Unbeaten Bears look to shine Monday night

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Chicago Bears have put up some eye-popping scores this season. Now they have a chance to shine Monday night.\nThe unbeaten Bears, off to their best start in 20 years, bring a brutal defense and vastly improved offense to Arizona to face the ever-struggling Cardinals, who have lost four in a row.\n"We've got a new team this year," Chicago defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said, "and we're ready to show the whole world what we're capable of doing."\nThe Bears will make their 49th Monday night appearance, their first in three years. The Cardinals last played a Monday night game in 1999.\nChicago coach Lovie Smith cautions against making too much of the team's dominating 5-0 start.\n"First of all, we have only played five games," he said. "We're just into the second quarter of the season. There is so much football left to be played, you can't have favorites to do this or that this early in the season. We haven't done anything. Start? We want to finish. We want people to talk about us at the end of the football season."\nThe reason Arizona got a prime time slot is undoubtedly its new stadium, which could have the retractable roof open for the first time after being closed in the first three home games.\nThe newly named University of Phoenix Stadium will be the site of next season's Super Bowl, but the lavish environment has not changed the Cardinals' fortunes. The team is off to a 1-4 start for the third time in coach Dennis Green's three seasons with the team.\nTheir shaky offensive line will go up against a Chicago defensive front that might be the best in the NFL. It's a defense that thrives on intensity and speed to create turnovers.\n"They play with so much emotion, and they feed off of it," Arizona center Alex Stepanovich said. "They're probably as good as any in the NFC on the defensive side of the ball. We've just got to keep grinding, play fast and not get down when they make a play."\nThe Bears have outscored their last two opponents -- Seattle and Buffalo -- by a combined 77-13. Only one of their victories this season has been close, 19-16 at Minnesota.\nNo doubt things could get ugly for the Cardinals.\n"How ugly can it get?" countered Arizona running back Edgerrin James, unaccustomed to all this losing. "It's already been ugly."\nJames averages a career-low 3.1 yards per carry. Against Kansas City Sunday, he ran 9 yards on a first down, then couldn't gain a yard on the next two plays.\n"It's hard to run when there's nowhere to go," he said.\nIf the running game falters, it could be a rough day for rookie Matt Leinart, making his second NFL start at quarterback.\n"You can't turn the ball over," Leinart said. "Their guys up front disrupt you so much that it forces turnovers, sacks, fumbles -- all kinds of stuff. For my part, I've got to get the ball out quick no matter what. I can't hold the ball back there, and they're very fast. That's why they're so successful. Those guys up front make everyone else better."\nArizona will play without Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who pulled a hamstring early in the 23-20 loss to the Chiefs.\nLeinart's experiences at USC should help him on this big stage, Green said.\n"This is a big game," Green said. "It's a Monday night game. If we're lucky, the roof will be open. I think it will be enough excitement to light the whole valley up. I love to play Monday night. I think he does, too"