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Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

You read it here Sunday: The NFL should suspend Tommie Harris after the Bears' defensive tackle slugged the Cardinals' Deuce Lutui in the helmet Sunday.

There will be no suspension.

How can that be?

I suspect the league is treating Harris' ejection as the loose equivalent of a one-game suspension. Harris played only four snaps against the Cardinals before the ejection. Had Harris been ejected in, say, the third quarter, I'm guessing the league would have suspended him for the Bears' game against the 49ers on Thursday night.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- The Bears' Tommie Harris made the right call in offering a full apology for punching Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui on Sunday.

Earlier, Bears teammate Israel Idonije accused Lutui of dirty play.

Idonije to the Chicago Sun-Times: "He got a reputation for that. We know some guys that have played with him. He's one of those guys, that virus, that cancer. It looked like [he kneed Harris] or something. I thought there was something going on. It's disappointing. I know they don't see all of that stuff, but even the play before they've got to be able to see both sides and see what is really going on. Of course, there are other ways to get people back. There have got to be other options.''

Officials have flagged Lutui twice this season, both times for holding. They have flagged him four times for personal fouls since the 2006 season (twice in 2006, once in 2007 and once last season).

Finding out whether Harris faces a suspension is the next step.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui decked Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris twice before Harris threw the punch resulting in his ejection Sunday.

Lutui's actions were within the rules. Harris' were not.

Harris

Lutui

Harris' ejection following only the fourth play from scrimmage followed this play-by-play sequence:

1. The Cardinals threw the ball on first down. Nothing of note happened.
2. Lutui shoved Bears defensive lineman Marcus Harrison after the play. Harris and Lutui made no contact. Harris hit Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner legally after Warner threw the ball.
3. The Cardinals threw again, this time completing a 23-yard pass to Steve Breaston. Lutui decked Harris during the play, then hit Harris again as the defensive tackle tried to get up. The second hit might have been unnecessary. Any defensive lineman would have been ticked off even though Lutui did not appear to violate rules.
4. Lutui quickly pushed Harris at the start of the Cardinals' fourth play, a run. Harris was engaged with center Lyle Sendlein and could not see Lutui. Lutui blocked linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer on the play. Replays did not show what happened immediately next, only Harris' fateful punch to Lutui's facemask while Lutui was down on the ground.

The punch appeared more dramatic from the press box than on replays. Lutui had no noticeable marks on his face after the game. He did not miss any plays.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic adds details to Anquan Boldin's unhappiness after the Cardinals named him inactive Sunday. Somers: "Two witnesses to Whisenhunt's conversation with Boldin said the receiver would not look at the coach during the conversation. One Cardinals veteran expressed surprise that Boldin would complain about the issue after a victory."

Also from Somers: "The subject will be explored again this week, but I don't see how this poisonous relationship can be fixed after this year. Boldin has a year left on his contract, and I would be surprised if he returned in 2010. The Cardinals have to again seriously consider trading him." How much will another team give up for a receiver who will be 30 years old and coming off an injury-affected season? Any team trading for Boldin would also have to pay him.

More from Somers: This was the first week all season Arizona was able to "click on all cylinders" offensively, according to center Lyle Sendlein.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic says Kurt Warner gave the Bears a lesson in quarterbacking Sunday. Bickley: "In a game book-ended by costly temper tantrums, where one Pro Bowl player was ejected [Tommie Harris] and another sealed his fate in Arizona [Anquan Boldin], Warner stood way above the fray, miles above the next-best player on the field."

Also from Bickley: Harris' ejection hurt Chicago.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Larry Fitzgerald dropped 76 cents in his pocket before the game and two touchdowns on the Bears' secondary during it. Urban: "Fitzgerald now has 482 career receptions, passing Jackie Smith (480) for fifth in franchise history right behind Frank Sanders (493). His 100-yard game was his 22nd, three behind Boldin for most all-time in franchise history. And his 6,607 receiving yards sixth all-time, passing Sanders Sunday and leaving him behind Mel Gray’s 6,644."

Also from Urban: Kurt Warner never expected to throw five touchdown passes, but he'll take 'em after throwing five picks a week earlier.

Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune says the Cardinals have officially put behind them the 2006 meltdown defeat to the Bears on "Monday Night Football." Bordow: "It was nearly a perfect afternoon for Arizona. The only sour note was wide receiver Anquan Boldin moaning and groaning about the Cardinals’ decision to inactivate him and that no one was “man enough” to tell him to his face. (Note to Anquan: Your team just won by 20 points. You want to preserve what’s left of your reputation? Then stifle yourself)."

