In the NFL, offensive and defensive success is often predicated by a team’s play on third down. The Arizona Cardinals are good on third down offensively but terrible defensively. The Chicago Bears, Arizona’s Week 9 opponent, are good on defense and bad on offense on third down.
This creates a scenario in which there is strength vs. strength and weakness vs. weakness.
Let’s look at the numbers.
Strength vs. strength: AZ offense vs. CHI defense
The Cardinals are No. 8 in the NFL in third-down offense, converting on 41.7% of their third downs. They were 7-for-13 in Week 8.
But the Bears counter that with the sixth-best third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert third downs 32.3% of the time.
On Sunday, we will see which strength is stronger.
Weakness vs. weakness: CHI offense vs. AZ defense
On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals have the league’s worst third-down defense. They allow opponents to convert on third down 52.1% of the time. They and the Carolina Panthers are the only teams allowing opponents to convert at least half of their third downs.
But the Bears struggle offensively. Their 33.0% conversion rate on third down is 27th in the league.
Which unit is the better bad? We will find out.
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