Major League Baseball free agency is here, as are plentiful team predictions and contract projections for notable free agents such as first baseman Christian Walker and designated hitter Joc Pederson.
Walker and Pederson headline the Arizona Diamondbacks’ class of free agents, a group that also includes Randal Grichuk, Josh Bell, Paul Sewald and Kevin Newman.
The veteran first baseman is expected to be a hot commodity as the game’s best defender at his position and a consistent power threat coming off three straight very good seasons.
Now that the World Series is more than five days past us, free agents are able to negotiate and sign with any team.
As the stove begins to heat up, let’s look at contract projections for Walker and Pederson, who are expected to make the most money of Arizona’s free agents this winter.
Christian Walker contract projections
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel: 3 years, $57 million
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden: 3 years, $72 million
The Athletic’s Keith Law: 2 years, $44 million
MLB Trade Rumors: 3 years, $60 million
FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens: 3 yards, $51 million
Teams to watch: Diamondbacks, Astros, Red Sox, Yankees, Mets
The Diamondbacks extended the qualifying offer to Walker guaranteeing draft compensation should he depart. Walker is coming off three straight Gold Glove Awards, and he hit 95 homers with an .813 OPS over the past three seasons. That combination of defense and hitting led to the veteran amassing 11.4 bWAR in that span, which ranks fifth among MLB first basemen.
Projections seem dubious Walker would land a deal beyond three seasons because he will turn 34 years old at the start of next year, but his annual salary is expected to reach or eclipse $20 million.
Pete Alonso is the top free agent at first base, but Walker is on the next step down. Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rizzo and Carlos Santana are other notable free agents at the position.
Joc Pederson contract projections
McDaniel: 1 year, $15 million
Bowden: 2 years, $26 million
Law: 1 year, $16 million
MLB trade rumors: 2 years, $24 million
Clemens: 1 year, $14 million
Teams to watch: Diamondbacks, Rangers, Mets, Royals, Nationals
Pederson declined a $14 million mutual option, taking a $3 million buyout. The 32-year-old gave the Diamondbacks all they could ask for from a platoon designated hitter brought in to crush righties.
Pederson hit 23 home runs and produced a .908 OPS with the Diamondbacks. He did not play an inning of defense but still managed 2.9 bWAR.
Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday for his play in Arizona’s 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
This marks Gillikin’s first NFC Specials Teams Player of the Week and Arizona’s second special teams award after kicker Chad Ryland took home NFC Specials Team Player of the Month for October.
Gillikin is just the third Cardinals punter to win NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, following in the footsteps of Jeff Feagles (Week 13, 1995) and Ben Graham (Week 15, 2009).
Averaging 46.8 yards per punt, Gillikin placed 3 of 4 inside Chicago’s 20-yard line. As for the lone punt that didn’t reach that mark, it still came to rest at the 21-yard line.
“He’s playing extremely well,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “(There’s) value of him doing what he’s coached to do and his version of making plays, whether it be backing a team up or flipping field position.
“What goes overlooked is his holding. … He’s a weapon for us. Pretty cool cat, too. He’s got a process and a routine that you’re kind of in awe when you hear him talk about it. Puts a lot into his craft and that’s why he’s a good player. Glad we have him.”
More than a one-week thing for Blake Gillikin
While Gillikin was recognized for his play against Chicago, the punter has strung together an impressive last few weeks of work.
Of his 11 punts across Arizona’s three-game win streak, Gillikin has but all but two inside opponent 20-yard lines.
That includes a perfect 4-for-4 mark in the Cardinals’ 17-15 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7.
Who else took home NFC Player of the Week honors?
Joining Gillikin on the NFC’s Week 9 podium are Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens.
Barkley churned out 199 scrimmage yards to go along with two touchdowns and one of the top plays of Week 9.
TEMPE — ASU men’s basketball was elite on defense for stretches of its season-opening 55-48 win over Idaho State on Tuesday, making up for a disjointed offensive performance.
“It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t inspiring,” coach Bobby Hurley said postgame. “Very frustrated by how we came out to start the second half. I described it like it was an AAU game how we approached it. A game that had no meaning to it.
“Especially in the first game you would imagine there’s a lot of juice … and the last thing you would think you have to worry about is being motivated.”
