Bears Stuff...

[Cotton]

Matt Forte: You can’t throw 50 times and expect to win

Posted by Josh Alper on December 2, 2014, 8:37 AM EST

The Jets ran the ball almost exclusively during their Monday night loss to the Dolphins, which meant they joined the Bears in bookending Week 13 with wildly imbalanced offensive game plans.

Chicago was in Detroit to kick off the Thanksgiving triple-header and they marked the occasion by doing the opposite of the Jets. The Bears had Jay Cutler drop back to pass 51 times and called just seven running plays in the 34-17 loss. Running back Matt Forte got five of those carries and said Monday that the team needs to find more balance if they’re going to win again this season.

“It’s of the utmost importance, especially if we’re playing outside, with the weather and stuff. You can’t just sit back there and throw 50 passes a game and expect to win,” Forte said, via the Chicago Tribune. “[The Lions’] front four were pinning their ears back. They didn’t have anything to do but pass rush. They’re not respecting the run, and then if you play fake, they’re not going take the play fake because you haven’t been running the ball. It’s a big part of the play-action game, to keep the defense off of keying on exactly what to do, whether it’s pass rush or trying to stop the run.”

Forte noted the Lions are stingy against the run, but said that the Bears can’t let the opposition totally dictate their commitment to running the ball because of the need to balance the offense. If they are going to let that happen, though, this is a week where the run game should be front and center since the Cowboys were gashed for 256 yards on the ground last week and Thursday night’s conditions at Soldier Field should lend themselves to the ground game.

 

[Cotton]

Officials breakdown: Ed Hochuli
December, 2, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- Ed Hochuli will be the official for Thursday's game against the Chicago Bears.

It is the fourth time since 2011 Hochuli's crew has worked a Dallas Cowboys' game. The Cowboys are 2-1 in the previous three games and have been called for 20 penalties for 180 yards. Their opponents -- the San Diego Chargers (2013), Cleveland Browns (2012) and Washington Redskins (2011) have been flagged 23 times for 249 yards.

Hochuli's crew worked the New England Patriots-Green Bay Packers game on Sunday. The Patriots had four penalties for 25 yards, while the Packers had four for 22 yards.

The breakdown:
Defensive holding – 1
Illegal shift – 1
Illegal use of hands – 1
Offensive holding – 2
False start – 1
Neutral zone infraction – 1
Delay of game – 1
Illegal contact – 1

Quarter-by-quarter:
First – 4
Second – 2
Third – 3
Fourth – 0

 

[Rev]

Yes. We get the Hulk.

 

[Cotton]

Ugh.

 

[Cotton]

Cowboys-Bears Preview
By JEFF MEZYDLO (STATS Senior Writer)
2 hours ago
AP - Sports


Before the Dallas Cowboys can eye a rematch with the rival that knocked them out of first place in the NFC East, they need to bounce back against a Chicago Bears team that's also coming off a rough Thanksgiving Day showing.

Looking to remain undefeated away from home, the Cowboys' only focus must be on avoiding a fourth straight defeat to the Bears on Thursday night.

A 33-10 loss to Philadelphia on Thanksgiving not only dropped Dallas (8-4) out of first in the division, but also from playoff position in the conference. The Cowboys trail the Eagles by a game, and though they're tied with Seattle and Detroit for the last wild-card spot, they don't hold the tiebreaker over either.

The Cowboys visit Philadelphia on Dec. 14, but there's a hurdle to clear before that.

"We got to get focused on beating Chicago," coach Jason Garrett said. "We have to learn from (the Eagles) game, build on the good stuff, correct the bad."

The bad outweighed the good and the result was a third straight home defeat for Garrett's team. Dallas was held to 267 yards - its second-lowest total of the season - and 93 on the ground. Although NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray's 1,427 yards are 381 more than his closest pursuer, he managed a season-low 73 and a touchdown on 20 carries.

Tony Romo threw for 199 yards with no TDs, two interceptions and absorbed four sacks.

Defensively, the Cowboys yielded a season-high 464 yards, including 256 on the ground, and allowed the Eagles to record first-quarter scoring drives of 80 and 88 yards.

"No excuses," defensive tackle Jeremy Mincey told the team's official website. "We just gotta get better. Sometimes it's good to get a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get you going again."

Now it may play to the Cowboys' favor to leave town. Dallas, which went 1-3 during December in two of the last three years, is trying to go 6-0 away from home for the first time since 2007. Romo has 12 touchdowns and only one of his eight interceptions while posting a league-best 122.0 passer rating away from home this season.

Including a 31-17 win over Jacksonville in London that was recognized as a home game for the Jaguars, the Cowboys are averaging 30.4 points on the road compared to 21.4 at home, where they're 3-4 and haven't scored more than 17 in each of the last three.

