Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears: Complete Week 14 Preview for Chicago
The Chicago Bears needed a win on Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions to get to .500 and stay afloat in the NFC play race, but they fell to 5-7 on the season with a 34-17 loss.
Chicago mustered just 269 yards of total offense on the day, leaving many on offense frustrated.
"The talent we have on the team, we’re definitely underachieving right now," running back Matt Forte said, via Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com. "Some guys got to do some soul-searching for the rest of the season to plan on how they’re going to play the rest of these games."
It will not get any easier for Chicago this week when it takes on the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.
Thursday night will be the 25th all-time meeting between the Bears and Cowboys. Dallas leads the all-time series 13-11. The two teams last squared off on Monday Night Football last December with the Bears coming away with a 45-28 victory.
Dallas (8-4) is also coming off a Thanksgiving Day loss in which it was trounced at home by the Philadelphia Eagles 33-10. The Cowboys gained just 267 yards of total offense against the Eagles. Quarterback Tony Romo threw for 199 yards on 18 completions with two interceptions and was sacked four times.
"We should have been better," Romo said, via Dan Hanzus of NFL.com. "I should have been better. And I am going to play much better next week, I can promise you that."
Chicago has struggled against the pass this season, allowing an average of 270.7 yards through the air per game. In addition to allowing big yardage through the air, Chicago's defense has also allowed the second-most passing touchdowns this season with 27.
While Chicago's playoff hopes are all but dashed, it still has an opportunity to play spoiler to teams like Dallas that are trying to make their way into the postseason.
Here is our Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears preview for Week 14.
Week 13 Recap
1 of 5
With their season essentially on the line on Thanksgiving Day, the Chicago Bears jumped out to a fast start against the Detroit Lions in Week 13.
Following two touchdown passes from Jay Cutler to Alshon Jeffery to start the game, the Bears held a 14-3 lead going into the second quarter. Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford then took over the second quarter with his precision passing, via Dan Durkin of 670TheScore.com:
"Stafford was surgical in the second quarter, going 14-for-16 for 196 yards and two touchdowns. #Bears-#Lions
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) November 27, 2014"
The Lions went into halftime with a 24-14 lead and never looked back. Chicago scored just three points in the second half and fell to the Lions 34-17.
“We just didn’t do enough, and we couldn’t overcome the adversity that we had during the course of the game and matching score for score,” head coach Marc Trestman said after the game, via Kevin Fishbain at ChicagoFootball.com. “We couldn’t do that.”
Cutler threw for 280 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, while running back Matt Forte ran the ball just five times for six yards.
ESPNChicago.com's Jon Greenberg asked Forte after the game if it was difficult to run against Detroit's stout defense:
"Asked Forte if it was tough to run it today, "I don’t know, because we didn’t run it." Pretty much.
— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) November 27, 2014"
Despite having one of the league's best running backs on his roster, Trestman opted to keep the football in Cutler's hands instead of Forte's.
Forte should have ample opportunities this Thursday to run the football when the Bears square off against a Dallas Cowboys defense that is giving up 119.6 yards on the ground per game.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Jared Allen Thinks Lance Briggs Is a Hall of Famer
After a groin injury forced Lance Briggs to miss Week 13 against Detroit, the Bears placed the 12-year veteran on injured reserve on Friday.
Briggs will not play again this season, and his time in Chicago may be up with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. Even if Briggs does not suit up again, defensive end Jared Allen believes Briggs belongs in the Hall of Fame, via Adam Hoge of the TheGameChicago.com:
"Jared Allen, when asked if Lance Briggs is a Hall-of-Famer: "In my book, I’d say so."
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) November 30, 2014"
Allen knows he will miss playing with Briggs these next few weeks.
“It’s nice when you’ve got a guy like that out on the football field with you, so he’s going to be missed," Allen said, via Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. "He was one of the reasons why I came here, was to play with him.”
According to defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, the Bears are set to move forward with Jon Bostic as Briggs' replacement in the team's base defense with Christian Jones taking on Briggs' role in the nickel package.
Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis Impressed with Marc Mariani
Since letting Devin Hester walk in free agency this past offseason, the Bears have struggled to find a competent return man to replace him.
