Three things Bears are watching in Cardinals prep

Antrel Rolle thinks the Bears remind him of the Cardinals, his former team.

But which ones? The Cardinals were 5-11 in his first two seasons before going 8-8 and then, in 2008, turning a 9-7 record into a Super Bowl appearance.

“That group was a lot like this group,” he said. “We weren’t good my first two years there. … We weren’t always the most athletic team, we weren’t always the most talented team, but we played together and we played fast. And we fought, we fought with every inch of our body. And this team is going to get to that.”

He’ll see the Cardinals first-hand Sunday at Soldier Field.

Here are three things the Bears will watch for this week:

• A new rusher. Andre Ellington’s sprained right knee means an opportunity for veteran Chris Johnson and rookie David Johnson. The Bears held Chris Johnson, then a Jet, to 34 yards on 10 carries last year.

• A rush defense. No team allowed fewer rushing yards in Week 1 than the Cardinals, who gave up 54 on 20 carries in a home win against the Saints.

• Darren to throw. Tight end Darren Fells, who had five catches in his career before this year, caught a 48-yard touchdown Sunday. The former overseas basketball player hauled in four passes for 82 yards, the most for a Cardinals tight end since 1989.

The Bears allowed Packers tight end Richard Rogers to catch three passes for 27 yards in Week 1.

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Email: pfinley@suntimes.com