Game Day Chatter Thread | Week 14 | Cowboys @ Bears | 12/05/19
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Cowboys Pregame Riffing: What to expect in a game both Dallas and Chicago desperately need
By Bob Sturm 47m ago
131 days since training camp opened in Oxnard, 59 days until Super Bowl 54 in Miami and only hours until the 7:10 pm Week 14 Thursday Night game at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears…
Another short week brings us another short pregame riffing, but here it goes.
Enough time has passed for everyone to blow off steam from the last stretch of poor football. Now it is time to go win a football game. That is where it starts, frankly. We can talk about scenarios to make the playoffs. We can discuss scenarios to ensure or prevent a full administration change of the coaching staff. But the bottom line is that the Cowboys simply need to win a football game.
Since September 22nd, when the Cowboys beat the mighty Dolphins — there is some irony in how much joy Eagles fans took in Dallas losing to the Jets earlier this year now that their team has lost to Miami last week — Dallas has won exactly three games out of nine.
Franchises aren’t necessarily judged on an arbitrary sample of the season, but let’s be honest: Very few teams that ever amount to anything go through a stretch of three wins in 73 days during the meat of the season. If you are 3-6 over that span of time, chances are that guys like me misdiagnosed how good you actually are.
If there is good news, it would be this: The next three opponents are all in the same boat. There is a very good chance that if someone picked the NFC playoff teams back in August, they included all four of Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia in their field. In other words, there are surprises every season. Some are magically good like Baltimore, San Francisco and — evidently — Buffalo. But there are an equal number of perceived powers that fall on their faces.
That’s what we have here. Welcome to Dallas at Chicago – Week 14’s Thursday night game.
Those of us who go back a little ways remember when the NFL’s Thursday scene was next to nothing. That, of course, has changed quite a bit over the years, and now we have standard Thursday football from Week 1 through next week’s Thursday finale between the Jets and Ravens in Week 15.
Part of that Thursday package is getting all of the heavyweights to play on this grid. In Dallas’ case, it has become an almost-annual tradition of playing back-to-back Thursdays, as the league puts the Cowboys on their traditional 3:30 start on Thanksgiving, then pops them on the next week in the normal prime-time spot. This is the sixth time the Cowboys have been assigned this maneuver, which gives them a normal seven-day work week followed by the 10-day break after tonight’s affair in Chicago.
Here are the previous five times this Thursday night back-to-back oddity has happened (thanks, PFR.com):
As you can see, the Cowboys are 5-0 in this spot in the schedule, which has brought its fair share of memorable moments. There was the win over Brett Favre and the Packers in 2007, in a game between teams that were both 10-1 at kickoff. You’ll also remember last year’s famous win over Drew Brees and the Saints, which were also 10-1 when they came to town. There was also a win in Chicago on December 4th, 2014, when the Dallas offense ran the ball at will against the Bears with a huge night from DeMarco Murray. That Cole Beasley character we have been talking about all week had one of his better evenings as well. Tony Romo beat Jay Cutler, and the Cowboys moved to 9-4.
The best they can do on this occasion is get back to a winning record, but the mental effects of 7-6 vs. 6-7 are almost immeasurable. The Cowboys need a win in the worst way.
Can they get it? Let’s try to speculate and see.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
I am sure this also makes me an old man, but I was pretty shocked to see that here we are at game No. 13 and the Cowboys have played just one game on grass this season. That was Week 2 in Washington, and our guess here is that this field tonight will probably not hold up as well as that one did. Either way, the Cowboys really need to begin to demonstrate that their achievements on offense actually mean something.
If you want to anger a Cowboys fan right now, tell them that this is the No. 1 offense in the NFL — and that it’s also No. 1 in passing, No. 1 in third-down conversions and No. 1 in sack percentage against. That isn’t an opinion, it is a fact. And yet it obviously means almost nothing in a meaningful context because it has not been converted into enough points and wins.
The Cowboys went from an unproductive offense to what appears to be a bit of an inefficient one in the span of one coordinator change. Of course, in this case, it appears it might be quite a few things the offense can control — red-zone conversions, giveaways and penalties — and quite a few things it can’t — lousy field position, a lousy kicker and cowardly punts.