"I think, for me, I think that turns me on a little bit - to come into someone's house and hear the boos and all that," Murray said. "I think it's a great thing.

"We've just got to focus, and have more patience, especially on the road, and not make many mistakes. I think we'll be fine."

Romo threw three TDs without a pick and Murray ran for 146 yards on 18 carries during last season's 45-28 loss at Chicago, where the Cowboys trailed 24-14 at halftime and allowed 490 yards to a Bears team led by then-backup quarterback Josh McCown.

That Bears defense ranked last in the league in allowing 161.4 rushing yards per game, but this season's unit is 10th with an average of 105.5 allowed.

Chicago's Matt Forte ran for 102 yards and caught seven passes for 73 and a TD in that contest. After LeSean McCoy burned the Cowboys for 159 rushing yards last week, they must certainly be aware of Forte, whose 1,478 yards from scrimmage rank behind only Murray (1,770) and Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell (1,689).

"He's almost half of their offense if you put it all together," Garrett said. "Very versatile, very productive, and they use him really well - similar to what Philly does in using their backs a lot of different ways.

"So you know I think teams who do this challenge you and you have to make sure to be on the screws in defending it."

Forte, however, equaled a career low with five rushing attempts that produced six yards in last Thursday's 34-17 loss at Detroit. Only three times this season has Forte carried 20 or more times compared to last year when he did it on six occasions.

Chicago's 23.1 rushing attempts per game rank 28th, and its average of 93.2 yards on the ground is 26th. The Bears managed 13 rushing yards against the stingy Lions as they opted to use more short passes and screen plays to attack the league's top run defense.

Forte, however, knows the Bears (5-7) must keep it on the ground to succeed in the final month of a disappointing season.

"It's of the utmost importance, especially if we're playing outside, with the weather and stuff," he said. "You can't just sit back there and throw 50 passes a game and expect to win."

Even though it's won two straight at home, Chicago has underachieved in its second season under offensive-oriented coach Marc Trestman, averaging 6.7 fewer points than the 27.8 that was second-most in the NFL in 2013.

The Bears are allowing 28.1 points per contest, 1.8 fewer than 2013, but likely not enough of an improvement to avoid missing the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

"I think with the guys we have and character and integrity of the guys, I don't think anybody's going to quit," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "I think the coaches won't let us, they're not going to quit on us."

 

[Cotton]

Bears RB Matt Forte wishes Chicago could be more like the Cowboys

Associated Press
Published: 01 December 2014 05:03 PM
Updated: 01 December 2014 05:11 PM

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte sees the commitment to the handoff and can’t help but come away impressed.

The only thing that would be better for him would be if he was talking about his own team instead of this week’s opponent. The Bears will see a squad committed to the run when they host DeMarco Murray and the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

“It’s impressive to see,” said Forte, who made it clear Monday he wants more carries.

Last week, he had just five for six yards, and the Bears (5-7) ran just eight times in a loss at Detroit that all but guaranteed they will miss the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years.

On Thursday, they’ll see a team that committed to the run by upgrading its line in recent years and putting the ball in Murray’s hands. He has played in all 12 games after missing time in each of his first three seasons, and the results so far are jaw-dropping. He leads the league in yards rushing (1,427) and attempts (288) and is a huge reason why the Cowboys are challenging the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East championship.

The Bears have been struggling all season in just about every phase, something they did not envision.

A team that ranked second in the NFL in scoring last season has taken a big step back in Year 2 under coach Marc Trestman, with the Bears failing to produce more than 28 points in a game.

Only three times this season has Forte attempted more than 19 rushes. In four games, he has finished with 13 or fewer. And the five carries against the Lions matched a career-low he set against Arizona in 2009 and Kansas City in 2011.

Forte said the Bears can’t afford a repeat this week.

“It’s of the utmost importance, especially if we’re playing outside, with the weather and stuff,” Forte said. “You can’t just sit back there and throw 50 passes a game and expect to win. Their front four were pinning their ears back. They didn’t have anything to do but pass rush. They’re not respecting the run and then if you play fake, they’re not going take the play fake because you haven’t been running the ball.”

The Bears were facing the league’s stingiest run defense last week. Even so, Forte said that’s no reason to completely abandon the run, that they need to stick with it in order to open up the passing game.

He and offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer said the game plan last week called for Chicago to go with some quick screens early on and then move to the run. But it didn’t quite unfold the way the Bears envisioned.

Kromer would not say how many run plays the Bears called, only that there were “more than what showed on tape.”