The Sun Devils got off to a rough start too, as freshman phenom Jayden Quaintance missed two 3s and committed two fouls before he had played two minutes. It was part of an 8-0 start by the Bengals.
The ASU defense weathered the hot start, surrendering just 12 points over the final 16:57 of the first half. The Sun Devils were suffocating, cutting off driving lanes and forcing a lot of possessions into the final five seconds of the shot clock.
While Quaintance struggled through his collegiate debut offensively with a team-high three turnovers and an 0-for-6 shooting line, he was a big part of the defensive success with six blocks and two steals.
“He was lost out there on offense, and we gotta point him in the right direction,” Hurley said. “Like I haven’t seen that from him, so I’m gonna try and figure out why he looked the way he did on offense, and we’ll try to help him out and coach him up.
“He was altering shots even when he wasn’t blocking them, so that was a positive for him.”
His backcourt counterpart, Joson Sanon, flashed one-and-done potential on both ends but was inconsistent in his approach overall en route to 11 points and three assists.
bobby hurley’s grueling opening remarks after he starts with “it wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t inspiring” about asu’s 55-48 win in the season opener. pic.twitter.com/iWSry14rTi
Unfamiliarity between teammates keeping ASU from playing as unit
When asked why the offense looked as disjointed as it has, including during the exhibition loss to Duke, transfer point guard Alston Mason pointed to the influx of transfers and freshmen into the rotation.
“I think the hardest part in where we’re at right now is we got so many transfers and new guys coming in, and we still got coach trying to feel us out and where he can incorporate us,” Mason said. “The hardest part is the chemistry and coming together as a team. I think that’s what we got to figure out more.”
The Sun Devils had plenty of careless mistakes that led to turnovers, a category ASU lost 14-9.
Mason and BJ Freeman, who combined for 26 points on 9 of 18 shooting and five assists, took accountability for the underwhelming win and said they need to do a better job as leaders.
“A fast-paced, tempo team. Like coach Hurley’s always been playing. Getting the ball up there, kicking ahead, like we had 24 fast break points. Just doing that more,” Freeman said of what the Sun Devils envision their offensive identity being. “I don’t feel like some teams can keep up with us with the size and the shooters we got.”
He later promised to get the team shored up and back on track toward the internal expectations of consistently winning.
“We’re gonna pick this up, I can promise you guys that,” Freeman said. “New team jitters, but it’s all gonna come together. My word.”
ASU (1-0) plays Santa Clara (1-0) and former head coach Herb Sendek next on Friday at 6 p.m. MST in Las Vegas. The Broncos won their season opener, 85-78, over Saint Louis.
The Arizona Cardinals got busy with a Monday deal before the 2024 NFL trade deadline by acquiring pass rusher Baron Browning from the Denver Broncos. But Arizona was done from there, getting a depth piece at value before the 2 p.m. MST deadline Tuesday.
Deadline day got an early jump with pass rusher Za’Darius Smith heading from the Cleveland Browns to the Detroit Lions to help a contender.
What else is happening around the NFL?
Here’s what went down Tuesday morning until the deadline.
NFL trade deadline updates: Rams deal CB Tre’Davious White to Ravens
The Los Angeles Rams (4-4) shipped veteran Tre’Davious White to the Baltimore Ravens, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
White was a bargain flier signing for the Rams this offseason after dealing with serious injuries while starring with the Buffalo Bills.
White this year appeared in four games and tallied 12 tackles with two passes defensed.
According to Pelissero, Baltimore (6-3) was considering a deal with New Orleans before the Saints shipped Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports the deal includes a swap of seventh-round picks in 2026 and 2027.
49ers add DT Khalil Davis from Texans
At the buzzer before the 2 p.m. MST deadline, the Houston Texans traded defensive tackle Khalil Davis to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2026 seventh-round pick, reports Russini.
Davis has nine tackles and a sack this season in limited action
Saints trade Marshon Lattimore to commanders
The Saints, who just fired head coach Dennis Allen, traded Lattimore to the Commanders on Tuesday.
Pelissero reports New Orleans took back a third-rounder, fourth-rounder and a sixth from an earlier deal. Washington also got a fifth-round pick along with the star cornerback.