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com isn't sure what to make of the Cardinals and Bears after this one.

Jarrett Bell of USA Today says Warner completed four passes of at least 17 yards against the Bears. Hitting Steve Breaston for 23 yards on the first drive was huge.

	Jerry Lai/US Presswire
	Larry Fitzgerald pulled in two touchdowns to spark the Cardinals offense.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Recent history urges extreme caution for anyone remotely close to thinking the Arizona Cardinals have finally grown into a consistent team.

Doubts naturally linger following their 41-21 dismantling of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Week 9.

Week 9 Coverage • Kuharsky: Caldwell not challenged • Walker: Bengals are no joke • Yasinskas: Hargove plays through pain • Seifert: Bears at a loss • Sando: Cardinals hot and cold • Wojciechowski: Joke's on the Bears • Mosley: Defense carries Cowboys • Graham: Patriots pull away • Reiss: Patriots tame Wildcat • Clayton: Last Call • Pasquarelli: Rivers best for a night • MNF: On the same path | MN HQ • NFL Nation: Reactions | Wrap-ups | Live

"The thing I like best about our team is that we do respond," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Hopefully, we've learned from out last home game [34-21 defeat to Carolina] that we can't go into the game and have a letdown like that."

Is this team for real? Or will the Cardinals, notoriously unable to handle success without high stakes, again fall flat following another impressive road victory?

The answer, plus nine other observations pertaining to the latest performance from NFL's least consistent 5-3 team:

1. The Cardinals have memorized their lesson.

That doesn't mean they've learned it.

Long-term retention might prove challenging for this team, but there's no question in my mind about the Cardinals' resolve heading into a Week 10 home game against the Seattle Seahawks.

"Seattle!" shouted a Cardinals player I couldn't identify as players filed into the locker room Sunday.

Arizona is 4-0 on the road and 1-3 at home this season.

Like young children, these Cardinals respond to simple psychological stimuli. Tell them they cannot win on the road and they'll prove you wrong. Tell them they cannot win at home -- the record speaks for itself this season -- and they'll prove you wrong again.

I think that's what will happen in Week 10. The Cardinals will play their best home game of the season against the Seahawks.

"Seattle has been struggling and that is the most dangerous team," defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. "Ain't going to be no overlooking Seattle. They know they've got their hands full on Sunday. We have to establish our home field."

2. Anquan Boldin was not missed.

It's tough to fathom how an offense could become better without one of the toughest and most productive receivers in the game.

The Cardinals are now 5-1 since the start of last season when Boldin does not play. Kurt Warner matched a career high with five touchdown passes Sunday. He threw two touchdown passes to Larry Fitzgerald, one to Steve Breaston and one apiece to tight ends Ben Patrick and Anthony Becht.

Whisenhunt insisted the Cardinals stuck with their intended game plan after deciding 90 minutes before kickoff to rest Boldin and his injured ankle.

That might be true, but Arizona did shake up its personnel use in this game. The team used four wide receivers a season-low 15.6 percent of the time, down from at least 25 percent in blowout victories over Jacksonville and Seattle earlier this season. The team used "11" personnel with one back and one tight end 29.7 percent of the time, a season high. It also showed more willingness to run the ball from passing formations.

Part of me thinks the Cardinals might sometimes be more apt to give their ground game a chance when Boldin is on the sideline.

"We've shown we can do it," guard Reggie Wells said, referring to the ground game in general and not in relation to Boldin's status. "It's just a matter of sticking with it. Sometimes we've gotten away from it."

3. The Cardinals should consider trading Boldin.

This wasn't the first time Boldin seemed unable to enjoy a Cardinals victory. It happened last season and again Sunday when the Cardinals decided to name him inactive.

Boldin, suffering from an ankle injury, warmed up and declared himself ready. Whisenhunt cited loose sod at Soldier Field as one reason he decided to play it safe. Also, Doucet had gotten most of Boldin's reps during practice.

"The only thing I can say is that when I came here, all of my stuff was in my locker," Boldin said. "I went out and warmed up -- felt great -- and when I came back in, everything was gone. Nobody was man enough to come to me and tell me what was the situation.

"I would have probably felt better had somebody been man enough to walk up to me and tell me what the situation was, but I had to walk back in the locker room and find all of my stuff gone."

Two points here.

One, Boldin deserves to be treated with respect. He plays hurt. He appears to be an excellent teammate. I've seen him mentor younger players, including Doucet, during offseason minicamps even when Boldin was upset about his contract.