It didn’t help that the Bears again fell into an early hole and trailed at halftime for the eighth time this season. They trailed the Lions 24-14, and for the season, they’ve been outscored a whopping 223-117 over the first two quarters.

Even so, Kromer said the Bears still could have run the ball down 10 at halftime.

“And I think in the future, that will happen,” he added.

Meanwhile, Trestman continued to say the Bears need more balance. But the struggle to find it continues.

“As I look back, there’s a lot of different things that go into that,” he said. “The only thing I could say is we didn’t run it enough. We would have liked to run it more. It didn’t happen that way, and we’ve got to move forward to Dallas. We could have that discussion forever. We need to run the ball more than we did.”

NOTES: DT Jeremiah Ratliff practiced on a limited basis after missing the Lions game because of a knee injury, while S Chris Conte sat out after injuring his eye against Detroit. TE Martellus Bennett (foot), WR Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) and CB Tim Jennings (groin) were also among the limited participants.

 

[Cotton]

Bears' offense has dominated Cowboys recently
December, 2, 2014

By Jean-Jacques Taylor | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas — On paper, Chicago has a formidable offense with Jay Cutler at quarterback, big, physical receivers in Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall, tight end Martellus Bennett and running back Matt Forte.

But they’re middle-of-the-pack statistically.

Chicago ranks 15th in third-down efficiency (41.9 percent), 20th in total yardage (340.1 per game), 21st in points (21.1) and 26th in rushing (93.2 yards per game).

But every time they play the Cowboys recently, the Bears’ offense has been prolific. They’re 3-0 against Dallas since 2010 and their quarterbacks have passed for 900 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions.

Last season, Josh McCown threw for 348 yards, Forte rushed for 102 yards and Marshall had 100 yards receiving in a 45-28 blowout victory for Chicago.

In 2012, Cutler threw for 275 yards, two touchdowns and finished with a passer rating of 140.1, third-highest of his career. Marshall caught seven passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.

In 2010, Cutler threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns and a passer rating of 136.7, the seventh-highest of his career

With the way the Cowboys are playing defense right now, which isn’t very good, you wonder how they’re going to stop the Bears.

Cutler gets a lot of criticism, but he has 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season. If he gets time, as the Cowboys have seen, then he’s more than capable of shredding this defense.

“These guys are big, strong, tough guys. They go up really well and catch the ball,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “But I go back to the tight end [Jimmy Graham] at New Orleans, another big, tall guy, and we went out and did a really good, solid job.

“We can do it, we just have to go in and have our coverages correct and the rush has got to help.”

Good luck relying on the Cowboys’ pass rush. Dallas has 19 sacks this season. Only four teams have fewer.

 

[Cotton]

 

[Cotton]

Anthony Spencer's role could increase
December, 2, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com

IRVING, Texas -- With George Selvie slowed by a thumb injury, Anthony Spencer could make his first start since 2012.

Spencer has played in nine straight games in a reserve role after missing the first three contests as he worked his way back from microfracture knee surgery that limited him to just one game last season. Spencer has yet to start a game at defensive end in his career with the Dallas Cowboys using him as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 scheme from 2007-12.

Spencer has 20 tackles but just a half sack to go along with 11 quarterback pressures and a tackle for loss.

Coach Jason Garrett said he believes Spencer is past the part of managing his health.

"He's had a role that we hope that can be increasing," Garrett said. "He's been part of rotation. I think at different games he's showed up. Other games he hasn't been quite as effective. But he's a good football player and I think he's learning to play this scheme as he goes. He's been a stand-up outside linebacker for most of his pro career so I think getting him down into his stance and getting him comfortable down in and down out doing what the job requires has been a process but in certain games he's shown up, other games not quite as much. We certainly need him down the stretch."

Rookie defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was on the practice field after injuring his ribs in Monday's practice, which left him limited for the session. The Cowboys do not believe it will bother Lawrence for Thursday. Selvie was also limited on Monday.

On Tuesday, the Cowboys were without the same three players who missed practice on Monday: safety Jeff Heath (thumb), cornerback Tyler Patmon (knee) and linebacker Dekoda Watson (hamstring).

 

[Texas Ace]

Ugh.

It's pretty impressive when you consider that Dallas is 5-0 on the road this year......but equally unimpressive that they are 4-3 at home.

 

[Cotton]

It's pretty impressive when you consider that Dallas is 5-0 on the road this year......but equally unimpressive that they are 4-3 at home.

It's worse than that... they are 3-4 at home.

 

[Texas Ace]

It's worse than that... they are 3-4 at home.

Damn, that's pretty pathetic.

We're gonna probably have to go no worse than 7-1 on the road if we want a real shot at the playoffs.

 

[boozeman]

It's pretty impressive when you consider that Dallas is 5-0 on the road this year......but equally unimpressive that they are 4-3 at home.