Either way, the offense will take them somewhere this December, or it will go quietly into the night. They play an equally mediocre team that is also 6-6 with a 3-3 record at home and a 3-3 record on the road. In some respects, the Cowboys are looking in the mirror when they see the Bears.
Here is what we think they might see when they line up against the Bears defense, which is still plenty stingy (although Prince Amukamara is looking less and less likely to play, based on the status of his hamstring):
In general, the Chicago defense has been quite good in 2019, but the two big things that made this defense invincible in 2018 have both been problems. First, they don’t get takeaways near the league-leading pace they had last year. They are still in the top 10, but not at the rate they did last season. They have also fallen way off from ninth in the league in sacks to 25th. Most suggest it is all about the absence of the wonderful Akiem Hicks, but that certainly seems overdone. Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd have been here throughout, and they just aren’t overpowering both edges at the same rate or even close. The Bears have too much money sunk in those two players to make excuses. They need more heat on opposing passers, and they need it now.
The Bears are starting to discuss the potential return of Hicks, who is undoubtedly one of the finest defensive tackles in the NFL. He has been missing since Week 4, and he is eligible to return against the Packers with three weeks to go. A win Thursday would make Chicago 7-6 overall and 4-1 in their last five games, and some belief in the season will return. Here are some of the more interesting numbers: From Weeks 1 through 4, the Bears had 17 sacks, averaging more than four per game. Since Hicks got hurt against the Raiders in London, they have a total of 11 sacks in eight games (1.4 per). Without Hicks applying pressure up the middle, quarterbacks have more room to avoid Mack’s rush from the edge. The run defense has generally been solid but also leaked without Hicks up front. Despite significantly fewer takeaways from last year and more crucial injuries than 2018, the Bears still rank highly across the board on defense, but Hicks allows them to get to another level.
They don’t bring a whole lot of blitz pressure relative to league average, but at home, it does seem like they feed off the ability to put you in difficult third downs, and then the heat gets to your quarterback. This game will certainly test the Cowboys’ nerve, as the Bears’ home stadium is formidable as long as they don’t turn on their own team — which is happening earlier and earlier in games as time goes on.
As you can see, Chicago is excellent at limiting big plays, keeping your points down and making sure third down is no pleasure whatsoever. I would like to tell you how well the Cowboys can attack it, but given how poor their offense has been in the last two games, I think we should probably keep this simple: Kellen Moore and Dak Prescott need to orchestrate an offensive day that somewhat resembles their statistical outputs of 2019. They cannot afford another offensive stinker. They have two touchdowns in the last 22 drives, and one of them was in garbage time against the Bills.
Everyone talks about Khalil Mack, and make no mistake, he is still the same stud you know he is. But I have been most impressed with Roquan Smith recently. There is no question he was a singular prospect out of Georgia who has had a somewhat uneven start to his career, but this recent patch of football has featured some of his very best play, and the Bears linebackers are all over the place in the last several weeks.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Dak Prescott vs Chuck Pagano
There are obviously a number of individual matchups that probably deserve attention here, but in the interest of time, I once again am going to keep it simple. Dak Prescott needs a good night in the worst way. I have really enjoyed the 2019 version of Prescott, but his last two games have included a series of mistakes, from missed throws to lack of feel in the pocket to misdiagnosis of situations, etc. No, this is not just on him, but his new contract will be. If he is to be paid like we know he will be, this is the type of game where he needs to be the difference. It starts between his ears, as you could see in the Buffalo game that two games in five days against exceptional defenses caused him to see some ghosts. He also is without Connor Williams and knows Tyron Smith seems to be having more trouble than ever before. We know Prescott can rise to this occasion, but if he struggles again, the noise will get very loud. I think this has to be a Dak Prescott “step up” performance.
WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
If the other matchup was good vs. good, this might be the opposite. There is no question that the Bears’ Achilles heel in 2019 is their offense, and I believe the lineups here are close, but Jeff Heath is now out and that puts plenty of pressure on Derian Thompson in his place. We should know where Matt Nagy wants to attack.