The 28-year-old cornerback is managing a hamstring injury and is under contract through 2026.
A four-time Pro Bowler, Lattimore has spent his entire eight-year career with New Orleans but has not played more than 10 games the past three seasons.
This year in seven games for the 2-7 Saints, he has 30 tackles with two passes defensed.
Steelers add WR Mike Williams in deal with Jets, edge Preston Smith from Packers
The New York Jets have dealt receiver Mike Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pittsburgh also acquired pass rusher Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers, according to multiple reports. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reports Green Bay received a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Williams couldn’t find his footing in New York after suffering an ACL injury early last season and for the first time in nine seasons playing for a team other than the Chargers.
He had 12 catches for 166 yards and was most infamous for running an incorrect route, a point Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers made clear after a game.
At receiver, New York recently acquired Davante Adams to place him alongside Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard, making Williams expendable.
Williams, who has two 1,000-yard seasons in his career, gets a fresh start for a team that heavily features George Pickens. After Pickens’ 548 receiving yards so far this year, Pittsburgh has tight end Pat Freiermuth (264 yards) and receiver Calvin Austin III (257 yards) on the roster, with Van Jefferson as the third wideout.
Smith has 2.5 sacks and 19 tackles this season.
Cowboys trade for Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo
The Dallas Cowboys not only announced they would put quarterback Dak Prescott on injured reserve but made a move to help backup Cooper Rush.
Dallas (3-5) traded a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-rounder, according to Pelissero.
Mingo, a 2023 second-round pick, has 12 catches for 121 yards this year.
As a rookie, he recorded 418 yards on 43 catches.
The Cowboys could use him immediately, with lead receiver CeeDee Lamb nursing a knee injury.
Bengals add RB Khalil Herbert for Bears’ late-rounder
Running back Khalil Herbert is on his way to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick.
The move for the 4-5 Bengals boosts a running back room with Zach Moss expected to miss the rest of the year with a neck injury.
The 26-year-old Herbert has been sparingly used this season with eight carries for 16 yards. He’s gotten 27 offensive snaps in six games but has been primarily playing on special teams.
He’s got a stronger resume: Herbert piled up 865 combined rushing and receiving yards just a year ago in Chicago.
Browns trade Za’Darius Smith to Lions
CLEVELAND (AP) — Za’Darius Smith re-signed with Cleveland to chase a Super Bowl, never imagining taking a detour through Detroit.
The Browns agreed Tuesday to trade the experienced edge rusher to the Detroit Lions, who were looking to bolster their pass rush following star Aidan Hutchinson’s leg injury, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
Already looking to rebuild in a disappointing season, the Browns are sending Smith and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Lions. In return, Cleveland is getting a fifth-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026, the person said.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the deal.
The teams agreed on the deal hours before the 4 p.m. trade deadline, but Smith’s move has been rumored for weeks with the Browns in a tailspin and seeking to acquire draft assets for what appears to be the start of another rebuild.
Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry could unload more players as the Browns (2-7) start to think about 2025 and beyond.
The Lions (7-1), on the other hand, are legitimate Super Bowl contenders and needed someone to fill the massive void created on their defensive line after Hutchinson broke his leg on Oct. 13 in a game at Dallas.
After helping the Browns get to the playoffs last season, Smith signed a two-year, $23 million contract in March.
He was initially acquired by Cleveland in 2023 in a trade with Minnesota as the Browns brought him in to help Myles Garrett up front. Smith did as the Browns went 11-6, got a wild-card berth and Garrett was voted the AP Defensive Player of the Year.
But this season hasn’t gone as planned and the Browns could make other moves with the postseason no longer realistic.
A three-time Pro Bowler, the 32-year-old Smith gives the Lions experience and a proven pass rusher. Smith has 65 career sacks, including five this season.
Following Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Smith was told there was a report he would be headed to Detroit.
“Oh, that happened?” Smith said to reporters. “See you all.”
Now he’s on his way back to the NFC North after spending a year with the Vikings and three with the Green Bay Packers. Smith was initially drafted in the fourth round in 2015 by Baltimore and spent four seasons with the Ravens.
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was named a finalist for a Silver Slugger award, which honors the best offensive player at each position in each league.
He is up against fellow National League second basemen Luis Garcia Jr. of the Washington Nationals and Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds.
The D-backs, meanwhile, were named one of two Offensive Team of the Year SilverSlugger finalists for the NL along with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
The winners will be announced on Nov. 12.
Marte looks like a lock to win his first career Silver Slugger, adding another accolade to his All-Star campaign that will also likely include a First Team All-MLB selection on Nov. 14.
Among 44 second basemen with at least 300 plate appearances, Marte was the only player with an OPS above .800. And he was not even close to .800 at .932, which ranked seventh among all qualified players in MLB.
Marte led the position group with 36 home runs and 95 RBIs despite ankle problems costing him games in August and September.
The switch-hitter played himself into NL MVP debates before his initial ankle injury on Aug. 10 against the Philadelphia Phillies. From June 2 to Aug. 10, Marte slashed .342/.427/.673, leading the NL with a 1.100 OPS and 52 RBIs.
Marte was also a finalist for the Gold Glove at second base, but Milwaukee’s Brice Turang won the hardware.
Diamondbacks in play for team Silver Slugger
For the team-wide award, the Diamondbacks in 2024 led MLB with 886 runs (5.47 per game).
The Dodgers and D-backs were neck-and-neck in team OPS, as L.A. edged out Arizona .781 to .777. The Dodgers also narrowly beat the Diamondbacks in total bases 2,465 to 2,430.
Arizona was the only team in MLB with five players hitting 20 home runs: Marte, Corbin Carroll, Joc Pederson, Eugenio Suarez and Christian Walker.
Via OPS+, which compares players on a scale where 100 is league average, the Diamondbacks had 10 players with an OPS+ above 100, the most of any team in MLB (200 plate appearances minimum). The Dodgers had nine.
NL Silver Slugger finalists
Here are the finalists for the 2024 National League Silver Slugger Awards.
The Arizona Diamondbacks claimed right-handed pitcher and ASU product Seth Martinez off the Houston Astros’ waivers Monday.
Arizona’s 40-man roster is at 35.
Martinez became a Sun Devil after he graduated from Peoria’s Sunrise Mountain High School in 2013.
He set a career-high with 44 games played last season and has 111 appearances for the Astros over the past four years.
The 30-year-old posted a 3.59 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 52.2 innings last season, striking out 36 while walking 18.
Martinez threw a four-pitch mix last year, with fastball use around a third of the time complemented by a slider, sinker and occasional changeup, according to FanGraphs.
After going to the Oakland Athletics in the 2016 MLB Draft out of ASU, Houston added Martinez in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft before the pitcher made his major-league debut in September 2021.
He now joins a D-backs bullpen with backend roles in question with one-time closer Paul Sewald a free agent.
Arizona also filled long relief with the likes of former starter Jordan Montgomery late in the season. Montgomery has a player option picked up but will presumably have to fight for a starting role if he is still on the roster when the season begins.
The team also declined a mutual option for Scott McGough, who struggled in 26 appearances last year.
GLENDALE — Middle names can hold a lot of meaning. Sometimes they’re used as way to honor a parent or relative. Or in Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ case, his middle linebacker.
And did I mention the DC and his wife welcomed Dominick Kyzir Rallis to the world hours ahead of the Cardinals’ 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday?
“I thought Nick had a hell a game. I don’t want to get into his business, but he had his second child this morning,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said postgame. “How about that?
“Talked to him on Monday morning. I said, ‘Somebody’s got to get ready to call the game if the baby comes at 1 or 2 O’clock.’ He says, ‘I’m calling the game.’ That was cool. Got that at 8 a.m. How about that? Guy’s an idiot. I appreciate him, and he got a game ball, too.”
A win, a game ball and a baby in the same day? Can’t get much better than that.
As for what the head coach thinks about the name?
“Kyzir’s a good middle name,” he added with a smirk.
What does Kyzir White think about all this?
It’s unclear what exactly led Rallis to naming his son after White.
Maybe it was due to their long-standing relationship that spans at least three seasons and two different teams. Rallis did after all work with the linebackers in Philadelphia before his current role in Arizona.
Maybe Rallis lost a friendly wager.
But what is clear is White’s approval of his namesake.
“My dawg for life. This dope,” the linebacker said on social media. “Can’t wait to meet nephew.”