We got 9 wins?

 

[Texas Ace]

We got 9 wins?

Yea....my mistake.

It would be nice to get that real 9th win on Thursday, but this game worries me.

 

[p1_]

Yea....my mistake.

It would be nice to get that real 9th win on Thursday, but this game worries me.

I think they all should. We have played up and we've played down. You're not sure just wth you'll get with this bunch.

 

[Cotton]

Connections on roster, coaching staffs run deep for Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears

Rainer Sabin
Published: December 2, 2014 4:13 pm

IRVING – When the Cowboys and Bears look across the patch of turf at Soldier Field on Thursday, they’ll see a lot of familiar faces. For some unknown reason or by pure coincidence, as Chicago coach Marc Trestman surmised, each team has routinely filled out their roster and coaching staffs with the other’s former employees.

Five ex-Cowboys players – defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff, safety Danny McCray, cornerback Terrance Mitchell, and tight ends Martellus Bennett and Dante Rosario – now call the Windy City home. Joining them on Chicago’s sideline are five former Dallas assistants – Joe DeCamillis, Paul Pasqualoni, Reggie Herring, Skip Peete and Dwayne Stukes.

“You never know where you’re going to end up in the NFL,” Bennett said. “You’re always getting scouted. I have no idea why a lot of guys ended up out there.”

The Cowboys, meanwhile, struggle to explain why they have their share of old Bears. But they do. Defensive tackles Henry Melton and Amobi Okoye – who is on the reserve/non-football illness list — used to play for Chicago. So did fullback Tyler Clutts. Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli once worked for the Bears, too.

Asked to explain the cross-pollination that has occurred between two of the NFL’s storied franchises, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett could only speculate.

“Hard to know,” he said. “Sometimes it happens when someone goes there and then they know a lot of guys and then maybe a couple of coaches will go there and then sometimes players follow…Sometimes that happens and that adds a little momentum to the flow of players there.”

But Clutts couldn’t definitively explain why there has been a steady migration of personnel between both franchises.

“I am not a shot caller,” he said. “But I think both organizations really respect what the other one does. I do think because both [teams] are so well-respected across the league that if there are players good enough to play for one, they’re definitely good enough to play for the other.”

________________________________

Didn't know Skip Peete was even still coaching.

 

[UncleMilti]

It's worse than that... they are 3-4 at home.

Looks like the dancing titties, art, and premium malt liquor doesn't help the win column in JerryWorld.

Then again...Are you not entertained???????????????????????

 

[boozeman]

DeMarcus Lawrence is questionable

December, 3, 2014

By Todd Archer | ESPNDallas.com


IRVING, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bears because of a rib injury he tweaked in practice this week.

Lawrence was limited in two of the Cowboys’ three practices this week. They had a walk-through on Wednesday before boarding a plane for Chicago.

Safety Jeff Heath (thumb), cornerback Tyler Patmon (knee) and linebacker Dekoda Watson (hamstring) have been ruled out of the Bears' game. Heath and Patmon, who has missed the past three games, could return Dec. 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Defensive end George Selvie, who was limited in each practice this week with a thumb injury, is listed as probable.

Quarterback Tony Romo (back) is one of eight remaining players listed as probable. Defensive tackle Josh Brent (groin), defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford (knee), tackle Doug Free (foot), defensive tackle Nick Hayden (shoulder), linebacker Rolando McClain (knee), tackle Tyron Smith (illness) and wide receiver Terrance Williams (finger) are also probable.

 

[boozeman]

Bears sign Feely with Gould doubtful with injury

By Associated Press December 3 at 2:24 PM

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears signed veteran kicker Jay Feely with Robbie Gould doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys because of a right quadriceps injury.

Gould, who is tied with Kevin Butler for the franchise record with 243 field goals, sat out practice on Tuesday. The Bears brought in Feely on Wednesday.

Feely has converted 82.7 percent of his field-goal attempts over 13 seasons with Atlanta (2001-04), the New York Giants (2005-06), Miami (2007), the New York Jets (2008-09) and Arizona (2010-13). Feely has also hit 444 of 446 extra points.

The Bears listed receiver Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), safety Chris Conte (eye) and defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (knee) as questionable.

They also waived/injured receiver and kick returner Chris Williams.

 

[22cowboysfan22]

This game determines our fate.

Win it, and I think we find a way to get one more and probably get into the playoffs at 10-6. If we lose, then losing out entirely is a possibility, but I can't see them doing better than 9-7 of they blow this one.

10-6 most likely will not get us in this year. In fact, it's almost impossible for us to get in at 10-6. Even at 11-5, we might not make it.