Senorise Perry, Rashad Ross and Chris Williams all had opportunities on kickoffs, while Santonio Holmes held down punt-return duties before he was released in early November.
The Bears signed veteran Marc Mariani prior to their Week 12 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been impressed with what he has seen from Mariani in just two games.
“He’s been very good with his return mechanics,” DeCamillis said, via Kevin Fishbain of ChicagoFootball.com. “I think he’s been very decisive in his decisions, and he’s shown a little bit of juice. He’s got probably a little bit more juice than probably he had at the end of preseason. His legs are a little fresher."
Mariani has returned five punts for 25 yards and three kickoffs for 70 yards. His numbers do not jump off the page, but he already has played with far better awareness than any other returner the Bears have tried this season.
Kyle Long Is Playing at a Pro Bowl Level
Selected to the Pro Bowl last season, right guard Kyle Long looks to be headed back to the NFL's all-star game at season's end due to his stellar play this season.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Long has given up just one quarterback hit, 11 quarterback hurries and no sacks. He has a plus-9.2 overall grade for the season.
Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer has been impressed with Long's play this season, saying, via Adam Hoge of TheGameChicago.com:
"He’s matured as a player where he’s seeing the game better, understanding what defenses are doing and slowing the game down for himself and that is the biggest difference. Like any young player, the game seems fast and you try to play faster than you need to play and you get yourself out of position. When he does play with the correct tempo and that is what he has done more often this year, it helps our offense.
"
Long played arguably his best game of the season on Thanksgiving Day when he spent much of the afternoon squaring off against Detroit's Ndamukong Suh. Pro Football Focus gave Long a plus-2.1 grade for his performance and charged him with just one quarterback hurry.
If Long continues to play at the level he has all season long, expect him to make another appearance in the Pro Bowl after the regular season concludes.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Chris Conte | FS | Limited |
| Cornelius Washington | DE | Did Not Practice (DNP) |
| Chris Williams | WR/KR | DNP |
| Robbie Gould | K | DNP |
| Alshon Jeffery | WR | DNP |
| Darryl Sharpton | LB | Limited |
| Jeremiah Ratliff | DT | Limited |
Free safety Chris Conte left last Thursday's contest against the Detroit Lions with an eye injury, which leaves his status for this Thursday in question. He was initially tested for a concussion and passed the league's concussion test.
"The basic process was he was evaluated for concussion, and he was cleared," head coach Marc Trestman said, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. "Then, he had a situation with his eye. I’m not a doctor. So there’s a situation with his eye, and we’re still trying to get some clarity with that as we move forward."
If he is unable to play on Thursday, rookie Brock Vereen will likely take over at free safety.
Kick Robbie Gould missed Tuesday's practice due to quad soreness, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune:
"Marc Trestman said Robbie Gould had quad soreness this morning. Punter Pat O'Donnell did some PK work today.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) December 2, 2014"
Gould's status is currently up in the air going into Thursday night's game.
In addition to Gould sitting out of Tuesday's practice, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, defensive end Cornelius Washington and wide receiver/kick returner Chris Williams were all held out. Defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff and linebacker Darryl Sharpton were limited.
All injury statuses are from Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Michael Ola vs. Henry Melton
Drafted in the fourth round in 2009 by the Chicago Bears, defensive tackle Henry Melton is set to take on his former team when the Cowboys travel to Chicago in Week 14.
“I’m not going to say it has been circled, but I’ve been looking forward to it,” Melton said about Thursday's game, via Brandon George of The Dallas Morning News. “I still know a lot of players up there, a lot of good friends. So, yeah, it’s going to be good to see them.”
In four seasons with the Bears, Melton registered 89 tackles, 15.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. In 12 games this season, he has registered 11 tackles and five sacks. Despite playing in just 346 snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus, Melton leads the team with five sacks.
He was franchise tagged by the Bears prior to the 2013 season but suffered a torn ACL in the team's third game and missed the remainder of the season. Chicago opted to move forward without him this past offseason.
He is used primarily in a rotation along the defensive line, but he should see some increased playing time against his former team. Melton will likely flip back and forth between the right and left side of the line, but the most crucial matchup for Chicago will be when Melton is lined up opposite of guard Michael Ola.
Ola has played three different positions along the offensive line this season, including six games at left guard.
