By james art !role~Preview!mt~photo!fmt~JPEG%20Baseline&w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Surging Cardinals beat Bears 29-9 for 3rd straight win – Daily Independent")
By DAVID BRAND
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Emary Demercado ran 53 yards for a touchdown just before halftime, James Conner added 107 yards on the ground and the surging Arizona Cardinals put together a dominant 29-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The Cardinals (5-4) have won three straight for the first time in three seasons.
It’s another tough loss for the Bears (4-4), who have lost two in a row. They lost to the Commanders 18-15 last week on a Hail Mary and were burned once again as the clock wound down against the Cardinals, though that miss came in the final seconds of the first half.
Chicago rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked six times, completing 22 of 41 passes for 216 yards. The Bears had just 241 total yards.
Arizona led 21-9 at halftime after Demercado broke loose for a game-changing 53-yard touchdown run with four seconds left. The Cardinals opened the drive with 26 seconds left on a field goal by Chicago.
Kyler Murray completed several short passes before Demercado burst through the middle of the defense and then sprinted down the right sideline for a touchdown, turning a tight game into a much more comfortable advantage.
It was one of two tough mistakes by Chicago’s defense late in the second quarter. The Cardinals led just 7-6 with 3:40 left in the half and looked like they would have to settle for a field goal, but Chicago senior Jervon Dexter was flagged for trying to use a defender as leverage for a jumper in the air and blocks the shot.
That gave Arizona another set of downs, and the Cardinals won on Trey Benson’s 1-yard touchdown run just three plays later.
The Cardinals controlled the second half, extending their lead to 27-9 after two Chad Ryland field goals, one from 55 yards. Arizona linebacker Zaven Collins had two of the team’s six sacks.
Murray completed 13 of 20 passes for 154 yards.
Arizona took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when tight end Trey McBride took a handoff for a 2-yard touchdown. Chicago’s Cairo Santos made three first-half field goals, two from 53 yards.
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was not in the starting lineup after his mental breakdown last week, though he did end up playing a large portion of the game.
Stevenson apologized after his back was turned and waved to the crowd with 2 seconds left as the Commanders snapped the Hail Mary that gave them an 18-15 victory last Sunday.
Bears: DL Montez Sweat (shin) and DB Kyler Gordon (hamstring) were among the team’s seven inactive players. … CB Terrel Smith (ankle) left the game in the first half and did not return. … DL Andrew Billings (chest) left in the second half and did not return.
Cardinals: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (neck) and DL Darius Robinson (hamstring) were among the team’s six inactives.
Bears: Host New England on Sunday.
Cardinals: Host the New York Jets on Sunday.
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AP NFL: