Which Chicago Bears were winners in Week 16 vs. Cardinals?
The Chicago Bears were able to hold onto a big lead against the Arizona Cardinals at home to double their win total from last year. They won 27-16 to move to 6-9 on the season thanks to an early offensive explosion and some stingy defense.
On a warm and bleak Christmas eve afternoon, the Chicago Bears took on the Arizona Cardinals in front of the home crowd. While this matchup was not the most exciting of the season, it was an important game for the Bears because they needed to show they could take care of business against inferior teams. Arizona came in and the Bears did take care of getting a win, with a final score of 27-16.
While the fans of having the best draft picks possible for next year will not be as happy, this was a must-win game for the Bears. Not only did it need to be a win for them, but their win helps the Panthers pick have even better odds of becoming the first overall pick. It was an important to beat the bad team kind of win that hopefully will fuel a great end to the season.
Chicago Bears Week 16 Winner No. 1: Cole Kmet
While Cole Kmet missed the second half of the game with a knee injury, he was already having a career game. He had never gone for over 100 yards receiving in a game before. Against the Cardinals he was able to put up 107 yards just in the first half alone. Who knows what his stat line would have been if he was able to play the full game.
Obviously, these numbers are great for Kmet, and he got to add to his already impressive stats on the season, but what is more important to note about him is how vital he has been to this offense. He has been the clear second option behind DJ Moore this year and has been arguably their second best offensive player. Kmets receiving improvement and the ability to get open in the intermediate part of the field has created problems for defenses this year. Kmet was always a good possession tight end, but now he has become a true offensive weapon.
The Bears have used Kmet in a variety of ways, but most of his money is made off play-action cross routes and boots. He understands the levels of defense and knows how to find space in between zones. Against man coverage, he uses his size and hands to bring in tough catches and come down with the football.
Kmet ranks seventh in the league in catches, sixth in yards, and is tied for second with a few players with six total touchdowns this year. After being awarded a sizeable contract extension in the offseason, the production and improvement have been there all year. Kmet deserves a lot of credit for the season he has had.