In order for Ola to keep Melton away from quarterback Jay Cutler, he will need to combat Melton's quick first step with solid leverage and strength. Even though Melton's snaps are down, he is still one of the more disruptive 3-technique tackles in the NFL.
Chicago's Linebackers vs. DeMarco Murray
No running back in the NFL has been more productive running the football this season than Dallas' DeMarco Murray.
He currently leads the league in rushing with 1,427 yards—381 more yards Le'Veon Bell—and his eight rushing touchdowns are tied for second most in the NFL.
He rushed 20 times for just 73 yards in the Cowboys' loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day, but Murray is confident the running game will get back on track this week against Chicago.
“Very confident,” Murray said, via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News. “Obviously, it was a struggle for us last week, a good Philadelphia team, going up against a good Chicago Bears team, we know what happened last year in similar circumstances so we’re focused on trying to play a good game, execute a great offensive game plan against a good team on the other side, so we’re excited.”
Chicago's defensive line will be the first line of defense against Murray, but it will likely be up to Chicago's linebackers to slow him down.
With Lance Briggs on injured reserve, second-year man Jon Bostic and rookie Christian Jones should see a heavy workload on Thursday night. Bostic will likely be the starter at weak-side linebacker in the team's base package, while Jones will slip in alongside Bostic in the nickel package. D.J. Williams will remain at middle linebacker, while Shea McClellin will be on the strong side.
Regardless of which combination is on the field, stopping Murray in the running game is going to be the team's No. 1 priority on Thursday night.
X-Factor of the Week: Matt Forte
In order for the Bears to find success against the Cowboys on Thursday night, they will need to take a page out of Dallas' playbook.
For years the Cowboys put the football in Tony Romo's hands and expected him to go out and win football games. While Romo has the ability to do so, the Cowboys realized they can be more productive when running the football with Murray.
The Bears have struggled this season when they have abandoned the run, and that was painfully evident in their 34-17 loss against the Detroit Lions. Forte ran the ball just five times for six yards on Thanksgiving Day.
“You can’t just sit back there and throw 50 passes a game and expect to win,” Forte said, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com.
Since Chicago decided to abandon the run, Detroit's defensive line was able to key in on Cutler in the passing game.
"Their front four were pinning their ears back. They didn’t have anything to do but pass rush," Forte said, via Mullin. "They’re not respecting the run, and then if you play fake, they’re not going take the play fake because you haven’t been running the ball."
Forte should have ample opportunities on Thursday night to gain big yards in the running game against Dallas' 22nd-ranked run defense. In 12 games this season, the Cowboys have allowed an average of 119.6 yards per game and have given up 11 carries of 20 yards or more this season.
If Chicago wants to win in Week 14, Forte is going to need to be the X-factor on Thursday night.
Prediction
5 of 5
Although it is not eliminated from the playoffs, it will be an uphill battle for Chicago to get back into serious playoff contention. With seemingly little left to play for, will the Bears give a full effort on Thursday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys?
According to handful of coaches and players, Chicago will not give up on the season just yet. Defensive end Jared Allen told Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald:
"#Bears DE Jared Allen on motivation when playoffs hopes are slim: "I'm motivated because I want to be the best."
— Bob LeGere (@BobLeGere) November 30, 2014"
If Chicago wants to come away with a victory on Thursday night, it is going to need to stop Dallas running back DeMarco Murray.
Murray has rushed for 100 or more yards in 10 out of 12 games this season. Chicago currently ranks 10th in the NFL against the run, giving up an average of 105.5 yards per game.
In order to come away with a victory, Chicago's offense is going to need to run the football with Matt Forte. Forte had just five carries for six yards against Detroit in Week 13, but he will need to be a focal point on Thursday night for Chicago to have any chance of winning.
In Chicago's 45-28 victory over Dallas last December, the Bears played one of their most balanced games of the season on offense. They threw the football 36 times and ran it 32 times, resulting in 490 yards of total offense. To win on Thursday, they will need to execute a similar game plan.
Even though Dallas is coming off a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving Day, they have simply been the better team this season. Chicago has won the last three meetings between these two teams, but it looks like that winning streak may come to an end on Thursday night.
Prediction: Cowboys 28, Bears 24
Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears or NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
Follow @MattEurich
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
