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Cowboys Wire: Mitchell Trubisky seems to have regressed from the upwards trajectory we saw in 2018. Is the issue more that defenses know what he’s going to do and he hasn’t progressed, or has he regressed?
Bears Wire: He’s definitely regressed, and there are a number of factors at play. He continues to struggle reading defenses and going through his projections, which isn’t encouraging for a third-year quarterback. Then there’s the fact that Matt Nagy hasn’t been doing him any favors. What worked last year hasn’t worked most of this season — utilizing Trubisky’s mobility, not overloading him with his massive playbook, not micromanaging him and causing him to overthink everything. But at the same time, the rest of the Bears offense has been horrible this season, too, with the exception of Allen Robinson.
Trubisky’s the problem, Nagy’s the problem, the offensive line is the problem, the tight ends are the problem, the run game is the problem. But Trubisky has certainly been the biggest problem. Although Trubisky has put together a solid string of four games where Nagy looks like he’s gotten back to basics, what worked last season. We’ll see if he can do it against better competition in these final four games.
Bears Wire: Dak Prescott was considered an MVP candidate earlier this season. But these last couple of games he hasn’t played as well. What’s the cause of Prescott’s struggles, and how heavily do the Cowboys need to lean on him as they make a playoff push?
Cowboys Wire: Everyone should throw the game against New England out of their judgment of Prescott’s season. Those weather conditions played the biggest factor in that horrible day, and he deserves a mulligan for that. The interesting thing to come from that game is the performance that followed. He looked completely out of sorts against the Bills, and it raises the question that’s been brought up in the past: How confident is Prescott in his ability?
In 2017, when he was attacked relentlessly in a loss to Atlanta where he was sacked eight times, he lost confidence in himself and went on one of the worst runs of quarterbacking in recent memory. This year his confidence has been sky-high, and QB coach Jon Kitna has a lot to do with that. We saw against Buffalo what happens to him when his belief is low. What that looks like in the cold night of Chicago is a huge litmus test.
Cowboys Wire: Is Khalil Mack’s play any worse than it was in 2018, or is it simply a case of the solid effort not showing up in box-score stats?
Bears Wire: Let’s be honest, Khalil Mack is someone that, even when he’s not in the box score, is someone that’s affecting every play. Opposing teams have to gameplan specifically to stop him because he’s always a threat to get after the quarterback. With that said, this hasn’t been a particularly productive season for Mack stats-wise, which has to do with a number of things. After starting the first four games with 4.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles, he’s only had 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble. A big part of that has been the absence of defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who is as important to Chicago’s defense as Mack is. With teams not having to worry about Hicks, they’ve been able to throw more reinforcements Mack’s way.
Bears Wire: Dallas’ defense looked lost about QB Josh Allen and Buffalo’s offense last Thursday. How would you assess the play of the Cowboys defense recently? What are their biggest weaknesses, and how might they be able to best the Bears offense?
Cowboys Wire: The Cowboys defense is an enigma, and the biggest issues have been in their back seven. The linebackers haven’t played up to their 2018 standards, and Leighton Vander Esch is missing another game with a neck injury. Jaylon Smith has been bad in coverage, and Sean Lee has looked his age; the brain is still savvy, the body less so. In coverage, Chido Awuzie has been a constant target because he never tries to locate the ball. That’s a sore spot as none of the Cowboys’ secondary players do a good job unless they are coming downhill, but he’s the worst at it. The pass rush will be the key for Dallas, if they can get their four-headed dragon of DeMarcus Lawrence, Robert Quinn, Michael Bennett and Maliek Collins going to pressure and take down Mitchell Trubisky.
Cowboys Wire:The Cowboys boast one of the worst special teams units in the league, bring us up to speed on why this could be a serious issue facing Chicago.
Bears Wire: Two words: Cordarrelle Patterson. When the Bears signed Patterson in the offseason, they were getting a dynamic weapon both on offense and special teams. While he’s shown an ability to crank off huge plays on offense, he’s really made his presence known this season on special teams. He’s always a threat to break one for a touchdown, as he did against the Saints, or even just a solid 50-yard return, as was the case last week in Detroit. The Bears have struggled with field position, especially on punt returns, but Patterson typically always brings the ball out of the endzone on kickoff returns, which is good news for the Bears because he’s always a threat to score.
Bears Wire: The Cowboys have some significant injuries that might impact Thursday’s game, including WR Amari Cooper, LB Leighton Vander Esch and DT Michael Bennett. What are the statuses of those players and the likelihood they’ll be ready for Thursday night?
Cowboys Wire: Cooper and Bennett are going to play, Vander Esch is out. Dallas may also be without change-of-pace RB Tony Pollard, so expect Ezekiel Elliott to get a heavy workload.
