Fields throws for a TD, runs for another score, leading Bears past Cardinals
CHICAGO (CBS/AP) — Justin Fields threw for a touchdown and ran for another score, and the Chicago Bears beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 on Sunday night.
Tight end Cole Kmet caught four passes for a career-high 107 yards despite missing the second half because of a knee injury.
Khalil Herbert ran for a season-high 112 yards and a touchdown, and the Bears (6-9) got the bounce-back win they were seeking coming off a late collapse at Cleveland a week earlier.
The Bears scored touchdowns on three straight possessions in the first half to go up 21-0 against Arizona (3-12). The Bears hung on after blowing a 10-point lead in a 20-17 loss to the Browns, though things got tight in the closing minutes.
The Cardinals cut it to 24-16 with 6:37 remaining on Kyler Murray's 38-yard touchdown pass to Greg Dortch, though the 2-point conversion pass was incomplete.
In a situation not unfamiliar to the Bears, a double-digit fourth-quarter was slipping away – and another potential crushing loss seemed likely. But this time, both the defense and the offense were able to do enough to seal the victory in the end.
Eddie Jackson said everyone was talking to each other to ensure that happened, saying: "We know what happened. We've been through this situation a few times. Like yo, let's finish.
And they did. The Bears' Cairo Santos kicked a 29-yard field goal with just over a minute to play.
The Bears finished with 420 yards, including 250 rushing after being held to 88 against the Browns.
The offense again had some lulls, mainly when they got away from running the football. Because when they did attack on the ground, it worked, including that 112 yards rushing for Herbert after he totaled just 75 yards the last four games.
"It felt great. Big boys did a great job up front. I was able to capitalize," Herbert said. "Last week, we took it personally - not being able to run the ball. We came in this week, focused on the details."
"I just thought the gameplan was great - put our playmakers, even on the offensive line playmakers, in the best position," said Bears offensive lineman Braxton Jones. "I felt like I was in the best position to get a good run game going."
Fields completed 15 of 27 passes for 170 yards after throwing for 166 the previous week. He added 97 yards rushing.
Fields scored from the 3 on the Bears' second possession and threw a 1-yard TD to Marcedes Lewis in the second quarter that made it 21-0. He also had the longest run by a Bears player this season when he broke off a 39-yarder to the 14 in the fourth, only to be intercepted by Starling Thomas V in the end zone on the next play.
"We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Fields said.
Kmet needed just two quarters to surpass his previous high of 87 yards in a loss at Pittsburgh in 2021. He helped set up the game's first TD with a diving 53-yard catch, and his 29-yarder on the next drive led to Fields' TD pass to Lewis.
Herbert ran for an 11-yard score early in the second quarter.
Murray threw for 230 yards and two touchdowns in his sixth game since his return from a torn ACL in 2022 that caused him to miss roughly 11 months.
James Conner caught five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 45, and the Cardinals finished with 93 yards rushing after racking up 234 in a blowout loss to San Francisco.
INJURIES
Cardinals: LB Zaven Collins suffered a foot injury in the first half. ... DE Jonathan Ledbetter (knee) was helped to the sideline early in the fourth quarter.
Bears: WR DJ Moore went to the medical tent with an ankle injury after the game's second play from scrimmage. He returned late in the first quarter.
UP NEXT
Cardinals: Visit Philadelphia on Dec. 31.
Bears: Host Atlanta on Dec. 31.