The Chicago Bears (4-3) start a very important and difficult four-game stretch as the Arizona Cardinals (4-3) come to Soldier Field this Sunday. The Bears are coming off of a sloppy 30-6 win over the lowly Cleveland Browns, while the Cardinals suffered a disappointing loss 34-21 at home to the Carolina Panthers. Kurt Warner turned the ball over 6 times, including 5 interceptions in one of the worst games of his career. How he bounces back this week will be a determining factor in the outcome of Sunday’s game. With 2 conference losses already and the Packers, also 4-3, playing Tampa Bay this week, this intra-conference match up becomes even more important. Arizona has played well on the road this year with a 3-0 record, but often struggle with the early start time in the central and eastern time zones.

The big question for the Bears is, which defense will show up? The one who gave up 45 points to the Bengals or the one who forced 5 turnovers and scored a touchdown last week against the Browns? My guess is that we’ll see the defense somewhere in between. The key for the Bears defense is getting pressure on Kurt Warner. As he proved last week, he’s prone to turn the ball over when he’s under pressure. The Bears must get pressure from their front four to disrupt the great timing Warner has with his receivers. Larry Fitzgerald hasn’t really gotten going yet this year but if Warner has time to throw, he may have a big game against the Bears weak secondary, making the front four that much more important.

For the Bears to win: The best defense against the Cardinals this week will be a good offense. Matt Forte and the offensive line must get going this week and force the Cardinals offense to stay on the sidelines. The Bears have been unable to get the running game going and that may be due to a lack of commitment. Ron Turner has them running the ball only 41% of the time this season and often times in straight run formations. The best way for the Bears to jump start the running game is for Turner to get creative and start running the ball in passing formations. The Bears love to run the ball out of the “I,” which often times is predictable. They need to mix it up by running in 3 and 4 wide receiver sets, as well as mixing in some draw plays and pitches to the outside. The Cardinals have been stingy against the run, so establishing it early in the game will be the key to the Bears success. The Bears also need to stretch the field in the passing game. Arizona has given up 8 pass plays of 30+ yards. The Bears should look to get Devin Hester and Johnny Knox on the outside, and look for something over the top of the defense. Jay Cutler, who needs more time to throw, must continue to make better decisions as he becomes more comfortable in the offense.

For the Cardinals to win: Kurt Warner must have a short memory and get back on track and in a better rhythm with his receivers. Negating the Bears pass rush with some quick routes and three step-drops will help get Warner back on track. The Bears always have a tough time covering premiere wide receivers, so Warner should be looking for Fitzgerald all day. The Cardinals run defense has been pretty solid all year. Turning the Bears into a one-dimensional passing team will shift momentum in the Cardinals favor. The Bears proved last week that they couldn’t protect Jay Cutler against the last-ranked Browns defense. Forcing the Bears to pass and putting pressure on Cutler will lead to a Cardinals victory.

Injuries: Each team has an injury to a key wide receiver. Devin Hester (ankle) practiced today and should be ready. His availability and mobility are crucial for the Bears if they want to stretch the field. Anquan Boldin (ankle) is a game-time decision for the Cardinals. While Boldin’s presence is important, third wide receiver Steve Breaston isn’t much of a drop-off. Boldin will probably try to gut it out. If he does, he’ll often be used as a decoy and has proven in the past to be much less of a factor.

Prediction: The Bears have yet to play a game to their full potential this year. Their defense isn’t what it once was and their offense has struggled, especially in the red zone, over the past few weeks. Besides the Steelers, the three Bears wins have come against teams with a combined record of 4-18. Arizona will prove to be a much tougher challenge. Arizona’s best this year has far exceeded what the Bears have shown. I think the Bears will start to get the running game going this week, but their inability to rush the passer and cover star wide receivers will prove to be the difference. I expect Larry Fitzgerald to have a huge game and for Tim Hightower to get going this week as well.

Arizona Cardinals 28 Chicago Bears 17