Bears vs Cowboys – 5 Questions with The Landry Hat
The Chicago Bears take on the Dallas Cowboys in Big D on Monday Night Football. What could be bigger? Well, um, nothing. Both teams come in with 2-1 records but still fans are a little anxious on both side of this one.
To help us get ready for this big matchup in Big D, we reached out to Steve Mullenax at The Landry Hat to do our weekly Q&A. Be sure to check out my answers to his questions in this post.
1. The Cowboys were really impressive in their Week 1 24-17 win over the world champion Giants and followed it up with a tough 27-7 loss to the Seahawks. Which is the real Cowboys team? Which team will the Bears see on Monday night?
I think the best answer is both. The Cowboys are a team capable of beating the best of the NFL one night, and losing to the worst the next. Inconsistency is their biggest issue. On Monday night, I would expect to see a similar Dallas team as we did last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with less penalties on the offensive side of the ball.
2. I’ll keep this simple – Tony Romo or Jay Cutler?
Tony Romo, mainly because I have studied him more. But also, I know he has a personality of a winner and a team player. I’ve never been sold on Cutler’s personality in the locker room. Cutler has more raw talent than Romo, but something seems off in his attitude.
3. What can the Bears do, short of a tank, to slow down DeMarcus Ware? I’m setting the number of sacks for him at 3.5 on Monday night. Which way are you going on that? Who else should the Bears be looking out for on the Cowboys defense?
I think the New York Giants’ had the right idea in the first game of the season. They would send the tight end to whatever side of the line Ware lined up at and used him as an extra blocker. Short of that, having an all-pro tackle on both sides of the offensive line would help. As for a prediction for sacks, I think two is a safer number. He’s only recorded four for the season so far. It just seems like more because he’s so close on almost every play. The Bears should also be looking out for linebacker Sean Lee. He has really become the leader and playmaker of the defense. And watch for free agent cornerback Brandon Carr playing safety because of the season ending injury to Barry Church.
4. I think it’s safe to say that both the Bears and Cowboys have struggled on offense. In fact, the Cowboys enter the game scoring a league low 15.7 points per game. Why have the Cowboys struggled on offense despite solid weapons around Tony Romo? How do they plan to attack the Bears defense, which has been better than expected so far this season?
The Cowboys struggles can be blamed mostly on the poor play of their offensive line. When Romo is comfortable, he has the ability to pick defenses apart. But he’s has been very uneasy the past two games, and honestly took a couple hits last weekend that should have knocked him out of the game. The O-Line’s poor protection has effected his timing and the offenses’ overall chemistry. The Cowboys will look to run the ball behind DeMarco Murray to soften the Bears defensive line, in turn giving Romo more time in the pocket and to open up those passing lanes.
5. What’s your prediction for the game on Monday night? Please include a final score.
I think we see a very similar game as we did last Sunday against the Bucs. Expect a low scoring, defensive battle. Scoring should have more to do with turnovers then great offensive plays. Call it a gut feeling, but I’m not sold the Cowboys win this one. Both defenses will play well, but I think the Bear’s offense is slightly more in tune. Chicago over Dallas, 20-16.
What do you think? Do you disagree with his answers? Head over to The Landry Hat and comment on one of their posts, like this one that features my answers to his questions.
Thanks to Steve at The Landry Hat for their cooperation. Next time, send over one of those little cheerleaders with your answers.
Sep 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cheerleader performs during a time out during the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cowboys Stadium. The Cowboys beat the Buccaneers 16-10. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE