CHICAGO — From five interceptions to five touchdown passes, Kurt Warner's one-week turnaround couldn't have been more emphatic. Nor could the beating the Arizona Cardinals put on the Chicago Bears.
Warner tied a career high by throwing for five touchdowns after getting picked off five times the previous week, Larry Fitzgerald added 123 yards receiving, and the Cardinals easily handled the Bears 41-21 on Sunday.
Warner was at his best after a miserable performance in a 34-21 loss to Carolina. He handled a team that had a chance to sign him as a backup four years ago, matching the record for TD passes by a Bears opponent without getting intercepted.
"So much of this business is how you respond and how you come back," Warner said. "I always want my teammates to know that I'm going to be there every week battling with them. And if I have a bad week, hopefully they can pick me up. If not, I'll try to do my best the next."
Two of his touchdowns went to Fitzgerald, who had his way with Charles Tillman before the cornerback left with a shoulder injury in the second quarter.
"Kurt played just phenomenal again," said Fitzgerald, who has family in Chicago and spent summers here as a child. "He was making the right reads and getting the ball to the guys who were open. When we're clicking like that, it's hard to stop us."
Warner was 22 of 31 for 261 yards and threw touchdown passes on the first four possessions as the Cardinals surged ahead 34-7 after three quarters.
The Bears (4-4) got within 34-21 after Zackary Bowman returned an interception by backup Matt Leinart 39 yards to the Arizona 28, setting up a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Greg Olsen with 9:04 left. That prompted the Cardinals to put Warner back in the game.
Olsen had five catches for 71 yards and three touchdowns. Otherwise, it was a rough afternoon for Chicago, which is in danger of missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
Tim Hightower ran for 77 yards, Beanie Wells added 72 rushing and the Cardinals' offense racked up 438 yards even though Arizona was missing wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
He missed the game with a sprained right ankle, although he said it was fine.
"I'd felt better if somebody had been man enough and walked up to me and told me what the situation was," Boldin said.
Despite missing one of their top receivers, the Cardinals (5-3) improved to 4-0 on the road.
And they didn't have to contend with Chicago's Tommie Harris. The three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle slugged offensive guard Deuce Lutui in the head as they were on the ground on the game's first possession, resulting in his ejection, and the Bears quickly unraveled.
Particularly troubling to coach Lovie Smith was Harris' hit.
"I know the result," Smith said. "There's nothing Tommie can really tell me."
Lutui said he was "really shocked" by the hit and called it "such a surprise that it happened."
Harris did not make himself available to reporters after the game.
Cutler passed for 369 yards while completing 29 of 47 passes and was sacked four times.
The Bears have little time to regroup, with a Thursday night game at San Francisco.
Things weren't looking good for the Bears after Harris got tossed for slugging Lutui near the face after they ended up on the ground following a run play. They only got worse from there.
His 11-yard touchdown pass to Fitzgerald capped the opening drive, giving the Cardinals a 7-0 lead. The Bears quickly tied it thanks to two long passes by Cutler — a 42-yarder to Devin Hester and a 33-yard touchdown to Olsen — but the Cardinals wasted no time busting open this game.
Arizona responded with a 74-yard drive Warner finished with a 6-yard pass to Ben Patrick that made it 14-7.
Pro Sports
Warner, Cardinals shred Bears 41-21
- Pro Sports
-
-
Kahne keeps Hendrick success rolling at Charlotte
Kasey Kahne powered to victory in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night, taking NASCAR's longest race for the third time for his first win with Hendrick Motorsports.
-
Spurs strike first in West finals, win 19th in row
Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and the San Antonio Spurs won their 19th in a row to tie the NBA record for longest winning streak kept alive in the playoffs, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 to open the Western Conference finals on Sunday night.
-
Konerko hits go-ahead HR, White Sox sweep Indians
Paul Konerko got a big milestone home run and the White Sox got a sweep of the only team between them and the AL Central lead.
-
Reds outslug Rockies on record day for HRs
Here's how easy it looked to hit home runs at Great American Ball Park on Sunday: Todd Frazier lost his grip on the bat during a swing. The ball wound up in the seats anyway.
-
Cubs lose 12th straight, 10-4 to Pirates
The Chicago Cubs didn't come to close to ending their longest losing streak in more than 15 years. Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones homered, Erik Bedard pitched six shutout innings and the Pirates beat Chicago 10-4, sending the Cubs to their 12th consecutive loss.
-
Franchitti wins his third Indianapolis 500
For the second consecutive year the Indianapolis 500 was decided by a last-lap crash Sunday, but this time Takuma Sato crashed while battling for the win and allowing Dario Franchitti to score his third win.
-
Mathis, Freeney making strides in shift to OLB
Late in Wednesday’s practice at the Indianapolis Colts training facility, outside linebacker Robert Mathis backpedaled into the end zone, shadowing tight end Coby Fleener on a wheel route.
When the ball was thrown, Mathis broke first and knocked the pass harmlessly to the ground. His defensive teammates were quick to surround him in celebration. -
Rondo leads Celtics to Game 7 victory
Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
-
Cubs' losing streak hits 10 in 1-0 loss to Pirates
A.J. Burnett and four relievers helped the Pittsburgh Pirates send the listless Chicago Cubs to their 10th straight loss by surviving on a night the Pirates allowed 10 hits and ran into trouble in just about every inning.
-
Dos Santos, Mir to battle for UFC title
The address from UFC president Dana White to fans in the official program for UFC 146 states “there’s nothing in sports like a heavyweight fight.” And there’s nothing that resonates with fight fans more than a contest for the heavyweight championship of the world. Such a fight headlines the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s card tonight from Las Vegas as champion Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos defends his title for the first time against two-time former title holder Frank Mir at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
- More Pro Sports Headlines
-
Police: 5-time Champ Johnny Tapia Found Dead
Native Americans' Olympic Medals Displayed in DC
Manning on Target at First Practice
Raw Video: Olympic Torch Relay Begins in England
Raw Video: Olympic Torch Passed to London
Selig: Oakland Move Might Be Considered
McNamee: Clemens, Canseco Had Steroids Talk
Laurie Fine: My Life Has Been Destroyed
MLB: Mets Get 2013 All Star Game
Bernie Fine's Wife to Sue ESPN
Kyrie Irving Named NBA's Top Rookie
McNamee Says He Gave Clemens Steroids in 1998
Phelps Looks to Add to Medal Haul in London
Raw Video: McNamee Arrives at Clemens Trial
Bulls Bounced From Playoffs
Former NFL Star Junior Seau Found Dead
NFL Suspends 4 Players for Saints' Bounties
Reigning U.S. Champ Eying Olympic Gold in London
Knicks Fans Disappointed in Stoudemire
