LAKE FOREST, Ill. – After stifling the woeful Cleveland Browns, the Bears defense will face a much stiffer challenge Sunday when quarterback Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals visit Soldier Field.

The two-time NFL MVP operates a potent passing attack that features three wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston who have combined to catch 112 passes for 1,313 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. Tim Hightower is also a threat in the pass game, leading all NFL running backs with 39 receptions.

Adewale Ogunleye sacks Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner during a 2008 preseason game in Chicago.

“They definitely have a lot of weapons,” said middle linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer. “They probably run as many four wide receiver sets as we have seen. They’ve got a couple Pro Bowlers, a great quarterback, and running backs that can catch the ball out of the backfield.”

Although Warner is coming off a six-turnover game—he threw five interceptions and lost a fumble last Sunday in a 34-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers—the Bears know that he is dangerous.

“All quarterbacks go through games like that,” said coach Lovie Smith, who served as St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator from 2001-03 when Warner was the team’s starting quarterback. “Jay [Cutler] went through a game like that earlier. Normally it’s a one-time thing. We’ll get Kurt’s best effort this week.”

Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye doesn’t think that the Bears (4-3) can beat the Cardinals (4-3) if they don’t generate pressure on Warner, who has been sacked 14 times in seven games.

“Going into this game, my mindset is if we don’t get to Kurt—pressure him, sack him—it’s going to be a long day,” said Ogunleye, who leads the Bears with 4½ sacks. “So with that said, there’s a lot of pressure on our backs, a lot of pressure on my back, to get Kurt.”

After registering 14 sacks in their first four games—including five in a win over the Lions—the Bears have mustered just one sack in their last three contests. That, of course, will have to change Sunday.

“They can put up a lot of points in a hurry,” said defensive end Alex Brown. “I guess the way you combat that is getting pressure with the defensive line. We have to get pressure. We watch film, and the teams that got pressure had a good chance against them.

“We need the sacks. We need to force the turnovers. We need to get tipped balls, make him throw the ball sooner than he wants to, stuff like that. That can definitely help us give the offense more opportunities to score.”

The Bears generated five takeaways and their first defensive touchdown of the season in last Sunday’s win over the Browns. But they can’t count on the same output against Warner, who has completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,914 yards and an 81.5 passer rating.

Interestingly, Warner and Cutler have both thrown 11 TD passes and 11 interceptions this season.

“[Warner] has confidence that his wide receivers are going to get open,” said defensive tackle Anthony Adams. “He tries to extend the play by stepping up in the pocket, and he doesn’t care about getting hit.

“He’s the ultimate professional. He’s been in the league for a long time, and played in the Arena League, so he knows the ins and outs of the defense. He practiced against coach Smith when he was in St. Louis, so he pretty much knows the defense. We just have to do a good job of staying in his face.”

That’s especially important when it comes to defending Arizona’s starting receivers. The 6-3, 217-pound Fitzgerald ranks third in the NFL with 47 receptions for 509 yards and 5 touchdowns, while the 6-1, 217-pound Boldin has caught 35 passes for 404 yards and 1 TD.

Boldin, who had 12 receptions for 136 yards in his only previous game against the Bears in 2006, is expected to play Sunday despite missing practice for the second straight day Thursday with a sore ankle.

“That receiving corps is as good as it’s going to get,” Ogunleye said. “Number 11 [Fitzgerald] and No. 81 [Boldin] are the best combo in the league. We’ve got to create havoc in the passing game. It starts with the defensive line, because you can’t expect our secondary to cover those guys for long. They’re just too good.”