5 Bold Predictions for Chicago Bears' Week 2 Matchup

The Chicago Bears will take on the Arizona Cardinals at home this weekend at Soldier Field, and they will try to improve to 1-1 on the season.

This Sunday will be the 92nd meeting between the Bears and Cardinals dating back to 1920, and Chicago leads the all-time series with a 58-27-6 record.

The Bears are coming off a 31-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, while the Cardinals are coming off a 31-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Chicago has not won a game since November 23 of last year, and the team is currently on a six-game losing streak.

Running back Matt Forte and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery had strong games on offense last week, but Chicago's defense struggled to put pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The biggest questions facing the Bears this week are whether they will be able to sack Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer and if the offense can continue to gain yards on the ground and through the air.

No game preview is complete without predictions, so what are our bold predictions for Chicago's Week 2 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals? 

RB Matt Forte Will Be Held Under 100 Rushing Yards

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The Bears were committed to the running game last week against the Packers, and Forte carried the football 24 times and gained 141 yards on the ground.

In total, the Bears ran the football 33 times for 189 yards last Sunday, but it will be tough to run the football in Week 2 against Arizona.

In the Cardinals' regular-season opener against the Saints, they held New Orleans to 54 total rushing yards on 20 carries. Mark Ingram carried the ball nine times for 24 yards, while Khiry Robinson ran the ball eight times for 19 yards.

Arizona gave up an average of 108.7 rushing yards per game last season, and the defense looked strong against the run in Week 1.

Forte was at his best in Week 1 on runs to the outside, but it may be difficult for him to get past Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell in Week 2.

While the Cardinals proved in the opener they can stop the run, they did have problems defending both Ingram and Robinson out of the backfield in the passing game. Robinson hauled in five catches for 51 yards, while Ingram recorded eight catches for 98 yards.

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians admitted earlier this week that his team needs to correct its mistakes in the passing game, particularly when defending running backs.

“Anytime you show something on film, you are going to get it for at least a month because it’s a copycat league,” Arians said, per Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com.  “Until you put the fire out, that’s all you’re going to see. We have to do a better job securing that area this week and putting out the fire.”

Forte hauled in an NFL-record 102 catches last season and has been one of the league's best pass-catching running backs since he was drafted back in 2008.

He may struggle to carry the football against a tough Cardinals front seven, but he could become a factor in the passing game if Arizona struggles to contain him out of the backfield.

OLB Pernell McPhee Will Record His First Two Sacks of the Season

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The Bears signed Pernell McPhee to a five-year deal this offseason with the hope he would be able to put consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but the young outside linebacker struggled against the Packers in Week 1.

According to Pro Football Focus, McPhee played 52 of the team's 60 snaps against Green Bay. He did record three quarterback hurries, but he finished the game with a minus-1.2 pass-rush grade.

As a whole, the Bears were unable to sack Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the season opener, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio noted the team's pass rush needs to improve.

"The most improvement we can make is just improving our pass rush and winning our one-on-one battles a little bit more than we did," said Fangio, per Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. "A big part of pass defense is pass rushing. We've got to do a better job of getting some heat on the quarterback."

The Cardinals will be without starting right tackle Bobby Massie for the second game in a row because of a suspension, per NFL.com's Chris Wesseling, so Earl Watford will make his second straight start at right tackle this Sunday.

According to Pro Football Focus, Watford allowed three quarterback hurries, one quarterback hit and finished with a minus-1.2 pass-block grade against the Saints. The former fourth-round pick is a serviceable backup, but he has some deficiencies in pass protection that McPhee can exploit.

Watford is not overly athletic, and he struggles when going up against strong, aggressive pass-rushers. If McPhee can attack the young tackle early and often, he will have an opportunity to bring down Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer.

Unlike Rodgers, Palmer lacks the athleticism to get outside of the pocket when he feels pressure. Palmer has a quick release and is smart with the football, but he can be a bit statuesque in the pocket.

According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com, McPhee was limited in practice on Wednesday and missed practice on Thursday this week, and his status for Sunday's contest is up in the air. 

If McPhee is healthy, he will have a chance to record his first sack as a member of the Bears on Sunday by using his impressive combination of strength and speed against Watford.

The Secondary Will Give Up over 300 Yards Through the Air

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Chicago's defense held Rodgers to just 189 passing yards in Week 1, but the reigning MVP completed 18 of his 23 passes, threw three touchdowns and finished the game with a 140.5 quarterback rating.

Chicago's cornerbacks struggled against Green Bay's depleted wide receiver corps and gave up four catches each to Davante Adams and James Jones and five catches to Randall Cobb. On Sunday, Chicago's secondary will once again be tested against a high-powered passing offense.

Palmer completed 19 of his 32 passing attempts for 307 yards with three touchdowns in Week 1, and eight different Cardinals recorded a catch in the team's win over New Orleans.

Former Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald hauled in six catches for 87 yards, Michael Floyd made one catch for 18 yards and John Brown finished with four catches for 46 yards.

Fitzgerald turned 32 years old late last month, but he is still one of the league's best receivers. Floyd returned to the field after suffering a hand injury in training camp, but according to Pro Football Focus, he played just nine snaps on offense. Brown, who ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2014, is one of the league's fastest receivers.