Mitch Trubisky is coming off his best day of the season and helped rally the team from a rather embarrassing potential loss to David Blough and the Lions by finding Anthony Miller for a pair of long completions on the game-winning drive to pull it from the fire. This isn’t to say he was perfect, as he did throw a very poor interception to Darius Slay, but he hung in there enough in that game and the win over New York to delay the inevitable of the Bears bringing in more competition at QB. He may be brought back as the “sort of No. 1” in 2020, but the days of complete devotion and commitment have to be gone after this season, which has been every bit as bad as it has seemed.
My Bears colleague here at The Athletic wrote a bit about Trubisky in a prime-time setting in his preview piece that is worth your time:
Trubisky has played five primetime games at Soldier Field: his debut against the Vikings in 2017, Monday Night Football vs. the Seahawks in 2018, Sunday night games vs. the Vikings and Rams in 2018, and then this year’s opener against the Packers on Thursday night.
The numbers aren’t good. His best performance came against Seattle, and he threw two picks in that game, but also had two touchdown passes and completed 73.5 percent of his passes.
Here’s the comparison of Trubisky’s stats in those five night games at home and his career stat line:
The drop-off is considerable.
I don’t know that there is much explanation for being a different player in prime-time home games, but it is something that is on the mind of those who wish to see the Bears get on a run late in the season. They are in a perfect spot right now, with a young roster that is all under contract and a cheap quarterback who, if he does his part, should be part of a Bears window of opportunity. But this season has been tough to watch.
I mean, just look at all of the red. This is Matt Nagy’s area of expertise, as he was to bring the Chiefs’ offense to Chicago after spending a coaching lifetime with Andy Reid. But, of course, Trubisky is not Pat Mahomes — have you heard every day how Trubisky was selected above Mahomes and DeShaun Watson? — and the weapons appear to be just a little off as well.
Meanwhile, nobody wants to hear how the Cowboys’ opponents are a laughingstock without continuing to pound home how bad the team’s defense is at getting takeaways. And if there is one positive attribute to the Bears offense, it is that they are pretty good at not giving the ball away. Otherwise, they are pretty awful across the board.
But for Dallas, it is pretty consistent. Under Jason Garrett since 2010 or in any other sample size since, the Cowboys are pretty much the worst team in the NFL at intercepting passes. Take a 10-year, five-year or one-year sample, and the results stay the same. They aren’t just bad; they are the absolute worst. Here is the graphic from our friends at NFL Inside Edge:
Whose fault is it? We can blame the players or even the new coaches, but this seems systemic after a full decade of trying to play conservative defense. They don’t blitz; they don’t take chances; they have told us they want to bend but not break and not give up big plays. This conservative approach is 100 percent diametrically opposed to a team like Baltimore, which blitzes all day and generates takeaways. You better have the correct personnel to run that scheme, but Dallas simply never turns the ball over, and it has been through several different versions of this defense. Tonight is the type of night where a road win might require a couple takeaways. It is foolish to expect that, however, based on what we see each week.
You would certainly hope this is an occasion when the Cowboys get a big night out of DeMarcus Lawrence against the young right side of the Bears’ offensive line that has had changes at right guard and right tackle. He needs to lead them to victory in a way that Dak Prescott is being asked to do so on the other side of the ball.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Jourdan Lewis vs Anthony Miller
Anyone who has watched both teams’ last few games can figure that the Cowboys need better from their slot and that the Bears will want to attack Jourdan Lewis. It’s always interesting how people covet backup players to get on the field, only to see there is probably a reason those players were not starting to begin with. Such is the case with Jourdan Lewis vs. Anthony Brown as the slot corner. Lewis always seemed to be the people’s choice, but he could never win the job. Injury granted him the chance to confirm that support with play that measured up to Brown. So far, he hasn’t delivered, as Julian Edelman and Cole Beasley have been merciless in their attacks, and now it is time to deal with the talented Anthony Miller. Miller was a very interesting prospect in 2018 and is really putting some great football together in his second season, including some game-saving moments on Thanksgiving Day. Lewis had better be ready to roll, because the Bears will be coming for him.
THE PICK: Cowboys 27, Bears 24
Picking games has been a real struggle this year because I keep believing this team is better than it obviously is. But after studying the game and where both teams are, I think Dallas should finish 9-7 and host a playoff game, while I think the Bears are headed for 7-9 and a very likely quarterback change. I have been wrong plenty of times on these, so please don’t put stock in my belief that Cowboys will pull one out on a chilly night on the Lakefront. But my pick is made.
Try to enjoy the game, and let’s chat about it tomorrow!
By Bob Sturm 47m ago
131 days since training camp opened in Oxnard, 59 days until Super Bowl 54 in Miami and only hours until the 7:10 pm Week 14 Thursday Night game at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears…
Another short week brings us another short pregame riffing, but here it goes.
Enough time has passed for everyone to blow off steam from the last stretch of poor football. Now it is time to go win a football game. That is where it starts, frankly. We can talk about scenarios to make the playoffs. We can discuss scenarios to ensure or prevent a full administration change of the coaching staff. But the bottom line is that the Cowboys simply need to win a football game.
Since September 22nd, when the Cowboys beat the mighty Dolphins — there is some irony in how much joy Eagles fans took in Dallas losing to the Jets earlier this year now that their team has lost to Miami last week — Dallas has won exactly three games out of nine.
Franchises aren’t necessarily judged on an arbitrary sample of the season, but let’s be honest: Very few teams that ever amount to anything go through a stretch of three wins in 73 days during the meat of the season. If you are 3-6 over that span of time, chances are that guys like me misdiagnosed how good you actually are.
If there is good news, it would be this: The next three opponents are all in the same boat. There is a very good chance that if someone picked the NFC playoff teams back in August, they included all four of Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Philadelphia in their field. In other words, there are surprises every season. Some are magically good like Baltimore, San Francisco and — evidently — Buffalo. But there are an equal number of perceived powers that fall on their faces.
That’s what we have here. Welcome to Dallas at Chicago – Week 14’s Thursday night game.
Those of us who go back a little ways remember when the NFL’s Thursday scene was next to nothing. That, of course, has changed quite a bit over the years, and now we have standard Thursday football from Week 1 through next week’s Thursday finale between the Jets and Ravens in Week 15.
Part of that Thursday package is getting all of the heavyweights to play on this grid. In Dallas’ case, it has become an almost-annual tradition of playing back-to-back Thursdays, as the league puts the Cowboys on their traditional 3:30 start on Thanksgiving, then pops them on the next week in the normal prime-time spot. This is the sixth time the Cowboys have been assigned this maneuver, which gives them a normal seven-day work week followed by the 10-day break after tonight’s affair in Chicago.
Here are the previous five times this Thursday night back-to-back oddity has happened (thanks, PFR.com):
As you can see, the Cowboys are 5-0 in this spot in the schedule, which has brought its fair share of memorable moments. There was the win over Brett Favre and the Packers in 2007, in a game between teams that were both 10-1 at kickoff. You’ll also remember last year’s famous win over Drew Brees and the Saints, which were also 10-1 when they came to town. There was also a win in Chicago on December 4th, 2014, when the Dallas offense ran the ball at will against the Bears with a huge night from DeMarco Murray. That Cole Beasley character we have been talking about all week had one of his better evenings as well. Tony Romo beat Jay Cutler, and the Cowboys moved to 9-4.
The best they can do on this occasion is get back to a winning record, but the mental effects of 7-6 vs. 6-7 are almost immeasurable. The Cowboys need a win in the worst way.
Can they get it? Let’s try to speculate and see.
WHEN THE COWBOYS HAVE THE BALL
I am sure this also makes me an old man, but I was pretty shocked to see that here we are at game No. 13 and the Cowboys have played just one game on grass this season. That was Week 2 in Washington, and our guess here is that this field tonight will probably not hold up as well as that one did. Either way, the Cowboys really need to begin to demonstrate that their achievements on offense actually mean something.
If you want to anger a Cowboys fan right now, tell them that this is the No. 1 offense in the NFL — and that it’s also No. 1 in passing, No. 1 in third-down conversions and No. 1 in sack percentage against. That isn’t an opinion, it is a fact. And yet it obviously means almost nothing in a meaningful context because it has not been converted into enough points and wins.
The Cowboys went from an unproductive offense to what appears to be a bit of an inefficient one in the span of one coordinator change. Of course, in this case, it appears it might be quite a few things the offense can control — red-zone conversions, giveaways and penalties — and quite a few things it can’t — lousy field position, a lousy kicker and cowardly punts.
