Larry Fitzgerald and Carson Palmer combined for three touchdowns to help the Arizona Cardinals to a 48-23 victory over the Chicago Bears this evening.
The visitors could not have got off to a better start at Soldier Field as David Johnson collected the kickoff inside his own endzone before returning it all the way for a 108-yard touchdown.
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Chicago recovered from that early setback and levelled things up with less than four minutes remaining in the opening quarter when Jay Cutler found Josh Bellamy in space on the left, leaving the receiver free to run in a 48-yard score.
The Cardinals ensured that they they would end the first 15 minutes in front, however, when Palmer threw a short pass to Jaron Brown, who reached over the whitewash to restore his side's advantage.
Jeremy Langford made it two touchdowns apiece with a one-yard run up the middle to once again restore parity for his side, but it was the last time that they would be level in the match as the Cardinals took control of proceedings.
Palmer picked out Fitzgerald for the first time with an eight-yard pass into the endzone to give the visitors the lead once again, while moments later Cutler threw the ball behind Martellus Bennett, allowing Tony Jefferson to intercept and return it 26 yards for the score.
Robbie Gould added two late field goals to reduce the deficit to eight at half time, but Arizona moved two scores ahead early in the third when Palmer made it consecutive matches with three touchdown passes for the first time since 2006 by combining with Fitzgerald once more.
Johnson joined Fitzgerald in the multi-touchdown club when he strolled in down the left for a 13-yard score, while Chicago could only muster a 51-yard field goal from Gould in reply.
Fitzgerald and Palmer made it a hat-trick of touchdown connections in the closing stages of the fourth quarter to put the match to bed, leaving the Bears having lost two games at home already this season, while the Cardinals sit 2-0.
Barney Corkhill