The other big question in all this:
Since White is what Gannon calls a “war daddy,” does that make little Kyzir a “war baby?”
Answers are needed and will likely be given Tuesday when Rallis speaks to the media.
When you need to know, you’ll know
Despite the monumental life-changing moment of welcoming his second child into the world, Rallis tried to keep the (other) main thing the main thing.
On the field, Rallis called the Cardinals’ third second-half defensive shutout of the season.
That included not taking away any of the team’s focus due to a personal situation.
“We didn’t know that,” pass rusher Zaven Collins said postgame. “We didn’t find out until after the game. He’s one of those type of guys that he doesn’t want us to worry about him. He’s all in when it comes to helping us and watching us succeed.
“I think the world of him and everything he does. He spends time afterwards and he’ll get on everyone so it’s nice having him.”
Another member of the nest
Rallis is far from the first member of the coaching staff to welcome a bundle of joy during the season.
A few weeks back, passing game specialist Spencer Whipple, who was filling in for running backs coach Autry Denson, and his wife had a baby the night before Arizona’s big win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Much like Rallis, Whipple was back on the sideline not long after.
The Cardinals’ 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at State Farm Stadium signaled a lot about the direction Arizona is headed.
It kept the Cardinals in the drivers’ seat for the NFC West, and it also was another instance of Arizona playing much more mistake-free than its opponents.
Arizona has also shown an ability to win different ways. On Sunday, the passing game wasn’t working as well, so the Cardinals just scored three touchdowns — from three different rushers — on the ground instead.
Plus, Chad Ryland kept his hot streak going with field goals knocked through from 55 and 29 yards before the defense got on the board with a safety.
So what did our Arizona Sports show hosts and writers think about the performance?
Our reactions to Cardinals’ win over Bears:
Vince Marotta, co-host of Bickley & Marotta Mornings: Sunday offered a rare, almost nitpick-free win by the Cardinals as they took apart the Chicago Bears 29-9.
This win was all about defense and running the football.
Defensively, the Cardinals made life miserable on rookie QB Caleb Williams, sacking him six times — tying the most in a single game in the Jonathan Gannon era. Arizona’s young cornerbacks (Starling Thomas, Max Melton, Garrett Williams) held a very formidable Chicago receiving corps in check. Yes, Rome Odunze had a 44-yard catch in the first half on a busted coverage, but nothing else came easy. The Cardinals’ defensive plan took Bears tight end Cole Kmet completely out of the game. Kmet wasn’t targeted once.
The Cardinals’ running game was punishing all day long. James Conner was his beastly self, gaining 107 yards on 18 carries. Emari Demercado’s 53-yard touchdown run in the late stages of the second quarter was the biggest single play of the game. Trey Benson showed some flash and hey, Drew Petzing even threw in a wrinkle to get tight end Trey McBride a rushing touchdown — the first time a Cardinals TE has had a running score since Hall of Famer Jackie Smith in 1968.
Kyler Murray was fine as a game manager, because that’s what Sunday called for. He didn’t do anything spectacular. He didn’t have to. But he was the better of the two quarterbacks on the day.
Here’s the nitpicky stuff. First, it was another tough day for Marvin Harrison Jr., who had a fumble after making one of his two catches on the day.
And in a 7-6 game in the second quarter, the Cardinals ran the football right down the throats of the Bears and then Drew Petzing tried to dial up the red zone passing game. The drive stalled and ended in a Chad Ryland field goal. Of course, that was taken off the board when Chicago’s Gervon Dexter was called for leverage. Trey Benson later punched it in from a yard to make it 14-7.
But the Cardinals won by 20. They’ve won three in a row, they’re above .500 and they’ve kept two of their last three opponents out of the end zone.
The Cardinals are sitting on top of the less-than-rugged NFC West, but on Sunday, they played like a first-place team.
Luke Lapinski, co-host of Wolf & Luke: Those wins over teams like the 49ers and Rams don’t mean quite as much if you don’t follow them up with wins over the teams you should beat. The Cardinals are finally checking both boxes now.
That’s not to say the Bears are a bad team. They’re not. But there’s clearly something going on with them right now. Maybe there’s a rift after the way their gut-wrenching loss to Washington played out last week, maybe they just really miss Montez Sweat and Jaquan Brisker or maybe it’s something else entirely. Either way, it’s not Arizona’s problem.