Cowboys Wire: Who are some of the unsung Bears heroes that may not be household names, but will show up on Thursday night?
Bears Wire: With receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker out with concussions, there are two guys on offense that should see some attention. Second-year wideout Javon Wims is coming off a career game, where he had five catches for 56 yards on six targets. Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller are still the Bears’ top receivers, but look for Wims to get some opportunities. Chicago hasn’t had any success with its tight ends this season.
With Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen on injured reserve and Braunecker out with a concussion, undrafted rookie Jesper Horsted is getting opportunities. He’s only had two catches in two games, but he had an impressive touchdown catch against the Lions. And he’s still learning how to play tight end, as he was converted from receiver.
On defense, defensive tackle Nick Williams has been one of Chicago’s top run stoppers since Akiem Hicks has been out for seven weeks with an elbow injury. The Bears need a big game from Williams, who leads the team in sacks, to have a chance against Dallas’ offense.
Bears Wire: Jason Garrett seems like he’s headed to the chopping block by Jerry Jones. Just how hot is Garrett’s seat right now, and is there any scenario that keeps Garrett in place beyond 2019?
Cowboys Wire: The seat is so hot, there’s really no reason for Garrett to sit down anymore. It’s going to take a miracle run for Garrett to return in 2020, the club is going to have to make it to the NFC Championship and be competitive, at minimum, for him to return. The funny part? This team is capable of doing so. They are bad right now, but they have the talent up and down the roster to be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs. They can win home or away and can score with relative ease when they aren’t shooting themselves in the foot. Finding a way to make that happen down the stretch is, well, a stretch, but it is possible.
Cowboys Wire: What’s your prediction for the game?
Bears Wire: While the Bears offense is coming off its best game of the season and Chicago is on a two-game winning streak, I’m not feeling too confident about how the Bears matchup against the Cowboys. The offense might be able to move the ball on the Cowboys, but with Prince Amukamara likely out on defense, I’m not confident the offense can get into a shootout with Dak and the ‘Boys.
Cowboys 27, Bears 20
What’s your prediction for the game?
Cowboys Wire: I’m not at all confident in it, but I think the Cowboys playing on a full week’s rest can avoid the normal offensive malaise of the Thursday night road team. Cowboys 28, Bears 24
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Week 14 Cowboys potential head coach Power Rankings: Who does Jerry Jones want?
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Bears Wire: He’s definitely regressed, and there are a number of factors at play. He continues to struggle reading defenses and going through his projections, which isn’t encouraging for a third-year quarterback. Then there’s the fact that Matt Nagy hasn’t been doing him any favors. What worked last year hasn’t worked most of this season — utilizing Trubisky’s mobility, not overloading him with his massive playbook, not micromanaging him and causing him to overthink everything. But at the same time, the rest of the Bears offense has been horrible this season, too, with the exception of Allen Robinson.
Trubisky’s the problem, Nagy’s the problem, the offensive line is the problem, the tight ends are the problem, the run game is the problem. But Trubisky has certainly been the biggest problem. Although Trubisky has put together a solid string of four games where Nagy looks like he’s gotten back to basics, what worked last season. We’ll see if he can do it against better competition in these final four games.
Bears Wire: Dak Prescott was considered an MVP candidate earlier this season. But these last couple of games he hasn’t played as well. What’s the cause of Prescott’s struggles, and how heavily do the Cowboys need to lean on him as they make a playoff push?
Cowboys Wire: Everyone should throw the game against New England out of their judgment of Prescott’s season. Those weather conditions played the biggest factor in that horrible day, and he deserves a mulligan for that. The interesting thing to come from that game is the performance that followed. He looked completely out of sorts against the Bills, and it raises the question that’s been brought up in the past: How confident is Prescott in his ability?
In 2017, when he was attacked relentlessly in a loss to Atlanta where he was sacked eight times, he lost confidence in himself and went on one of the worst runs of quarterbacking in recent memory. This year his confidence has been sky-high, and QB coach Jon Kitna has a lot to do with that. We saw against Buffalo what happens to him when his belief is low. What that looks like in the cold night of Chicago is a huge litmus test.
Cowboys Wire: Is Khalil Mack’s play any worse than it was in 2018, or is it simply a case of the solid effort not showing up in box-score stats?
Bears Wire: Let’s be honest, Khalil Mack is someone that, even when he’s not in the box score, is someone that’s affecting every play. Opposing teams have to gameplan specifically to stop him because he’s always a threat to get after the quarterback. With that said, this hasn’t been a particularly productive season for Mack stats-wise, which has to do with a number of things. After starting the first four games with 4.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles, he’s only had 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble. A big part of that has been the absence of defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who is as important to Chicago’s defense as Mack is. With teams not having to worry about Hicks, they’ve been able to throw more reinforcements Mack’s way.
