practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams; (3) Elevation of up to 2 practice squad players to the active roster, without removing any current players, before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game; (4) Elevation of 1 additional practice squad player within 90 minutes before kickoff in the event of a late COVID-19 positive test result; (5) Players placed on injured reserve can return after 3 weeks, rather than 6 weeks as in normal seasons; (6) Removal of the limit for how many players can be activated from injured reserve.
Odds. Per the latest professionals posting lines on December 1, the Cardinals are 7.5 point favorites over the Bears. The O/U is 45.5. Not many professionals see the Bears Offense putting up many points vs. the Cardinals Defense.
Referee Crew Information - see www.footballzebras.com/2021/06/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-season/ . Referee assigned to today's game is #23 Jerome Boger. Boger was promoted to Referee in 2006. Boger worked the Cardinals at Titans game to open the 2021 season--the Cardinals easily won the game and shocked many NFL stoolies that day. Boger's crew dished out 15 penalties, 8 on the Cardinals for 59 yards, and 7 on the Titans for 57 yards. History buffs also will love this fact: Boger was the Referee for the Cardinals / Bears MNF in 2006. Later, HC Dennis Green uttered his famous line: "They Are Who We Thought They Were." See link: . Referees Boger and Darrell Jenkins worked Super Bowl XLVII. Boger was chosen to be the referee of Super Bowl XLVII, held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on February 3, 2013, only the second African-American to do so behind Mike Carey five years earlier. This caused several other NFL officials to question the leagues' officiating department's grading process, claiming that all of Boger's downgrades during the season were reversed. He was also the alternate referee of Super Bowl XLV, which was held on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. Other officiating information: For 2020, NFL games averaged 156.4 plays; there were 40,032 total plays; 99.1% of the plays were officiated on the field without Instant Replay Booth involvement; only 364 of the plays were reviewed; the most commonly reviewed plays were pass completion (82), incomplete pass (47), and runner broke the goal line plane (44).
Weather. Who's up for a trip to Chicago in early December? Not me. I avoid Chicago from December through March like a plague-riddled city. I have frozen near to death while strolling the blustery shores of Lake Michigan, slept on the floors of O'Hara Intl Airport, and freaked out watching a large jet fishtail on a runway, trying to stop on the black ice. Chicago's early winter weather can be awful. About the only guarantee for Chicago's game day weather is that it will not be pleasant outdoors, at least not for a person with blood as thin as mine. I hate cold Midwest weather if you can't tell by now. I was born in Illinois, and so I know a thing or two about the Windy City climate in late Fall. If attending this game outdoors at kickoff, be prepared for 50F for a high, rain showers, 10-15 mph winds -- perfect Midwest US football weather. Remember also that Chicago invented the men's full-length Beaver fur coat and hat. The coat is practical in Chicago's late Fall football climate. Wear one of those big Capone gangster type fur coats if you have a chance. You won’t regret the look.
Stadium Information. Soldier Field is an NFL and Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, IL near Downtown Chicago. It opened in 1924 and is the home field of the Chicago Bears, who moved there in 1971, and Chicago Fire FC of MLS. It has a football capacity of 61,500, and it is the oldest stadium in the NFL. Beginning in 1978, the bare plank board seating known as soggy wet on rainy days and icy cold on snowy days was replaced by individual hard plastic seats with backs and armrests -- and the Arizona Cardinals fans thought they had it bad sitting on scalding hot aluminum benches in the hot ARZ sun! The Soldier Field interior was rebuilt as part of a major renovation project in 2002, which modernized the facility but lowered seating capacity, while also causing it to be delisted as a National Historic Landmark. Soldier Field has served as the home venue for a number of other sports teams in its history, including the former Chicago Cardinals and the University of Notre Dame football. Other historic events have included large rallies with speeches, including by Amelia Earhart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr. For many decades, the McCaskey family has threatened to leave Chicago and Soldier Field for a new and upgraded stadium site. On June 17, 2021, the Chicago Bears submitted a bid for the Arlington Park Racetrack land, making a move from Soldier Field to a new venue more possible. For more information on Soldier Field, see soldierfield.net/ .
Game Broadcasts. Game will be carried by FOX and 98.7 FM. Kickoff at Soldier Field is 11:00 AM MST.
Next week's game: LAR (7-4) visits ARZ (9-2). This one is the long-awaited Monday Night Football (MNF) game and the 2nd nationally televised game of the year for the Cardinals. Kickoff is 8:15 pm ET.
Odds and Ends. Baked Chicago-style deep dish pizza made with sausage, pepperoni, cheese, and tomato sauce is unique and some of the tastiest pizza in the world. Chicago is also known for its many fine craft beers and tiny breweries. Much of Chicago’s best eats and drinks are within easy walking distance of Soldier Field and downtown hotels and motels. Go for it!
