PLAYER NOTES
–RT Andre Smith (elbow) returned to practice after missing last week’s game against the Rams, but it remained uncertain if he would get the start on Sunday against the Bears or if backup John Wetzel would make a second straight start instead.
“Andre was out there today, practiced, did some good things,” head coach Steve Wilks said. “Still going to take it day-to-day with him and see how it goes, but he’s feeling pretty good.”
–WR Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring) was not a full participant in practice on Wednesday, although coach Steve Wilks fully expects the veteran to play against Chicago.
“Larry will be ready to go on Sunday. No question,” head coach Steve Wilks said.
–WR Trent Sherfield has yet to take a snap in the NFL, but he made the team’s 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie free agent and he’s waiting for his number to be called.
“I think the No. 1 word is consistency,” head coach Steve Wilks said. “He has to be consistent because again, making the 53 is great, but staying here, you’ve got to continue to grind each and every day on your craft. So far, that’s what he’s doing. I like his approach. I like how he practices. He’s very smart. He pays attention to the details. He had a great day today, whether he was on offense or whether he was on the show team. He’s still perfecting his craft and making plays down the field, so I like that.”
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: SLB Gerald Hodges. The Cardinals signed Hodges for depth purposes, bringing in the six-year veteran just two days before their first preseason game. Two games into the regular season, however, he found himself in a starting role as head coach Steve Wilks and coordinator Al Holcomb continue to tweak things in the middle of their defense. They’ve rotated two starters out of the lineup in Haason Reddick and Deone Bucannon and found they needed a bigger, taller presence at the strong-side linebacker spot in Hughes, who had seven tackles in his start last week against the Rams.
GAME PLAN: The Cardinals said they planned to scale things back on offense, primarily because too many players were making mistakes the past two weeks. The game plans thus far haven’t been very creative, however, and that reflects as to why Arizona has only scored six points, registered a league-low 19 first downs and is averaging an NFL-worst 3.8 yards per pass attempt. Part of the problem is the Cardinals haven’t been able to stick with David Johnson and the running game long enough to make a difference. Expect them to try and continually pound the ball behind Johnson against the Bears. Head coach Steve Wilks also wants to try and open up the passing game, which would be refreshing considering Sam Bradford only has four completions of 15 yards or longer. That might be impractical given the Bears’ pass rush and the presence of menacing outside linebacker Khalil Mack, the game’s best edge rusher. Look for Bradford to target Johnson more often, especially when the running back lines up on the outside as a wide receiver or closer in as a slot receiver.
Defensively, the Cardinals look as if they’re still experimenting on how to utilize their linebackers, rotating players in and out and constantly redefining their roles. Haason Reddick, who was supposed to be the team’s starting strong-side linebacker, has been relegated to backup duties the first two weeks. Deone Bucannon, who got lit up in the season opener against Washington, saw his playing time reduced at weak-side linebacker last week against the Rams. More personnel changes could be looming in this game, particularly at cornerback where Jamar Taylor has had trouble covering receivers and avoiding holding penalties. Look for Bene’ Benwikere to see an increased role on Sunday. The Cardinals also need to do a better job executing their own pass rush. The Cardinals have five sacks, but their best edge man, Chandler Jones, only has one of them. He has to make more of a difference. To knock Mitchell Trubisky off his game, the Cardinals must get their blitz packages to generate more disruption.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Cardinals RT John Wetzel vs. Bears OLB Khalil Mack. Wetzel figures to get the start again upon replacing injured Andre Smith (elbow) last week against the Rams. Wetzel has less experience than Smith, but he might be a little bit more capable of trying to limit Mack’s overall impact. Wetzel moves quicker, and he’ll need that to help push back against the very fast and aggressive Mack. The Cardinals will also give Wetzel some help by having a tight end deliver chip blocks on Mack.
–Cardinals CB Jamar Taylor vs. Bears WR Taylor Gabriel. Taylor has been picked on continuously the first two weeks of the season. Not only is he surrendering receptions for some huge gains, he’s also drawing plenty of penalties. He’s been flagged half a dozen times, routinely getting called for defensive holding. That’s a sign of a player getting beat in coverage and having to resort to grabbing to slow down a receiver. Gabriel could torch the Cardinals on Sunday if that trend continues. If it does, Taylor probably loses his starting job, which was already tenuous enough.