Bears Wire: Dallas’ defense looked lost about QB Josh Allen and Buffalo’s offense last Thursday. How would you assess the play of the Cowboys defense recently? What are their biggest weaknesses, and how might they be able to best the Bears offense?
Cowboys Wire: The Cowboys defense is an enigma, and the biggest issues have been in their back seven. The linebackers haven’t played up to their 2018 standards, and Leighton Vander Esch is missing another game with a neck injury. Jaylon Smith has been bad in coverage, and Sean Lee has looked his age; the brain is still savvy, the body less so. In coverage, Chido Awuzie has been a constant target because he never tries to locate the ball. That’s a sore spot as none of the Cowboys’ secondary players do a good job unless they are coming downhill, but he’s the worst at it. The pass rush will be the key for Dallas, if they can get their four-headed dragon of DeMarcus Lawrence, Robert Quinn, Michael Bennett and Maliek Collins going to pressure and take down Mitchell Trubisky.
Cowboys Wire:The Cowboys boast one of the worst special teams units in the league, bring us up to speed on why this could be a serious issue facing Chicago.
Bears Wire: Two words: Cordarrelle Patterson. When the Bears signed Patterson in the offseason, they were getting a dynamic weapon both on offense and special teams. While he’s shown an ability to crank off huge plays on offense, he’s really made his presence known this season on special teams. He’s always a threat to break one for a touchdown, as he did against the Saints, or even just a solid 50-yard return, as was the case last week in Detroit. The Bears have struggled with field position, especially on punt returns, but Patterson typically always brings the ball out of the endzone on kickoff returns, which is good news for the Bears because he’s always a threat to score.
Bears Wire: The Cowboys have some significant injuries that might impact Thursday’s game, including WR Amari Cooper, LB Leighton Vander Esch and DT Michael Bennett. What are the statuses of those players and the likelihood they’ll be ready for Thursday night?
Cowboys Wire: Cooper and Bennett are going to play, Vander Esch is out. Dallas may also be without change-of-pace RB Tony Pollard, so expect Ezekiel Elliott to get a heavy workload.
Cowboys Wire: Who are some of the unsung Bears heroes that may not be household names, but will show up on Thursday night?
Bears Wire: With receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker out with concussions, there are two guys on offense that should see some attention. Second-year wideout Javon Wims is coming off a career game, where he had five catches for 56 yards on six targets. Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller are still the Bears’ top receivers, but look for Wims to get some opportunities. Chicago hasn’t had any success with its tight ends this season.
With Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen on injured reserve and Braunecker out with a concussion, undrafted rookie Jesper Horsted is getting opportunities. He’s only had two catches in two games, but he had an impressive touchdown catch against the Lions. And he’s still learning how to play tight end, as he was converted from receiver.
On defense, defensive tackle Nick Williams has been one of Chicago’s top run stoppers since Akiem Hicks has been out for seven weeks with an elbow injury. The Bears need a big game from Williams, who leads the team in sacks, to have a chance against Dallas’ offense.
Bears Wire: Jason Garrett seems like he’s headed to the chopping block by Jerry Jones. Just how hot is Garrett’s seat right now, and is there any scenario that keeps Garrett in place beyond 2019?
Cowboys Wire: The seat is so hot, there’s really no reason for Garrett to sit down anymore. It’s going to take a miracle run for Garrett to return in 2020, the club is going to have to make it to the NFC Championship and be competitive, at minimum, for him to return. The funny part? This team is capable of doing so. They are bad right now, but they have the talent up and down the roster to be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs. They can win home or away and can score with relative ease when they aren’t shooting themselves in the foot. Finding a way to make that happen down the stretch is, well, a stretch, but it is possible.
Cowboys Wire: What’s your prediction for the game?
Bears Wire: While the Bears offense is coming off its best game of the season and Chicago is on a two-game winning streak, I’m not feeling too confident about how the Bears matchup against the Cowboys. The offense might be able to move the ball on the Cowboys, but with Prince Amukamara likely out on defense, I’m not confident the offense can get into a shootout with Dak and the ‘Boys.
Cowboys 27, Bears 20
What’s your prediction for the game?
Cowboys Wire: I’m not at all confident in it, but I think the Cowboys playing on a full week’s rest can avoid the normal offensive malaise of the Thursday night road team. Cowboys 28, Bears 24
Gallery
Week 14 Cowboys potential head coach Power Rankings: Who does Jerry Jones want?
view 32 imagesContinue reading...