TEMPE – The Chicago Bears have two very different records heading into their Week 9 game against the Arizona Cardinals.

With an all-time record of 3-0, the Bears have never lost at State Farm Stadium. And yes, that includes Dennis Green's infamous “They are who we thought they were!” rant in 2006. You can't really prepare for Sunday's action without seeing it at least once.

But before the throngs of Chicago fans making their way to State Farm Stadium this weekend begin breaking out the celebratory giardiniera and malort, there's one marker that wouldn't inspire much confidence in any traveling fan base.

At 0-17 in true away games played on Sundays over the last three seasons, the Bears are still looking for their first road win at Soldier Field under head coach Matt Eberflus.

Can Arizona get to 0-18 on Sunday?

The Cardinals' first look at Caleb Williams from the Bears

For the second time this year, the Cardinals defense will have a chance at another rookie quarterback in Caleb Williams.

Arizona's first run-in with a young signal caller in 2024 didn't go as planned, as Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels handed the Cardinals one of their worst losses of the season.

Consistency has been Daniels' strength for most of the season. That's a big reason why he's the leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year after eight weeks. However, Williams is still looking for it.

The past two weeks have been a good example of Williams' season so far. After throwing for 226 yards and four touchdowns to one interception with a pass rate of almost 80%, Williams followed up with 131 yards and a completion rate of 41.7%.

This year, he has thrown for 1,448 yards and nine touchdowns to five interceptions, with a completion rate of 62.8%, for an offense that musters the fifth-fewest passing yards per game (183.6).

Despite his inconsistencies, Williams has shown a lot of potential that Arizona's defense will have to keep in check.

“He knows where to go with the ball,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday. “He is accurate and the overtime game is unique.

“It’s a big challenge for us because it forces you to play differently in defense,” the head coach added. “He can really do it because of his skills, so we have to implement this plan.”

In addition to his passing skills, Williams can also beat a defense with his legs. Averaging 6.4 yards per carry in 2024, the rookie has racked up 216 yards and 12 first downs on 34 attempts.

Not exactly numbers from Kyler Murray, but still enough to give defenses pause.

The true strength of the bears

The most consistent part of the Bears in 2024 is their defense.

With the fourth-fewest points in the league (17), Chicago's defense gives this team a chance to win more than once.

“They are a good defense. Very sonorous, play fast, play physically. We understand what lies ahead,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “It will take a whole week of training. Have a great week of practice, get out there and do it on Sunday. They have great players. They do what they do.”

But how good is the defense without one of its most influential players?

Defensive end Montez Sweat has been a big part of the unit's success since traveling to Chicago nearly a year ago, recording 9.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 20 QB hits in 16 career games with the Bears.

However, his status remains in question ahead of Sunday's competition after he was downgraded to a DNP (did not participate) for Friday's practice due to a shin injury and only completed a limited day of work this week.

He's also not the only Bears starting defenseman dealing with injuries.

While cornerback Kyler Gordon is questionable with a hamstring injury, safety Jaquan Brisker is already out with a knee injury. And that's not even mentioning the offensive line injuries the team is currently suffering from.

Even if Sweat and Gordon play, Chicago will be far from 100% on the road.

What's at stake in Week 9?

A Cardinals win would mean Arizona moves to 5-4 on the season and remains atop the highly competitive NFC West for at least another week.

A win for the Bears, meanwhile, would help them compete in the highly competitive NFC North. Entering Week 9, the division is 21-8 overall.

Detroit (6-1) is at the top, with Green Bay (6-2), Minnesota (5-2) and Chicago (4-3) not far behind.

Catch the Cardinals-Bears on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. on the Arizona Sports App, 98.7 and ArizonaSports.com.

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