Khalil Herbert and Justin Fields run throughout Arizona Cardinals in Chicago Bears win: ‘There have been like highways on the market’

The Arizona Cardinals’ speeding protection stats this season foretold what sort of sport it is perhaps for the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Area, and the primary offensive play confirmed it.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields handed off the ball to Khalil Herbert, who shot by means of an enormous gap up the left hash for a 13-yard acquire, his longest since earlier than he suffered an ankle harm in early October.

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“After I tossed the ball or handed the ball off, Khalil had loads of house to run,” Fields mentioned. “There have been like highways on the market.”

Herbert rushed for a season-high 112 yards and the Bears totaled 250 on the bottom to gas a 27-16 victory over the Cardinals, who entered the sport with the Thirty first-ranked run protection. Fields added 97 yards on 9 carries, together with a 3-yard landing run, to assist the Bears bounce again from a second-half collapse towards the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.

It was an enormous day for Herbert, who hadn’t totaled greater than 35 speeding yards in a sport since getting back from a sprained ankle Nov. 19. Bears coach Matt Eberflus mentioned Friday that he had seen Herbert’s burst return in follow, and he anticipated larger issues from him towards the Cardinals.

Herbert delivered, together with breaking towards the left sideline and beating 4 Cardinals defenders to the tip zone on an 11-yard landing run — and a 14-0 lead within the second quarter.

Herbert mentioned the Bears had been motivated by a tough offensive efficiency towards the Browns.

“The massive boys did a terrific job up entrance at the moment opening up some holes,” Herbert mentioned. “Final week we took it personally not with the ability to run the ball. We got here on this week targeted on the main points and had been in a position to capitalize.”

Herbert credited the offensive line a number of instances, saying, “They made it simple for me.”

“It was simply communication, speak to one another, be on the identical web page. And simply enjoying exhausting,” proper guard Nate Davis mentioned. “We undoubtedly took the correct step to get to the place we need to be as an O-line. At present was a very good day for us.”

Herbert and Roschon Johnson acquired the work at working again Sunday with D’Onta Foreman out for private causes.

In the meantime, Fields indicated he figured he might have a greater day on the bottom than he did towards the Browns, when he rushed for 30 yards.

“(The Cardinals) don’t have the quickest D-linemen, so I knew I might be capable of lengthen performs and stuff like that,” Fields mentioned. “I advised the O-line, we don’t have to carry them. In the event that they break away, they’re not as quick as Myles Garrett, the blokes we performed final week.”

Within the ongoing debate about whether or not Fields is the Bears’ quarterback of the long run, Fields possible didn’t sway both aspect that already has its place set.

Whereas enjoying a lot of the sport along with his high two targets damage, Fields accomplished 15 of 27 passes for 170 yards and a 1-yard landing go to tight finish Marcedes Lewis.

Tight finish Cole Kmet had 4 catches for 107 yards earlier than lacking the second half with a knee harm. Vast receiver DJ Moore had three catches for 18 yards after tweaking a previous proper ankle harm however nonetheless performed a lot of the sport.

“You simply play to play. You possibly can’t let who’s on the market have an effect on you,” Fields mentioned of Kmet and Moore getting damage. “You simply need to undergo your reads — growth, growth, growth — and if it’s not there, it’s not there. Scramble round and make a play. I might like to have these guys on the market, but it surely’s soccer. You’re in all probability going to get damage at one level.”

Fields additionally had a fourth-quarter interception that put the Cardinals in place to start out a comeback down 24-10. Security Jalen Thompson noticed the go to Herbert in the long run zone coming and dropped off to seize the soccer excessive out of the air.

The Cardinals capitalized with Kyler Murray’s 38-yard landing go to Greg Dortch, which after the two-point conversion failed lower the Bears’ result in 24-16.

The Bears went three-and-out on their subsequent drive, giving the Cardinals a chance to tie the sport. However the protection got here up with a cease when Murray’s go to Dortch fell incomplete on fourth-and-6.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos, who signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension Saturday, made a 29-yard area objective with 1 minute, 2 seconds to play to seal the win.

Fields was requested whether or not the kind of sport he had — throwing for practically 200 yards, speeding for nearly 100 — was sustainable for a successful workforce.

“I’m cool with no matter so long as we win the sport,” Fields mentioned. “So shoot, if I’ve 100 passing yards with zero touchdowns and we get the win, I’m cool with that. Folks love stats and say, “He solely did dah, dah, dah, dah, dah,’ I don’t care, we gained the sport. So long as we win, I’m probably not a numbers man. All I do know is one went up within the win column at the moment, and that’s all I care about.”

Nonetheless, Fields did say he wished the Bears to provide extra within the second half, when the Cardinals held them to 2 Santos area objectives. That lull made the sport really feel nearer than it ought to have been.

Fields mentioned he thought the Bears might have scored 35 or 40 factors.

“It’s no more about (offensive coordinator Luke Getsy) or the play-calling,” Fields mentioned. “It’s about us bringing the performs to life and us executing the performs we get. We’ve them in there for a motive. We belief our coaches, and we belief one another. It’s about us taking every play at a time and actually simply executing. 21-0, you’ve acquired to have that mindset that it’s 0-0 initially of the sport.”