Two, the head coach has more on his mind than making sure his toughest player's feelings aren't hurt. I highly doubt Whisenhunt meant any disrespect in this case. He was preoccupied with making the right decision and informing NFL officials before the deadline for naming inactive players.

The Cardinals need to strongly consider trading Boldin after this season. They're loaded at receiver without him, they have a young running back who needs to get more carries, they cannot justify giving a long-term deal to a 29-year-old player with injury concerns and it's clear Boldin cannot be happy in Arizona without a new deal.

4. Warner handled pressure much better.

Warner made the Bears pay for rushing five defenders.

He averaged 7.8 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and a 104.8 rating when the Bears rushed five. That was up from 5.9 yards per attempt with three interceptions and a 61.3 rating when the Cardinals' previous 2009 opponents rushed five, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Running back Tim Hightower helped hold the Bears without a sack when they came after Warner. His block in blitz pickup freed Warner to find Fitzgerald for an 11-yard touchdown reception early in the game. The Cardinals brought a linebacker as the fifth rusher on that play.

Chicago was most effective against Warner when overloading one side. The Bears did not try it much, however.

5. The defense remains vulnerable to the big play.

Cardinals cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, burned for a 50-yard touchdown against the Panthers' Steve Smith in Week 8, gave up another big pass play, this one to the Bears' Devin Hester.

Pro Bowl strong safety Adrian Wilson had a rough game in coverage against Bears tight end Greg Olsen.

Arizona's offense took off the pressure Sunday, but the Cardinals must resolve their problems in coverage. Limiting the big pass play has been Whisenhunt's top defensive priority this season. The Cardinals have shown improvement at times, but they have not been consistent enough in that area.

6. This is a loose, unapologetic team.

Reporters were reaching for their recorders and moving toward the locker room when Whisenhunt informed them he had one more thing to say.

"I'd also like to compliment the Bears because they played hard and they came back," Whisenhunt said. "And the last thing I'll say is, 'We didn't let them off the hook.' "

Whisenhunt's playful reference to predecessor Dennis Green's postgame harangue -- that one following an infamous defeat to the Bears in 2006 -- arguably showed little regard for an already embarrassed opponent.

At least Whisenhunt didn't slug anyone.

7. Tommie Harris' punch had little impact.

The Cardinals players I polled regarding Harris' sucker punch on Arizona guard Deuce Lutui effectively shrugged when asked about the play's impact.

They did not seem to take offense. Even Lutui expressed no malice toward Harris.

"It didn't hurt," Lutui said. "It happened so fast. It was nothing serious. I just know the refs caught it. Things like that happen."

The only effect, if any, was that the Cardinals no longer had to worry about Harris. They were already running the ball effectively when Harris was in the game.

Dockett expressed disappointment in Harris, a player he says he admires, but there were no hard feelings. The key, Dockett said, is to deliver punches during pileups, where officials have a harder time spotting them.

8. Doucet's role no reflection on Urban.

Fitzgerald, Breaston and Doucet generally served as the Cardinals' receivers in three-receiver sets, even though Jerheme Urban outranks Doucet in the receiving hierarchy.

Doucet had taken some of Boldin's reps during practice. Leaving Urban as the fourth receiver meant fewer receivers had to deviate from their usual roles.

Doucet had a 6-yard reception on third-and-5. Urban played less than usual because the Cardinals ran so few four-receiver groupings.

9. Beanie Wells, Hightower deserve more carries.

Both players averaged more than 5 yards per carry on a combined 28 rushes. Wells' first four carries went for 6, 13, 5 and 26 yards.

Hightower remains the superior pass protector, but Wells' big-play ability is apparent.

"I'm sure he's getting more comfortable and adapting to what we are doing as an offense," Reggie Wells said, "but it takes time when you are called upon to do more in our passing game. He has been coming arond great."

10. The rest of the NFC West cannot like this result.

While the 49ers and Seahawks fought tough battles against losing teams Sunday, the Cardinals were breezing to victory over a team with a winning record.

Arizona will be tough to overtake in the division if -- make that when -- the Cardinals take care of business against Seattle in Week 10.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin was unhappy with the Cardinals' decision to name him inactive Sunday.

Boldin

Loose sod and overall poor field conditions at Soldier Field led coach Ken Whisenhunt to make the decision 90 minutes before kickoff, the latest allowable time.

Boldin said no one was "man enough" to tell him about the deactivation in person. He said he warmed up and felt great, only to find out upon returning to the locker room that team personnel had removed his equipment from his locker.

This sounds like a miscommunication. Whisenhunt waited until the last possible moment before making the decision. He probably didn't have time to brief Boldin before Boldin returned to the locker room.

