Cowboys vs. Bears: Behind Enemy Lines in Big D
So what are the local bloggers and media saying in Big D…..?
On our sister Fansided site, The Landry Hat, writer Tyrone Starr feels that in order for Dallas to win, they will have to run the football.
Even though the Bears have been decent statistically against the run, Starr points out that the Bear defense hasn’t really faced many
Nov 16, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) before their game against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
quality backs and can still easily be run on:
"Ironically, the only thing they seem to be decent at is stopping the run. Do not fret over that stat however as a deeper look into why they have an acceptable run defense. Of the league’s top fifteen leading rushers, they have only faced one running back who is in the top ten (the Packers Eddie Lacy twice) and another who is sitting at the twelfth spot in San Francisco running back Frank Gore."
http://thelandryhat.com/2014/12/02/dallas-cowboys-will-beat-chicago-bears/
On the Dallas Morning News, columnist Rick Gosselin feels that Cutler can be dangerous if the Cowboys defensive front cannot get pressure:
"The only shot the Cowboys have is to pressure Cutler and force him to play giveaway. He’s already turned the ball over 20 times this season, which is why the Bears have been on a downward spiral at 5-7. But do you have any faith the Cowboys can pressure Cutler? There is no pass rush. If you let Cutler stand back there and throw, he’ll tear you apart — just as his backup Josh McCown did last December."
Oct 26, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) looks on from the sideline during the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 51-23. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
My Prediction
Both of these teams are coming off of embarrassing division losses, giving their fans little to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. It’s going to be cold at night by the lake in Soldier Field, which may bring back some rough memories for the Cowboys from last year on a frigid Monday night.
This is a different Cowboy team from last year, however, as the ‘Boys come in as the only undefeated road team in the NFL (5-0). They also average 145.3 yards/game on the ground – good for 2nd in the NFL. The Bears have shown that they can be effective stopping the run, but this is easily their toughest test of the season. Neither team has shown the ability the protect the football this season, which has killed them both (Bears -4 turnover differential, Cowboys -3) and makes this game an unpredictable one.
That being said, the Bears’ front seven has their hands full with the talented Cowboy offensive line as well as dynamic running back, DeMarco Murray – who they had trouble with last year. The secondary of the Bears will continue to be shredded like paper mache as I have yet to see a group of DBs more confused in my 30+ years of watching this team. I think that the Bear defense holds up Murray to a respectable number as the front 4 has played better, but I see no signs of any progress in that defensive backfield which could turn this into a big day for WR Dez Bryant.
Contrary to popular belief, I think that the Bear offense will be able to move the ball. One week after basically telling his team that he has no faith in the run game against Detroit, Marc Trestman will be out to make amends and pound the ball against the Dallas 22nd ranked run defense. It won’t be enough as this team may have already checked out.
Cowboys 27, Bears 21
Last week, I called out the Bear secondary and they played about as bad of a game as they possibly could. Hopefully they can prove me wrong this week, so I’m calling out the undersized and underwhelming Bear secondary again to make up for last week’s embarrassing performance.
Stay warm and…..Bear Down!!!!