Either way, the offense will take them somewhere this December, or it will go quietly into the night. They play an equally mediocre team that is also 6-6 with a 3-3 record at home and a 3-3 record on the road. In some respects, the Cowboys are looking in the mirror when they see the Bears.
Here is what we think they might see when they line up against the Bears defense, which is still plenty stingy (although Prince Amukamara is looking less and less likely to play, based on the status of his hamstring):
In general, the Chicago defense has been quite good in 2019, but the two big things that made this defense invincible in 2018 have both been problems. First, they don’t get takeaways near the league-leading pace they had last year. They are still in the top 10, but not at the rate they did last season. They have also fallen way off from ninth in the league in sacks to 25th. Most suggest it is all about the absence of the wonderful Akiem Hicks, but that certainly seems overdone. Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd have been here throughout, and they just aren’t overpowering both edges at the same rate or even close. The Bears have too much money sunk in those two players to make excuses. They need more heat on opposing passers, and they need it now.
The Bears are starting to discuss the potential return of Hicks, who is undoubtedly one of the finest defensive tackles in the NFL. He has been missing since Week 4, and he is eligible to return against the Packers with three weeks to go. A win Thursday would make Chicago 7-6 overall and 4-1 in their last five games, and some belief in the season will return. Here are some of the more interesting numbers: From Weeks 1 through 4, the Bears had 17 sacks, averaging more than four per game. Since Hicks got hurt against the Raiders in London, they have a total of 11 sacks in eight games (1.4 per). Without Hicks applying pressure up the middle, quarterbacks have more room to avoid Mack’s rush from the edge. The run defense has generally been solid but also leaked without Hicks up front. Despite significantly fewer takeaways from last year and more crucial injuries than 2018, the Bears still rank highly across the board on defense, but Hicks allows them to get to another level.
They don’t bring a whole lot of blitz pressure relative to league average, but at home, it does seem like they feed off the ability to put you in difficult third downs, and then the heat gets to your quarterback. This game will certainly test the Cowboys’ nerve, as the Bears’ home stadium is formidable as long as they don’t turn on their own team — which is happening earlier and earlier in games as time goes on.
As you can see, Chicago is excellent at limiting big plays, keeping your points down and making sure third down is no pleasure whatsoever. I would like to tell you how well the Cowboys can attack it, but given how poor their offense has been in the last two games, I think we should probably keep this simple: Kellen Moore and Dak Prescott need to orchestrate an offensive day that somewhat resembles their statistical outputs of 2019. They cannot afford another offensive stinker. They have two touchdowns in the last 22 drives, and one of them was in garbage time against the Bills.
Everyone talks about Khalil Mack, and make no mistake, he is still the same stud you know he is. But I have been most impressed with Roquan Smith recently. There is no question he was a singular prospect out of Georgia who has had a somewhat uneven start to his career, but this recent patch of football has featured some of his very best play, and the Bears linebackers are all over the place in the last several weeks.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Dak Prescott vs Chuck Pagano
There are obviously a number of individual matchups that probably deserve attention here, but in the interest of time, I once again am going to keep it simple. Dak Prescott needs a good night in the worst way. I have really enjoyed the 2019 version of Prescott, but his last two games have included a series of mistakes, from missed throws to lack of feel in the pocket to misdiagnosis of situations, etc. No, this is not just on him, but his new contract will be. If he is to be paid like we know he will be, this is the type of game where he needs to be the difference. It starts between his ears, as you could see in the Buffalo game that two games in five days against exceptional defenses caused him to see some ghosts. He also is without Connor Williams and knows Tyron Smith seems to be having more trouble than ever before. We know Prescott can rise to this occasion, but if he struggles again, the noise will get very loud. I think this has to be a Dak Prescott “step up” performance.
WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL
If the other matchup was good vs. good, this might be the opposite. There is no question that the Bears’ Achilles heel in 2019 is their offense, and I believe the lineups here are close, but Jeff Heath is now out and that puts plenty of pressure on Derian Thompson in his place. We should know where Matt Nagy wants to attack.