The Cardinals did what they were supposed to do. They jumped on Chicago in the first half and never let them back in this game. Honestly the second half was probably pretty anticlimactic for anyone watching that wasn’t a Cardinals fan. Again though, that’s not Arizona’s problem.
And they did it without Kyler Murray throwing a single touchdown. Or Marvin Harrison Jr. doing much of anything. Kyler still had his fingerprints all over the win, but Marv’s going to be battling the inconsistency label for another week. The running game stepped in and took the reins on offense though. And the defense was borderline dominant, racking up nearly as many sacks (six) as total points allowed (nine).
That’s complimentary football at its finest, and suddenly the Cardinals are above .500 for the first time in three years. They’re also on their first three-game winning streak in three years. And now they’re all alone atop the NFC West, with their four losses coming against some of the best teams in the entire NFL. Those teams have a combined record of 27-8 to be exact.
About midway through the first quarter, the realization hit me that the Cardinals, Sun Devils and Suns all went into their games this weekend with a pretty distinct advantage in the coaching department. I could get used to this. I’m guessing the rest of the Valley could too.
Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo: The Cardinals are in the middle of a potentially season-defining stretch in Year 2 under Jonathan Gannon.
Two winnable games at home against teams that look like imposters. A looming bye week. An impending trade deadline. Two key players potentially returning from injury. Successfully navigate these next two weeks or so and you set yourself up for the most compelling two months of football we’ve had in three years.
So far so good.
In the end, the Cardinals took all those Bears fans and thinned them out like they were planting a winter lawn. When it was all over, in front of a bunch of empty seats, the Cardinals battered the Bears and exposed them as frauds. In the process they likely put the Bears’ coach on the hottest of seats. And they did it in a manner that showed off their offensive versatility. Last week the run game was stifled so Kyler Murray and his receivers went to work. This week the Cards used just about every running back on the roster to pound through and fly by every Bears defender on the field. The receivers were almost an afterthought; Trey McBride’s first touchdown on the season came as a running back. But the other half of the story is perhaps more important.
The Cardinals defense, unable to get to the quarterback for most of the season, re-wrote their own script and made life hell on Caleb Williams. Did it provide a moment of clarity for Monti Ossenfort? Maybe he feels like he doesn’t need to make a move, but the hope here is that this week bought him a little more time and a little less desperation on Tuesday. This team is better than most thought and an upgrade has been earned.
John Gambadoro, co-host of Burns & Gambo: This game was over when the Cardinals took over on their own 30-yard line with 26 seconds left in the half while nursing a 14-9 lead.
In the matter of 22 seconds the Cardinals demoralized the Bears team and all of its fans in attendance by going 70 yards in 4 plays capped by a tremendous 53-yard touchdown run by Emari Demercado that put Arizona ahead 21-9 and for all intent and purposes took the life out of the visiting team.
The play, to me, was just a notch below the devastating Hail Mary Chicago lost on last week to the Commanders. Chicago had just kicked a field goal to close within 14-9 and they were getting the ball back to start the second half. But instead of going into halftime with some momentum they were completely deflated.
They were down two scores and it was only a matter of time before the Cardinals put this thing on ice, and it didn’t take long as the Bears went three-and-out to open the second half and Arizona went 13 plays to get a field goal to go up 24-9. The Bears then turned it over on downs and Arizona got another field goal to go up 27-9.
Arizona didn’t play a great game offensively (Murray had no touchdown passes, just 154 passing yards) but they didn’t have to. Chicago was a mess missing many key players on both sides of the ball. But they had no real fight and once Arizona punched them in the mouth with the Demercado score they couldn’t respond.
James Conner was in typical beast mode with over 100 yards rushing and the Cardinals defense sacked Caleb Williams behind a makeshift offensive line 6 times!
Kellan Olson, co-host of Arizona Sports at Night: We are so used to watching the Cardinals do what the Bears did in this game that it took this elongated glance at the other side to realize this is no longer like looking in a mirror. The Cardinals are undoubtedly flawed, and I’ve made the case there is plenty of good fortune mixed into three of their four wins coming into this weekend. But for all the inconsistencies at this point, they’ve got a handful of positive attributes that keep helping them win football games.
