Cardinals fall just short of comeback in preseason loss to Bears
Aug 19, 2017, 10:54 PM | Updated: 11:10 pm
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, left, greets Chicago Bears head coach John Fox after an preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. The Bears won 24-23. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Cardinals missed a field goal that was returned 109 yards for a touchdown as the first half ended, and the Chicago Bears held on to beat the Cardinals in a preseason game on Saturday night.
Phil Dawson, who has never kicked one longer than 56 yards in his 18 NFL seasons, attempted a 63-yarder with a second to play in the first half and was short and wide right. Thompson fielded the miss a step inside the end line and dodged tackles all the way downfield for the score.
Later, after Arizona recovered a late onside kick attempt late in the fourth quarter, trailing 24-17, Blaine Gabbert threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Ross with nine seconds to play.
The two-point conversion try fell incomplete.
The Bears won 24-23.
Mike Glennon, just 2-for-8 for 20 yards last week in Chicago’s preseason opener, played the entire first half, completing 13 of 18 passes for 89 yards and a touchdown with one interception.
Chicago rookie Mitchell Trubisky played most of the second half and was 6 of 8 for 60 yards and a score.
The Bears were up 3-0 and had driven to the Arizona 11 when Tyrann Mathieu stepped in front of intended receiver Kendall Wright, picked off Glennon’s pass and returned it 52 yards to the Chicago 43.
The Cardinals needed 11 plays to drive for the touchdown. Chris Johnson was stuffed on third-and-goal from the 1 but Arizona went for it on fourth down. Palmer found tight end Jermaine Gresham in the back of the end zone and the Cardinals led 7-3.
After Chicago held Arizona’s second offensive unit deep in its own territory, Glennon directed the Bears on a six-play, 44-yard drive, capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass to Wright to make it 10-7 with 36 seconds left in the half.
David Johnson barely played for Arizona, gaining 3 yards in three carries. Palmer was 9 for 14 for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Gabbert played the entire second half, completing 14 of 25 for 174 yards with one interception. He ran 4 yards for a score.
The Cardinals’ next game is next Saturday in Atlanta against the Falcons. Arizona’s next home game isn’t until Week 3 of the regular season in which they face the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 25.
