Dec 4

Dec 4 Boys’ BATTLE BEARS IN the Windy City

5 DEC 2019

Cowboys @ Bears

WINter is here. The final 3 weeks of the season is upon us & the playoff picture is taking shape. Week 14 kicks off with the NFC East’s finest (I use that very loosely) against the Monsters of the Midway in Chi Town. The Bears might be 3rd in the NFC North, however, their 6-6 record matches perfectly with the Boys’ 6-6 record. We are well aware of the Cowboys struggles against teams with a .500 record or higher. Bipolar would be a fitting personality to describe the Cowboys this season.

Now going against the Cowboys atrocious 0-5 record against teams .500 & above, Week 14 poses a matchup that could prove to be favorable for the Cowboys… a potential turning point? Let’s begin with the offensive breakdown.

Key Offensive Factors

OFF. Stats

The Cowboys clearly look like the better team offensively with good reason. Dallas leads the league in Pass YPG as well as total YPG this season. To top it all off their rush attack & PPG ranks in the top 9 of the league. On the contrary, the Bears pass attack has faced turbulence in the Windy City. The Bears third year signal caller, Mitchell Trubisky has faced his fair share of criticism this season. Then again, when the Bears aerial attack is ranked in the bottom 5 of the league, questions begin with play calling & the quarterback. As for Dallas, the biggest concerns offensively begin with the fact that this is a road game. The Cowboys are an even 3-3 both at home & on the road. Fortunately, the Cowboys top offensive players resides behind their offensive line. Ezekiel Elliot & Dak Prescott. Prescott has been exceptional this season & statistically speaking, Elliot has been better on the road than at home this season…

According to Elliot’s 2019 season splits (via ESPN), he has tallied up 31 more carries on the road resulting in 52 more rush yards. Worried about the two-dimensional attack? Not really! Dak Prescott’s 96.6 road passer rating includes his 9 TDs & 4 INTs through 6 road games this season. Sure he can be better, however, if the Cowboys don’t falter away from the run game, I expect Dak to perform at a level that should be “good enough” to keep the Cowboys in this one. The biggest concern for the Cowboys in this game is Amari Cooper. Here’s a breakdown of the Boys’ #1 wideout this season.

Home: 7.8 rec/game, 126.3 rec YPG, 5 TD

Away: 2.8 rec/game, 35.5 rec YPG, 2 TD

If this trend continues, the Cowboys aerial attack could face some turbulence in the Windy City… hopefully their reliable #2 in Michael Gallup can show up & show out.

Battling Bears

Offensively things look great for Dallas, however, if anyone can thwart the #1 offense in the league now, it’s the Monsters of the Midway… here’s your defensive breakdown Week 14’s matchup.

DEF. Stats

An evenly matched Bear & Cowboy defense leaves these two defensive juggernauts at #7 & #8 in the league when it comes to total YPG allowed. Quite frankly, this defensive breakdown could in fact be the deciding factor in this game. The Cowboys offense offers a much tougher task against the Bears defense than the Bears offense poses to the Cowboys defense. The Bears best chance at victory is their defense. The Bears offense is not the most reliable option, especially in the red zone…Bears’ Mitchell Trubisky has a 67.9 passer rating in the red zone this season. Only Baker Mayfield (Browns) & Sam Darnold (Jets) have a lower passer rating! Perhaps the Cowboys trouble with takeaways could offer some leeway for the Bears offense as Dallas has failed to force a turnover in 4 straight games (T-longest streak in team history). Meanwhile, the Bears are the 3rd team since 2005 to score & allow fewer than 18.0 PPG in a season. Their strength is stopping opposing offenses, yet their Achilles heel is not executing on offense. I expect the Cowboys offense to simply play well enough for them to escape the Windy City with a W. Besides, heading into the final month of the regular season, the team primed to win the NFC East should flip the switch after losing 3 of their last 4 games. As for the Bears, I expect their playoff chances to take a hit after suffering their first home loss since October 20th