Mitch Trubisky is coming off his best day of the season and helped rally the team from a rather embarrassing potential loss to David Blough and the Lions by finding Anthony Miller for a pair of long completions on the game-winning drive to pull it from the fire. This isn’t to say he was perfect, as he did throw a very poor interception to Darius Slay, but he hung in there enough in that game and the win over New York to delay the inevitable of the Bears bringing in more competition at QB. He may be brought back as the “sort of No. 1” in 2020, but the days of complete devotion and commitment have to be gone after this season, which has been every bit as bad as it has seemed.
My Bears colleague here at The Athletic wrote a bit about Trubisky in a prime-time setting in his preview piece that is worth your time:
Trubisky has played five primetime games at Soldier Field: his debut against the Vikings in 2017, Monday Night Football vs. the Seahawks in 2018, Sunday night games vs. the Vikings and Rams in 2018, and then this year’s opener against the Packers on Thursday night.
The numbers aren’t good. His best performance came against Seattle, and he threw two picks in that game, but also had two touchdown passes and completed 73.5 percent of his passes.
Here’s the comparison of Trubisky’s stats in those five night games at home and his career stat line:
| Completion % | YPA | TD/INT | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Home primetime | 60.0 | 5.03 | 5/9 | 60.4 |
Career | 63.6 | 6.77 | 44/26 | 86.6 |
The drop-off is considerable.
I don’t know that there is much explanation for being a different player in prime-time home games, but it is something that is on the mind of those who wish to see the Bears get on a run late in the season. They are in a perfect spot right now, with a young roster that is all under contract and a cheap quarterback who, if he does his part, should be part of a Bears window of opportunity. But this season has been tough to watch.
I mean, just look at all of the red. This is Matt Nagy’s area of expertise, as he was to bring the Chiefs’ offense to Chicago after spending a coaching lifetime with Andy Reid. But, of course, Trubisky is not Pat Mahomes — have you heard every day how Trubisky was selected above Mahomes and DeShaun Watson? — and the weapons appear to be just a little off as well.
Meanwhile, nobody wants to hear how the Cowboys’ opponents are a laughingstock without continuing to pound home how bad the team’s defense is at getting takeaways. And if there is one positive attribute to the Bears offense, it is that they are pretty good at not giving the ball away. Otherwise, they are pretty awful across the board.
But for Dallas, it is pretty consistent. Under Jason Garrett since 2010 or in any other sample size since, the Cowboys are pretty much the worst team in the NFL at intercepting passes. Take a 10-year, five-year or one-year sample, and the results stay the same. They aren’t just bad; they are the absolute worst. Here is the graphic from our friends at NFL Inside Edge:
Whose fault is it? We can blame the players or even the new coaches, but this seems systemic after a full decade of trying to play conservative defense. They don’t blitz; they don’t take chances; they have told us they want to bend but not break and not give up big plays. This conservative approach is 100 percent diametrically opposed to a team like Baltimore, which blitzes all day and generates takeaways. You better have the correct personnel to run that scheme, but Dallas simply never turns the ball over, and it has been through several different versions of this defense. Tonight is the type of night where a road win might require a couple takeaways. It is foolish to expect that, however, based on what we see each week.
You would certainly hope this is an occasion when the Cowboys get a big night out of DeMarcus Lawrence against the young right side of the Bears’ offensive line that has had changes at right guard and right tackle. He needs to lead them to victory in a way that Dak Prescott is being asked to do so on the other side of the ball.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: Jourdan Lewis vs Anthony Miller
Anyone who has watched both teams’ last few games can figure that the Cowboys need better from their slot and that the Bears will want to attack Jourdan Lewis. It’s always interesting how people covet backup players to get on the field, only to see there is probably a reason those players were not starting to begin with. Such is the case with Jourdan Lewis vs. Anthony Brown as the slot corner. Lewis always seemed to be the people’s choice, but he could never win the job. Injury granted him the chance to confirm that support with play that measured up to Brown. So far, he hasn’t delivered, as Julian Edelman and Cole Beasley have been merciless in their attacks, and now it is time to deal with the talented Anthony Miller. Miller was a very interesting prospect in 2018 and is really putting some great football together in his second season, including some game-saving moments on Thanksgiving Day. Lewis had better be ready to roll, because the Bears will be coming for him.
THE PICK: Cowboys 27, Bears 24
Picking games has been a real struggle this year because I keep believing this team is better than it obviously is. But after studying the game and where both teams are, I think Dallas should finish 9-7 and host a playoff game, while I think the Bears are headed for 7-9 and a very likely quarterback change. I have been wrong plenty of times on these, so please don’t put stock in my belief that Cowboys will pull one out on a chilly night on the Lakefront. But my pick is made.
Try to enjoy the game, and let’s chat about it tomorrow!
Chocolate Lab
Mere Commoner
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Just like with the Patriots game, I think Bob is overestimating the number of points scored. Their defense is pretty good and Trubisky is pretty awful except for brief hot stretches.
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Expert predictions for Cowboys-Bears: Will Chicago keep Dallas’ downward spiral going?
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks back as he walks to the bench after Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) stripped the ball from him forcing a turnover during the first half of play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Thursday, November 28, 2019. Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick (72), Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) and Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Xavier Su'a-Filo (76) make their way to the bench as well. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)
By SportsDay Staff
6:00 PM on Dec 4, 2019
Tim Cowlishaw
A month ago, no one thought the Bears and Cowboys were the same team. Now, both 6-6 and both 3-0 against Giants and Lions and 3-6 against the rest of the world, they apparently are the same team. Does Dallas feel the urge to win as long as the Eagles refuse to catch up? Hard to say. Mitch Trubisky seems to be digging out of the hole he created. The Bears at home make just enough plays to win. Bears 20-17.
Michael Gehlken
Predicting a Cowboys win in this space has come to feel like a fool’s errand. But here we are. This team is ticked off, and it seems unlikely the defense will set a new franchise record by compiling its fifth straight game without a forced turnover. All the pressure has to translate into takeaways. ... Right? Cowboys 20-13.
Damon Marx
This Cowboys defense turned Jeff Driskel of the Lions into a competent NFL quarterback. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky, while inconsistent, is more talented than Driskel. This Bears defense is not as formidable as last season’s unit, but it will slow the Cowboys’ offense just enough to make it a competitive game. The Cowboys are slight favorites, but it’s hard to get excited about a team one step from circling the drain. Bears 20, Cowboys 17.
David Moore
Talk is cheap. Renowned quarterback/poet Dak Prescott laid claim to that bromide earlier in the week. This has been a disappointing season for the Cowboys. The players concede their frustration. So has the owner. But Jerry Jones and others cling to the chance for a fairy tale, and this team does have the talent to deliver. Does it have the temperament? Will it flip the switch at Soldier Field, or… Bears 27, Cowboys 20.
John Owning
I don’t trust the Cowboys to beat anyone right now, but I just can’t bring myself to pick a team led by Mitch Trubisky. The Cowboys have a distinct advantage on the Bears at the quarterback position, which will be enough for them to steal a narrow victory on the road. The Cowboys have been terrible in close games this season, but that changes this week as Dak Prescott leads the offense on a late drive to win the game. Cowboys 21, Bears 20.
Kevin Sherrington
Candidates other than the Cowboys for “most disappointing” certainly include the Bears. Mitch Trubisky hasn’t worked out like his draft status implied. With temperatures a shiver above freezing and 10-20 mph winds making it intolerable, we’ll see if the Cowboys learned any lessons from their trip to Foxborough. Dak Prescott, wear your gloves from the get-go. Cowboys 21, Bears 17.
Calvin Watkins
The Cowboys are a difficult team to figure out. It doesn’t seem like this team has taken on a rallying cry for coach Jason Garrett and its muted response to Michael Bennett’s locker room outburst is pretty interesting. The Cowboys say they have a sense of urgency but their actions have shown the opposite. Maybe Dak Prescott is right: Talk is cheap. The Bears just seem better equipped to win this game. Bears 17, Cowboys 10.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) looks back as he walks to the bench after Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) stripped the ball from him forcing a turnover during the first half of play at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Thursday, November 28, 2019. Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick (72), Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) and Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Xavier Su'a-Filo (76) make their way to the bench as well. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)
By SportsDay Staff
6:00 PM on Dec 4, 2019
Tim Cowlishaw
A month ago, no one thought the Bears and Cowboys were the same team. Now, both 6-6 and both 3-0 against Giants and Lions and 3-6 against the rest of the world, they apparently are the same team. Does Dallas feel the urge to win as long as the Eagles refuse to catch up? Hard to say. Mitch Trubisky seems to be digging out of the hole he created. The Bears at home make just enough plays to win. Bears 20-17.