The defense is going to give up chunks of yards at a time and make glaring mistakes. It also has an uncanny quality now to stick by the old football adage of “bend don’t break.” Continuously doing that in close games despite an extreme lack of talent is impressive and credit is deserved for both the coaches and players. Nick Rallis dialed up the blitzes in this one and it worked to perfection.
While we still haven’t witnessed an offensive performance that is both the passing and running game firing on all cylinders at the same time, one of those two elements has been at a high level in all of these wins. It was the ground game on Sunday and we go into these contests knowing the upside for either part of the offense to explode.
Chicago was awful in this game. Caleb Williams badly missed on a handful of throws that looked like him going for the perfect one, and he couldn’t handle the blitz again. His offensive line is either brilliant or horrid on a possession-to-possession basis. Back-breaking errors like the penalties on 3rd and 4th down, the Emari Demercado TD or drop on a can of corn by Keenan Allen were all on brand.
But the Cardinals were not making those. Marvin Harrison Jr.’s fumble was the only blemish. The defense avoided penalties to give the Bears additional opportunities. Kyler Murray hardly had to anything at all. And with how light the rest of this schedule is, if Arizona can replicate this, it will be in the playoffs.
Mitch Vareldzis, co-host of Arizona Sports at Night: Kellan Olson and I have a recurring segment on our show called “The Chain.” It essentially creates a path to victory by linking together three important aspects.
To get a win against the Bears it required three things: (1) Contain D’Andre Swift, (2) pressure Caleb Williams and (3) whatever works for you offensively, keep doing it. The Cardinals successfully completed the chain in the first half!
Swift was a non-factor for most of the game, Williams was harassed on several occasions in the backfield and more importantly, the Cardinals ABUSED the Bears with their rushing attack.
It’s not often that three separate ball carriers find the end zone, but Trey McBride (!!), Trey Benson and Emari Demercado did just that as part of a beatdown at State Farm Stadium.
I still had minor gripes, like the defense struggling to get off the field on third and long and Kyler Murray missing a wide open Trey McBride on a beautifully designed jumbo goal line play, but they won the game anyway because they played a complete game.
So, here’s what needs to get done now… Monti Ossenfort needs to pick up the phone and acquire some help for his dark horse division winner.
I will be fine with one defensive line addition and overjoyed with two defensive upgrades, but I will be unforgiving if the deadline passes Tuesday and the Cardinals fail to add anyone to this now 5-4 team that leads the division.
I apologize if I am not seeing their bigger picture, but what I see is a team with a chance to accelerate its rebuild right now and be better off for it next year as well. There is TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS OF CAP SPACE available for the rest of this season. Use it or lose it.
Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal to start Saturday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Footprint Center after missing Thursday’s game versus the Los Angeles Clippers.
Beal has had a questionable designation for the last three games, missing the first and third game of the stretch. He last played on Monday in a 109-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers where Beal scored 15 points in 35 minutes played.
Suns’ Bradley Beal warms up ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Trail Blazers. pic.twitter.com/R35iDmaoW7
During a team practice on Saturday, Beal said he wanted to make sure his elbow felt good before returning to the court.
“You want to make sure that you don’t have any setbacks if you do decide to go out there,” Beal said. “Once they confirmed we were good and it’s just a little sprain and it’s a pain-tolerable thing, we kind of let it calm down. We had an extra day in between games so it was best to just take that extra day and feel better for our upcoming schedule.
Rookie Ryan Dunn started in Beal’s place both games he missed. He shot 7 of 15 from 3 in the two games en route to his first two double-digit scoring outputs with 13 and 16 points, respectively.
Beal credits Dunn for stepping up for the team in his absence and is happy to see him
“I’m just happy for him. Everybody had an opinion on him coming into the draft and it’s just cool being able to see him shutting off that noise and just be a pro,” Beal said.
Guard Josh Okogie will make his season debut for the Suns after missing the first five games of the season due to a hamstring strain. He is entering his third season with Phoenix. He played in 132 games over the last two years.
Portland will be without wings Shaedon Sharpe (labral tear) and Matisse Thybulle (knee injury maintenance), as well as big man Robert Williams III (hamstring strain).