Chicago's cornerbacks struggled to jam Green Bay's receivers at the line of scrimmage, and they will have to do a better job of that against Arizona on Sunday. Fitzgerald is a strong receiver who plays well against bump-and-run coverage, and he will likely be matched up against veteran Alan Ball.

Ball struggled with Jones in Week 1, and Fitzgerald could give him trouble on the outside if he is unable to effectively jam the veteran receiver at the line of scrimmage.

The Cardinals have not announced whether Floyd will be a starter this Sunday, but according to Odegard, the former Notre Dame standout practiced on Wednesday. Floyd is a tough, aggressive receiver who is not afraid to go across the middle, and second-year man Kyle Fuller will likely be assigned to his side of the field.

Fuller struggled at times during training camp and the preseason, and he has struggled in the past against big receivers like Floyd (6'3", 220 lbs).

Brown has blazing speed, and the Cardinals like to use him both out of the slot and on the outside. According to Pro Football Focus, Brown ran 34 total routes against the Saints and 17 came from out of the slot.

The Pittsburg State product averaged 14.5 yards per catch last season, and he is a threat to make a big play whenever he is in the game.

On the surface, Chicago's defense did a nice job of holding Rodgers to just 189 passing yards in Week 1, but Ball and Fuller's struggles in the passing game proved they are going to have a difficult time slowing down Arizona's receiving corps this week.

TE Zach Miller Will Have a Breakout Performance

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In Week 1, tight end Zach Miller played in a regular-season game for the first time since 2011.

Jacksonville selected Miller in the sixth round of the 2009 draft, and he appeared in 33 games for the Jaguars between 2009 and 2011 before he missed the final 12 games of the 2011 season with a shoulder injury.

He tore his Achilles during the 2012 preseason, and the Jaguars placed him on injured reserve. He spent part of the 2013 offseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he was released prior to the start of the regular season. Miller spent the majority of the 2014 offseason with the Bears, but he suffered a Lisfranc injury in the second preseason game and was lost for the season.

The Bears signed him to a one-year extension in February, and he beat out veterans Dante Rosario and Bear Pascoe in training camp to be Martellus Bennett's backup in 2015.

According to Pro Football Focus, Miller played just 11 snaps on offense against Green Bay. He stayed in as a run-blocker on seven plays and ran four routes in the passing game. Miller was effective as a blocker in the running game, but he has the ability to make an impact as a pass-catching tight end.

In the team's first preseason game in 2014 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Miller caught six passes for 68 yards and scored two touchdowns. He has terrific size (6'5", 240 lbs) for the position, and he has the ability to be effective down in the red zone.

Chicago struggled in the red zone against Green Bay, but Miller has a chance to break out against Arizona if the team opts to use his size and strong hands down near the goal line.

Much of the focus in the passing game—in regards to the tight end position—will center around Bennett, but Miller is a good route-runner who is not afraid to make plays in the middle of the field. If the Cardinals decide to limit Bennett's impact by bringing a safety down in coverage or jamming him at the line of scrimmage with an outside linebacker, Miller has a chance to make some plays in the passing game in Week 2.

Lamarr Houston Will Make an Impact Because of His Versatility

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Pass-rusher Lamarr Houston had a rough first year in Chicago in 2014.

After struggling to make an impact in the team's first seven games of the season, Houston registered his first sack of the year in Week 8 against the New England Patriots, but he tore his ACL celebrating the sack in a blowout loss. His injury forced him to miss the rest of the year.

This offseason, he moved from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker in the team's new defense, and he played well during the preseason. He did not play in the team's first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, but he received extended reps in the final three preseason games. He finished the preseason with six tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble.

According to Pro Football Focus, he played just four snaps in the regular-season opener at outside linebacker.

“It is what it is,” Houston said on Wednesday, per the Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley. “It happens. If I get to play, great. If I go back and fix it, and see what I need to do, to play.”

Because of an injury along the defensive line and a lack of depth at the 5-technique defensive end position, there is a chance Houston could play along the line of scrimmage against Arizona with his hand on the ground.

Per the team's official Twitter page, Chicago placed defensive end Cornelius Washington on injured reserve on Monday and re-signed outside linebacker Sam Acho. With Washington out, the Bears added defensive end Lavar Edwards on Wednesday. 

The addition of Acho could push Houston down the depth chart at outside linebacker, but the loss of Washington could open up an opportunity for him to receive some snaps at defensive end. 

Houston is a fluid athlete who has experience playing outside linebacker from his time spent with the Oakland Raiders, but he is at his best when asked to set the edge against the run as a defensive end. He only weighs 270 pounds—so he lacks ideal bulk for the 5-technique position—but he is strong at the point of attack.  

The Bears have not said whether they would consider using Houston at the 5-technique, but they may be able to get the most out of him at defensive end because of his ability to set the edge versus the run.

If the team opts to keep him at outside linebacker, he could have a difficult time getting on the field with guys like McPhee, Jared Allen, Willie Young and Acho ahead of him on the depth chart.

If the Bears opt to keep a rotation at outside linebacker on Sunday, Houston will have a chance to attack Palmer as a pass-rusher. But if they want to use him as a defensive end, he will have an opportunity to make an impact as a run-stopper.

Statistical information and measurables courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted. Record information courtesy of the Chicago Bears via email. 

Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich.