Bears tight end Cole Kmet played the best half of his NFL career Sunday — and then sat out the second half because of a knee injury.
Kmet had four catches for a career-high 107 yards in the first half in the 27-16 victory against the Cardinals. Three were explosive plays, gaining 20, 29 and 53 yards. He appeared slow to get up after the 29-yard completion with about nine minutes left in the half.
Kmet was treated in the blue injury tent, then ran on the sideline for a minute, gave trainers a thumbs-up and returned to play. During halftime, though, the Bears announced he was questionable to return, then downgraded him to doubtful. He didn’t play another snap.
“We’ll see where it goes,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “It looks positive.”
Kmet had been questionable to play Sunday because of a quad injury.
The first half claimed some of the best Bears players, albeit briefly. Both wide receiver DJ Moore and safety Jaquan Brisker walked off the field gingerly after injuries, but both returned quickly.
Moore hurt his ankle when he was rolled up on after catching a six-yard pass on the Bears’ first pass of the game.
“He’s one of the toughest guys on our football team, and he’s very talented,”
Eberflus said of Moore, who had three catches for 18 yards. “That’s a really good recipe for being a Chicago Bear. Those are the kinda guys we like.”
Backup tight end Marcedes Lewis, who turns 40 in May, had a one-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
“Cole is our brother. We’re gonna pick him up and not miss a beat and do our thing,” Lewis said.
Cairo kicks
One day after signing a four-year, $16 million contract extension, kicker Cairo Santos made both of his field goals — from 49 and 29 yards — and three extra points.
Santos, whose contract was set to expire, said the deal came together quickly.
“I told my agent to not really update me with anything, because I wanted to keep focus on the season, until he needed me,” Santos said. “He called me Wednesday.”
Santos, who turned 32 last month, signed his first extension with the Bears after the 2020 season.
“This time it feels more special to me, because as it gets later in your career, you have to play even better,” he said. “You have to keep your body in even better shape, just to keep having the longevity.”
Khalil bouncing back
Khalil Herbert had more rushing yards Sunday — 112 on 20 carries — than he did in the last two months combined. In fact, his opening run of 13 yards was more than he had gained in either of the last two games.
“I liked his tempo and the way he brought it to the game,” Eberflus said. “Everything starts with passion.”
Herbert said the Bears focused all week on running the ball after gaining 88 yards on 27 carries against the Browns. On Sunday, the Bears ran for 250 yards on 39 carries.
“Just focusing on the details. That was a big thing this week,” Herbert said.
Herbert was part of a two-man rotation — rookie Roschon Johnson had nine carries for 37 yards — because fellow running back D’Onta Foreman was out because of a personal reason.
This and that
After posting 13 takeaways in the last four games, the defense did not have one Sunday.
• Defensive end Montez Sweat, who had at least one sack in each of his last four games, did not record one Sunday. He did bat down a Kyler Murray pass, though, and was credited with two tackles.
