GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Bears had a tumultuous week leading up to this Week 9 contest at Arizona. They dealt with the aftermath of a disastrous loss to the Washington Commanders in a game that ended on a Hail Mary and put Tyrique Stevenson in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

A strong response on Sunday versus the Cardinals would help move past a difficult period that lingering into the game due to Stevenson’s temporary demotion from the starting lineup.

The Bears didn’t get one from the offense or defense, resulting in a two-score deficit heading into the fourth quarter.

They didn’t fare any better down the stretch, dropping back to .500 with a 29-9 loss here at State Farm Stadium.

Let’s examine key moments in this NFC contest at State Farm Stadium in our instant analysis:

Bair’s break down

The Bears defense gave up more than 21 points in a game for the first time since Week 11 of last season. That was quite a run of keeping their team in it, and it ended due to uncharacteristic struggles stopping the run and forcing field goals in the red zone.

Stout defense has been essential to a decent start to the season, especially when the offense struggles to generate steady production.

The Bears defense didn’t meet their standard. The offense didn’t help their teammates out.

The  Bears never crossed the goal line here in Arizona. That’s why Chicago found itself down multiple scores entering the fourth quarter and never recovered.

Defensive struggles equal trouble with this version of the Bears. They can get away with offensive issues when the defense is playing as it is able. Not when it looks fallible.

That’s why the Bears lost a game they simply had to win, falling back to .500 with their second straight loss. This will only heighten the pressure on head coach Matt Eberflus and his coaching staff to get right.

There’s only one more chance to notch a win (versus New England) before a difficult eight-game stretch to conclude the season that includes the entire NFC North slate and games against the 49ers and Seahawks. That won’t erase a reputation that they can’t beat bad teams and won’t be enough to prove that they’ve developed to a point where they can compete with the league’s best.

We’re at a point where the Bears must turn things around quickly or the season will slip away. 

Key stat

3.4

The Bears offense was stuck in the mud practically all day and averaged just 3.4 yards per play on 70 offensive plays — a woefully low number.

And even that number is inflated by a big, 44-yard reception from wide receiver Rome Odunze on busted coverage in the first half. If you take that play away, the Bears averaged just 2.8 yards per play.

The Bears couldn’t run the ball, the offensive line didn’t give Caleb Williams nearly enough time to get the passing game going and even when they did, Williams was inaccurate for the second week in a row — as he finished 22-for-41, a 53.7% completion rate.

Pivot point

The Bears looked to be heading to the locker room with some momentum and down just one score after a 53-yard field goal from Cairo Santos with 26 seconds left in the second quarter.

In the blink of an eye, it was all gone.

Emari Demercado busted a 53-yard touchdown run on third down with 4 seconds left in the half to give the Cardinals a 21-9 lead and give the Bears a metaphorical gut punch. The Bears came out of the half with a 3-and-out on offense and the Cardinals had a 13-play, 7:54 drive that ended in a field goal, tripling a 5-point deficit in the span of 3 drives.

Arizona scored 15 unanswered points after Santos’ field goal, putting away a difficult loss for the Bears.

What’s next

The Bears haven’t played at Solider Field since Oct. 6. True story. That aberration came to pass with a home game played in London, followed by a bye and a two straight road games. They’ll finally return to a place where they’ve won eight straight games dating back to 2023 to face the struggling New England Patriots and rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who was taken No. 3 overall behind Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.