Critical Takeaways from Bears’ Week Nine Loss to the Cardinals

After suffering an embarrassing last-second loss to the Commanders in Week Eight, it seems that the Bears weren’t able to lick their wounds as they traveled to Arizona to lose to the Cardinals 29-9 this past Sunday in Week Nine. Some would say that this win would’ve saved the season for the Bears, but that wasn’t the case whatsoever. Bears fans were absolutely demoralized by the lack of offense they showed as well as the defense playing poorly against the run. Sunday’s game was certainly a statement, though not the one the Bears hoped to make. 

Time to Panic on the Bears?

Entering Week Eight, the Bears were 4-2 and there was hope for Chicago. The offense was finding its groove, and the defense was playing at an elite level. Two weeks later, that all changed. When Noah Brown caught the Hail Mary and handed the Bears a crushing loss in Week Eight, the promise of a brighter future went up in smoke for many Bears fans. Sunday's game in Arizona was a pathetic performance from the Bears. Caleb Williams and the offense scored nine points against the NFL's 26th-ranked defense while the defense surrendered a season-high 29 points to the Cardinals, who had previously only surpassed that mark once this season. 

Rome Odunze Should Be the Top Wide Receiver Over Keenan Allen

Rome Odunze had five catches for 104 yards, including a 44-yard bomb from Williams in Week Nine against the Cardinals. Odunze had a catch percentage of 71%, which was the best of the core receivers for the Bears. There are certain plays in which Keenan Allen is running, and I think to myself, “Why isn’t Rome Odunze running that route?” Odunze is bigger and faster than Allen, has fresher legs, and creates separation from defensive backs. Allen was the Bears’ most-targeted receiver this past Sunday, hauling in four catches on his 10 targets, resulting in the lowest catch percentage of 50% among Chicago’s big three receivers this season. The former Los Angeles Charger looks lethargic running down the field and has dropped crucial passes, including some third-down blunders this past Sunday. The Bears need to stop messing around and get Rome Odunze the ball more. 

The Run Defense Was Nowhere to Be Found

Before Week Eight, the Bears hadn’t allowed more than 322 offensive yards to an opponent and their season high in points allowed was 21. In the last two weeks, the Bears have surrendered 481 yards to the Commanders and 350 total offensive yards to the Cardinals. They gave up 29 points to Arizona, which had previously ranked 18th in the NFL in points per game. Chicago’s run defense looked very suspicious against the Cardinals. Arizona ran for 213 yards against the Bears as James Conner averaged six yards per carry and made Emari Demercado look like a second coming of Adrian Peterson. The Bears let up a 53-yard run from Demercado to end the first half, which put the Bears down two scores.