Cardinals Football Trivia Q&A. The Chicago Cardinals were "named" the NFL Champions in 1925. Why was the Cardinals named the Champions? Answer: The NFL began playoffs in 1932 and no championship game was played. Before 1932, the team with the best NFL season record was simply named the NFL Champion. A good deal of team hanky-panky went on in those days, with all kinds of backroom deals made to make money and keep teams operating. The 1925 Championship naming includes much controversy. See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1925_NFL_Championship_controversy . Regarding controversy, it is multifaceted. The Pottsville Maroons, a dominating NFL team, defeated the Chicago Cardinals. 21-7, on December 6, 1925, claiming the best NFL record. However, the NFL Commissioner later determined that the Maroons played an 'illegal exhibition' game earlier in the year, thus earning the Commissioner's wrath. The Commissioner suspended and removed the Pottsville Maroons from the NFL. Also, the Chicago Cardinals were sanctioned because a Cardinals player, Art Folz, hired 4 high school players under fake names to play on a team against the Cardinals, practically assuring a Cardinals victory. In 1963 the NFL re-investigated the 1925 Championship issue and rejected the Pottsville case on a vote of 12-2, with the Steelers and Bears dissenting. The 1925 NFL Championship was allowed to stand for the Chicago Cardinals. In 2003, the Eagles and Steelers organizations again argued that the NFL should reopen the case. The NFL again refused the case, voting 30-2 to end the controversy. Note that the Eagles are the successor of the Frankford Yellow Jackets of Pennsylvania, a team that in 1925 filed the initial protest against the Chicago Cardinals organization and ultimately went bankrupt and was replaced by none other than the Philadelphia Eagles. Was the Eagles interest in claiming the 1925 Championship for itself? Perhaps.
Bears Football Trivia Q&A. What Chicago Bears running back was known as "The Galloping Ghost?" HoF RB Harold Grange, All-American from the University of Illinois, in the 1920s, played for the Chicago Bears until 1935. He was also known as "Red Grange."
PutMeIn Bottom Line. Who is up for a shutout? I am. A shut out is very unlikely. Cardinals 40, Bears 6.
On paper, the 9-2 Cardinals will dominate the 4-7 Bears. The Bears Offense is averaging 16.27 points per game. The Bears Defense is allowing 23.09 points per game. That is -75 points (about 1 TD + XP) differential in 11 games. The Bears are 2-3 at home and 2-4 on the road. The Bears beat the Bengals (2nd game of the season, at home, 20-17), the Raiders (5th game of the season, at LV, 20-9), and the Lions twice, 24-14 and 16-14. The Bears Offense has not been shut out, but scored less than 10 points in 3 of 11 games. The Bears Offense has scored more than 20 point in just 3 of 11 games. High-powered offenses manhandle the Bears Defense. Buccaneers scored 38, Rams scored 34, and 49ers scored 33. Other key Bears statistics: 3rd down conversions 44/131, 4th down conversions 5/14, sacks 32 (2.9 per game), FGs 16/19 (1.4 per game), TDs 19 (1.7 per game), and turnover ratio -4 – the Bears Defense scored 2 of the teams’ 19 TDs. Time of possession averaging 29:12.
Other math I want to share includes these background facts. There is no such thing as a HOT team at the end of a season. There is myth about ‘End of Year Win Streak’ (EYWS) translating into some kind of playoffs power. Hogwash. Per my research, Denver had an 11-game win streak, and lost to the Ravens in the first round. Washington had and 8-game win streak, and lost to Seattle (Seattle had a 5-game win streak and was the team that beat Washington 8-0 that day). Minnesota had a 4-game win streak, and lost to Green Bay, a Packers team the Vikings had just beaten the week before! So, forget about winning streaks meaning anything in the first round of the playoffs. Every team in the playoffs is technically HOT. The way to stay HOT is to be ready, execute, and win.
HC Kingsbury is 0-2 coming off the Bye versus ‘above the spread’. So what does that mean on Sunday. Nothing. I expect the Cardinals team to now appreciate what is on the line for the next 6 games and to get the job done each week. You know, 1-0. The first job is earning the NFC West Division title. The Cardinals are close, but not there yet. However, this is a unique year for the Cardinals and the NFC Bye clearly is within reach. Earning the first round Bye is incredibly valuable in the playoffs—that is one less game vs. top NFL talent, one less game risking player injury, and one game closer to the NFL Championship. Beyond that, the Bye is not worth much. Per my research, since 1990, teams with a bye through the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, won 12% more games than home teams in the Wild Card and Conference Championship rounds. On average, teams with a Conference Bye week win 74% of the time. The Conference Bye is not a ticket to the Super Bowl but it gives a team a significant readiness advantage. Perhaps also the Bye team is just the best Conference team!
Go Cardinals. Beat the Bears.