I understand Boldin's frustration, but if he complains too loudly following a 41-21 victory, someone will point out the Cardinals' record without him since last season: 5-1, counting playoffs.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Ken Whisenhunt just concluded his postgame news conference by making a crack about how the Cardinals did not let the Bears off the hook, a comedic reference to Dennis Green's famous postgame rant following Arizona's infamous Monday night defeat to Chicago a few years ago.

A check of the afternoon scoreboard tells me Seahawks and 49ers fans might not find Whisenhunt's levity amusing.

The Lions are leading the Seahawks, 17-7, while the Titans lead the 49ers, 9-3.

Yikes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- The Cardinals took the Bears' best shot -- a first-quarter sucker punch from defensive tackle Tommie Harris to guard Deuce Lutui's head -- and did not blink.

They again distinguished themselves from the NFC West pack by beating a decent team on the road.

Arizona improbably improved its road record to 4-0. The focus will now shift to the Cardinals' inability to win home games. Arizona, always up for a challenge, will probably refocus its fury upon visiting Seattle in Week 10.

The Cardinals then visit the Rams in Week 11, followed by a trip to Tennessee.

Beating the Bears put Arizona in strong position to match its record through 10 games last season (7-3) and possibly get to 8-3. If the Cardinals can get to that mark, the rest of the division will have a very difficult time catching them. Nothing is automatic with Arizona, of course, so the team should proceed into this three-game soft stretch with caution. Facing a division opponent in Week 10 should help the Cardinals keep their focus.

Establishing a strong ground game against the Bears gives the Cardinals a needed confidence boost in that phase of the game. The Cardinals will become dynamic offensively if they can build on their most impressive rushing performance since the playoffs last season. Kurt Warner matched a career high with five touchdown passes Sunday largely because the team established credibility on the ground early in the game.

That must continue for Arizona to realize its potential.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt erred by replacing Kurt Warner with plenty of time for the Bears to rally.

More than any team, the Cardinals should have been on guard in this situation. They haven't shown the maturity to play consistently well. Quite a few players remain from the team that famously blew a huge lead against the Bears in the game that launched Dennis Green into Coors Light stardom.

Jay Cutler's interception might bail out Whisenhunt. The Cardinals shouldn't have needed a turnover to close out this game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- The Cardinals' offensive machine has dominated to dream-like levels while building a 31-7 first-half lead over the Bears at Soldier Field.

The chart illustrates just how complete Arizona's mastery has been to this point in the game. Check out those rushing numbers across personnel groups.

No other team in the NFC West and very few in the NFL can produce to that level against a decent team on the road or anywhere. Enjoy this, Cardinals fans. It doesn't get much better during the regular season.

Cardinals Personnel Group vs. Bears in First Half Carries Yards Per Carry Pass Attempts Yards Per Attempt TD 2RB-1TE 5 10.2 5 11.6 0 1RB-1TE 2 15.0 8 7.3 2 1RB-2TE 5 8.2 4 8.0 2 4WR 2 4.5 4 10.3 0 2RB-0TE 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 3TE 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 Totals 14 9.4 21 9.0 4

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Combined stats through one quarter for Jay Cutler and Kurt Warner: 15 of 19 passing for 203 yards, three TDs and zero interceptions.

The Bears haven't even tried to establish a running game. The Cardinals have established one very well to this point.

That should favor Warner as the game progresses.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- The NFL needs to -- and probably will -- suspend Bears defensive lineman Tommie Harris after Harris punched Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui in the face.

Referee Ed Hochuli ejected Harris.

Harris and Lutui had tangled on the ground earlier in the game. Harris lost his cool the second time, slugging Lutui in the head while Lutui was on the ground. I'm not sure what Lutui did to enrage Harris. Either way, it was bush-league stuff from Harris.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- Anquan Boldin's status overshadowed the Cardinals' decision to name another starter inactive against the Bears.

Inside linebacker Gerald Hayes is also sitting out this game.

Hayes is a good run defender. Ali Highsmith starts in Hayes' usual spot.

The Bears' running game has not been strong this season. A good week for Hayes to sit out, if he had to miss a game? We shall find out.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The NFL Nation blog is hosting an in-game discussion featuring various ESPN staffers, including the eight divisional bloggers.

Follow the link to participate.

I'll be contributing from Soldier Field.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

CHICAGO -- The Cardinals will not be able to blame the weather if their passing game falters against the Bears.

The temperature is 63 degrees, with light winds. The orange flags atop the goalposts are limp. Skies are bright, hazy and partly cloudy.

Perfect conditions for playing catch in the park -- or Soldier Field, in this case.