The Dallas Cowboys come to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears in an NFC battle on Thursday Night Football. Both teams played on Thanksgiving with varying results. Whereas the Bears won their second in a row with a 24-20 win over the Lions, the Cowboys dropped their second in a row with a 26-15 loss at home to the Bills. With six losses in nine games, the Cowboys are remarkably still in front in the NFC East. Despite having the same record, Chicago’s prospects of returning to the postseason this year appear bleak. Yet, at home against a Dallas team mired in dysfunction, they might be in good shape to cover the spread this week.
Why It’s Hard to Take Chicago
Covering just one spread since September 23 doesn’t entice a lot of people to plunk their dough on the Bears at this point. You have an offense that sometimes produces very little. They stink through the air, and their ground-game isn’t any better. You have a defense that, while still effective, has also taken a step back with the other side of the ball, often grinding to a halt. The differential on offense to Dallas will definitely resonate with some people, as the Cowboys have infinitely more star-power on that side of the ball. Add the stench of disappointment to the equation, as a 12-win team from last season now needs every star in the galaxy to line up right for them to get into the playoffs, and it’s just a hard group to get behind.
Why It’s Harder to Take Dallas
Dallas’ downward-spiral is a little harder to explain. They have a pretty balanced defense, bolstered by a strong secondary and enough juice on the front-seven to make mayhem. And yet, they aren’t making much of an impact, with their opponents’ point-totals swelling in recent weeks. That’s nothing compared to the offense. With a good line, one of the league’s top RBs, several productive receivers, capable tight ends, and a quarterback with two-thirds completions and almost 4000 yards, they still can’t seem to make it happen.
You have to wonder how an offense can be ranked second in terms of total yardage, yet when people discuss the best offenses in the NFL, no one mentions this group. At a time in the season, when it was time to kick it up a gear, this group has managed 24 total points in two games. Sure, they played some tough defenses the last two weeks in New England and Buffalo, but is that supposed to get better this week against Chicago at Soldier Field where they might have some weather?
Daylight for Chicago
Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen some things that the Bears could conceivably exploit. On offense, some better play from Trubisky has been evident, and after throwing three TDs on 338 yards on Thanksgiving, the second straight game that he has passed for 270 or more yards. Receivers Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and even Javon Wims had big days, and they got some good runs from David Montgomery. Against a Dallas “D” getting so little out of what they have, the Chicago offense could end up playing a big role.
The Chicago defense could end up having a bigger say on this game. Earlier in the season at home, the Bears lost to the Saints, 36-25. In all their other home games this season, they are allowing an average of 14 points a game. We saw how badly the Dallas offense struggled the last two weeks against better defenses, and this might be a weird week for that part of their team to get better, especially on the road. And with a robust playmaking component, the Bears defense could have a big play or two that helps their cause.
- Get more details: Dallas at Chicago NFL Match-up Stats
