NFL
By: Greg Rector
Chicago Bears (3-4) at Dallas Cowboys (5-2) at 1:00 PM AT&T Stadium FOX
Dallas Cowboys fans the comeback game for Dak Prescott is in the books. All went well, and now it’s on to the next opponent before the bye week. The Chicago Bears tamed the Patriots on Monday night 33-14. Let’s break down this game.
Chicago Bears Defense vs Dallas Cowboys Offense
With their performance against the Patriots, the Chicago Bears’ defense has moved into a tie with the Bengals and is the 10th-ranked defense in the NFL currently. Long the calling card for their franchise, this is a good group but a far cry from being “Monsters of the Midway,” they make stops and big hits. Their decision at the draft to take safety Jaquan Brisker and corner Kyler Gordon is paying dividends as they are much stronger against the pass than they are against the run. Sound familiar Cowboys fans? This means expect a heavy dosage of Elliott and Pollard once again for Dallas. The Bears aren’t getting to quarterbacks at a high rate so the Cowboys when they do go to the passing game should have enough time on most downs. The offensive line depth took a hit when Matt Farniok went down against the Lions. Roquan Smith has to be accounted for as he is, simply put a tackling machine for Chicago. Once again if form holds for the Cowboys this game will be decided by how effective Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard are. Dak won’t need to throw a lot so we should see a similar number of attempts (25) as in the Lions game. This almost has the feel of an old-fashioned 1970s NFL game. Smashmouth football that this old guy grew up watching.
Chicago Bears Offense vs Dallas Cowboys Defense
The Cowboys’ defense gave up 117 yards on the ground against the Lions, but this week face a much stiffer challenge similar to the Eagles game because, like Philadelphia, the Bears quarterback Justin Fields will run with the football. Throw in a solid David Montgomery along with dual-threat Khalil Herbert and the Cowboys will have to focus on limiting all three, not an easy task and something this group must, as I say, every week get better at. It’s paramount to make Fields and the Bears turn to the passing game. The 2nd ranked defense in the league has to rise to the challenge, and creating a fumble or two will certainly help in that regard. The Bears’ passing game is one of the worst in the league, and if Fields is forced into being a passer, that means the league leaders in sacks can go to work. I’m sure that the Bears’ weak offensive line isn’t cherishing the thought of Dorance Armstrong, Demarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams, and the leading sack artist in the league Micah Parsons coming for their quarterback. Given that fact, Fields has one of the slowest releases in the league, which means he can be swallowed up. The line can’t be too over-anxious, though, because if you give him a hole Fields will take off. Bears receivers do not scare anyone, and since they don’t get much separation, if Fields has to throw the ball anywhere near Trevon Diggs it could spell disaster for Chicago. The Cowboys’ secondary lost Jourdan Lewis (Lisfranc surgery) for the season, so look for both Daron Bland and Israel Mukuamu to take snaps as the slot corner, depending on the scheme. I have more trust in those two than I do in Kelvin Joseph or Nahshon Wright. I would expect to see Anthony Barr used as a spy to limit Fields when he does run.
Prediction
Don’t fix what isn’t broken. The Cowboys’ recipe for success is simple. Pound the ball on the ground, create havoc on defense, and take advantage of turnovers. As I always warn you when it comes to Dallas, no time for a letdown game at home. The Bears are competitive and won’t roll over. Take away their strength and make them play a game they don’t succeed at. If the Cowboys’ do that, they will head into the bye week with a 6-2 record after defeating the Bears 27-10.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @GregsCowboys
