PHX Reporter

With 56 seconds left in the first half of Sunday's game, Zaven Collins found himself on the ground after a chip block by Bears running back Roschon Johnson. As quarterback Caleb Williams extended the play, Collins hoped for someone to tackle him. "'Someone, please jump on him,'" he recalled thinking. "And then I see (outside linebacker Xavier Thomas) jump on his back, so I was like, 'thank God.'"

The Cardinals demonstrated their ability to generate pressure effectively during their 29-9 victory over the Bears. They achieved six sacks, held Chicago to 69 rushing yards, and prevented any touchdowns for the second time in three games. The defense allowed only 241 total yards, marking a season low.

In this milestone-filled game, the Cardinals' defense saw 16 different players applying pressure on a season-high 46 percent of dropbacks, as reported by Next Gen Stats. This number tied for the most players pressuring in a single game since 2018.

Thomas contributed another half-sack and was active in the backfield throughout the game. "It's just a great feeling," he said. "You get in that mode that nobody can really stop you."

The outside linebackers were instrumental on Sunday. Collins recorded two sacks, Thomas contributed significantly, and Jesse Luketa notched his first career sack in his third season.

Collins expressed that Sunday's performance aligned with the staff's vision for their defensive strategy despite losing key players Dennis Gardeck, BJ Ojulari, Justin Jones, and Bilal Nichols to injury for the season. "There are games... where you go back and watch the film... It's getting to those things, the fine details of things," Collins explained.

Defensive lineman Dante Stills emphasized every defensive player's contribution while discussing their increased pressures. His own performance extended his sack streak to three games and boosted confidence within the team. "I feel like I'm taking my game to another level," Stills stated.

L.J. Collier dismissed concerns about previous criticisms of their pass rush as mere social media chatter. Stills agreed with Collier's perspective: "We see all that stuff on social media... But at the end of the day, every Sunday is an opportunity to shut everybody that's talking down on us."

Looking ahead to their next matchup against the Jets, preparation begins Monday. "(The confidence) is at an all-time high," Thomas remarked. "We know what we have on our side of the ball."