Three keys for the Bears to win their Christmas Eve home game against the 3-11 Cardinals:
1. Hold the rope
When the Bears lost to the Browns on Sunday, their long-shot playoff hopes were all-but-extinguished. How will they react in the first game of the rest of their season? As poor as they’ve played the last year-and-a-half, the Bears typically play hard. Doing so over the last three games would be one argument for coach Matt Eberflus to keep his job in 2024.
2. Run the ball
The Bears have one of the league’s best rushing attacks; it didn’t look that way Sunday. The Bears ran 27 times for 88 yards against the Browns. Take away quarterback Justin Fields’ running, though, and the Bears’ totals were 20 carries for 58 yards.
“We have to win the game up front,” Eberflus said Friday. “And it’s important that we do that this week.”
Running back D’Onta Foreman, who missed practice with a personal matter Thursday, is expected to sit out Sunday, per NFL Network.
3. Keep the takeaways coming.
The Bears defense has taken the ball away 13 times the last four games, a remarkable, unlikely run. How surprising? Through their first 10 games, the Bears had 10 takeaways. The Bears have at least two interceptions in each of their last four games; since 2020, only the 2021 Cowboys can claim a longer straek.
