Cardinals vs Bears, injured/competitive Bears get the win

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Chicago Bears will have some injuries going into Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals but will come out with their first win of the season.

Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey, defensive lineman Ego Ferguson, and outside linebacker Pernell McPhee all sat out of Fridays practice and are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Jeffrey is dealing with a hamstring injury, Ferguson has a knee injury, and McPhee has a (wrist/knee) injury.

The Bears played a competitive game right to the very end with the Green Bay Packers last week and will look to do the same against the Cardinals.

Offensive: The Bears will have to run the ball effectively to beat the Cardinals. The Bears rushed for 189 yards and had time of possession for 31:59 against the Packers last week. The formula of running the ball and keeping Green Bay's quarterback Aaron Rodgers off the field, kept the Bears in the game, until the interception by Bears quarterback Jay Cutler switched the entire momentum of the game.

The Bears will have to run the ball with running back Matt Forte and keep the time of possession in their favor if they want to beat the Cardinals.

Look for offensive coordinator Adam Gase to use the quick and short passing game to move the ball when the Cardinals decide to stack the box with eight or more players to try and stop the run. Tight end Martellus Bennett, slot receiver Eddie Royal, and Forte are the players to watch this week.

Defensive: The Bears will have to apply pressure on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer if they want to be successful. The Bears weren’t able to apply pressure last week on Rodgers so they need to find a way this week.

Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have dial up some blitzes to get to Palmer and force him to make quick throws. If the Bears can get pressure this will help out the secondary that struggled last week.

The defensive players to watch are cornerback Kyle Fuller and linebacker Jared Allen.

Outcome: If the Bears can run the ball effectively and apply pressure on Palmer, the Bears will get the win. Final score 24-27, Bears.