Michael Gehlken
Predicting a Cowboys win in this space has come to feel like a fool’s errand. But here we are. This team is ticked off, and it seems unlikely the defense will set a new franchise record by compiling its fifth straight game without a forced turnover. All the pressure has to translate into takeaways. ... Right? Cowboys 20-13.
Damon Marx
This Cowboys defense turned Jeff Driskel of the Lions into a competent NFL quarterback. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky, while inconsistent, is more talented than Driskel. This Bears defense is not as formidable as last season’s unit, but it will slow the Cowboys’ offense just enough to make it a competitive game. The Cowboys are slight favorites, but it’s hard to get excited about a team one step from circling the drain. Bears 20, Cowboys 17.
David Moore
Talk is cheap. Renowned quarterback/poet Dak Prescott laid claim to that bromide earlier in the week. This has been a disappointing season for the Cowboys. The players concede their frustration. So has the owner. But Jerry Jones and others cling to the chance for a fairy tale, and this team does have the talent to deliver. Does it have the temperament? Will it flip the switch at Soldier Field, or… Bears 27, Cowboys 20.
John Owning
I don’t trust the Cowboys to beat anyone right now, but I just can’t bring myself to pick a team led by Mitch Trubisky. The Cowboys have a distinct advantage on the Bears at the quarterback position, which will be enough for them to steal a narrow victory on the road. The Cowboys have been terrible in close games this season, but that changes this week as Dak Prescott leads the offense on a late drive to win the game. Cowboys 21, Bears 20.
Kevin Sherrington
Candidates other than the Cowboys for “most disappointing” certainly include the Bears. Mitch Trubisky hasn’t worked out like his draft status implied. With temperatures a shiver above freezing and 10-20 mph winds making it intolerable, we’ll see if the Cowboys learned any lessons from their trip to Foxborough. Dak Prescott, wear your gloves from the get-go. Cowboys 21, Bears 17.
Calvin Watkins
The Cowboys are a difficult team to figure out. It doesn’t seem like this team has taken on a rallying cry for coach Jason Garrett and its muted response to Michael Bennett’s locker room outburst is pretty interesting. The Cowboys say they have a sense of urgency but their actions have shown the opposite. Maybe Dak Prescott is right: Talk is cheap. The Bears just seem better equipped to win this game. Bears 17, Cowboys 10.
bbgun
please don't "dur" me
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Jeez. Our offense is more or less completely healthy and we only hang 10 on the thoroughly mediocre Bears? That'd be quite an indictment.
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When you continually settle for field goals and then miss those field goals it is definitely possible. Plus our offense inside the opposing teams 40 just seems to suck.
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When you settle for FGs and miss half of them, it makes a difference in a game that is 17-10 versus 28-17.
When you have the #1 offense in the league and are 6-6, there you are.
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That's exactly right. Special teams do matter. They matter way more than idiots like Jason Garrett realize.
bbgun
please don't "dur" me
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10-6 here we come!
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Irrelevant except for the idea that his fellow Hot Boyz might learn not to speed when carrying a big fat baggie from their dealer.
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That is a big tell about the game plan.
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It's almost like Garrett and the team have given up too. Going into a game with just 1 RB is silly if you feel like you're actually playing for something.
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It just screams pass.
jsmith6919
Honored Member - RIP
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Olawale is gonna fumble tonight
Couchcoach
DCC 4Life
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You guys catch this on the pregame show?
49'ers, Ravens, and Cowboys are the only teams in the league to have both a top ten offense and a top ten defense.
Since 2000, only three teams have averaged more yards per game than this year's Cowboys.
We have four picks, San Fran has 24
Besides that last stat, there's no reason whatsoever we should be 6-6
49'ers, Ravens, and Cowboys are the only teams in the league to have both a top ten offense and a top ten defense.
Since 2000, only three teams have averaged more yards per game than this year's Cowboys.
We have four picks, San Fran has 24
Besides that last stat, there's no reason whatsoever we should be 6-6