Oct 1, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall (15) runs for a fourth quarter touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
As a football fan, I love Monday Night Football. It’s like after you’ve had a great meal, you get this fantastic dessert to savor. As a blogger, I HATE Monday Night Football when the Bears are playing. It throws off my whole weekly routine and I undoubtedly fall behind. So this post hopes to wrap up a few loose ends from the Bears’ 34-18 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Inside the Box Score: Not All Seashells and Balloons
The Bears won in convincing 34-18 fashion, but not everything came up roses. A closer look at the Box Score shows there was still plenty of room for improvement for the Beloved.
- The Cowboys racked up 430 yards in total offense. Sure, a lot of that was in garbage time when the game was out of hand, but that’s still a lot of yards. Consider the Bears offense only gained 360 in their winning effort. The Cowboys, meanwhile, had 389 yards passing alone.
- The Cowboys tallied 26 first downs while only converting 3 out of 9 third downs, meaning the Bears gave up a lot of conversions on first and second down.
- The Cowboys were 2 of 3 in Red Zone opportunities. The Bears defense has to tighten up a bit more down close.
- Speaking of Red Zone efficiency, the Bears missed out on their only attempt, going 0 for 1. Then again, that was that stupid pass interference penalty that was overturned that cost me in my pool.
- The Bears continue to struggle covering opposing tight ends, allowing Jason Witten to catch 13 passes for 112 yards and a TD. I didn’t have to look up those numbers; they’re committed to memory. Did I mention that performance cost me my fantasy game? Can you tell I’m bitter?
Game Ball
I had hoped to continue writing up a weekly Game Ball post where I nominate a few Bears standouts for a Game Ball, but I just won’t get to a full post outlining the merits of all the candidates before it’s irrelevant. It’s about time we move ahead to Jacksonville, I figured I’d toss a Game Ball to Lance Briggs. For the effort of his 76 yard INT return for a touchdown, he came up big with a big tackle for loss and generally helping Urlacher control the middle of the field.
Other standouts that were considered were Major Wright and his two interceptions, Henry Melton who had consistent pressure and led directly to Briggs’ interception, Jay Cuter and his 140.1 passer rating and Brandon Marshall, who had 7 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. That’s a nice lineup to choose from.
That’s enough basking in the glow of the Cowboys’ win. Now it’s time to turn the page to start looking forward tot he Jacksonville Jaguars.