Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears: Full Report Card Grades for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys (9-4) dominated the Bears (5-8) in a 41-28 win at Soldier Field. The Cowboys did a great job of controlling the tempo of the game and controlling the line of scrimmage throughout the game.
Despite their late struggles, the Cowboys defense put together a very good performances as they played extremely disciplined football. One of the biggest surprises was how well the Cowboys cornerbacks tackled throughout the night.
The Cowboys offense was extremely efficient, as they relied on DeMarco Murray for much of the game. They also got some great contributions from their role players, such as Cole Beasley and Gavin Escobar.
The Cowboys came in with a great game plan on offense and defense, which allowed them to exploit the Bears' weakness all night.
Barry Church had a great night, as he was active in coverage and against the run to go along with his blocked extra point. The Cowboys haven't had a safety who is good in coverage since Darren Woodson retired. Church is not on that level, but the fact that he has shown significant improvement should be a great sign to the Cowboys coaches.
Now, the Cowboys look forward to another game against their division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game that could decide the NFC East crown.
Let’s take a look at how each position graded out in this Week 14 matchup.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Tony Romo started a little shaky with a couple of high throws, but he calmed down after the first quarter and put together another masterful performance.
He went 21-of-26 for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and he did a great job of taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him.
Romo looked to be much healthier, as he moved well in the pocket and made timely, accurate throws throughout the game.
One of the most underrated aspects of Romo's game is his ability to go through his progressions and make smart throws. He did a great job of doing just that Thursday.
It has always been the case, but the Cowboys will go as far as Romo takes them.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
DeMarco Murray carried the Cowboys throughout most of the game against the Bears. He did a great job of running and catching the ball throughout the game.
Murray finished with 32 carries for 179 yards and a touchdown to go with nine receptions for 49 yards in one of his most complete performances of the year.
Murray doesn't have the best open-field vision or lateral agility, but he does a great job of getting downhill and getting yards after contact. He does well getting the dirty yards, but he could be even better if he could improve at cutting in the open field.
Joseph Randle showed why some people believe the Cowboys can afford to lose Murray, as he had a beautiful run in the third quarter for a touchdown.
The Cowboys dominated the Bears in the running game, and that is a good sign going forward.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
After an abysmal performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys receivers and tight ends did a great job of getting open against man coverage Thursday.
Cole Beasley had his best game of the season, as he came away with two great touchdown catches against the Bears. Throughout the season, Beasley has been used primarily as a third-down target, but he did a great job of becoming a red-zone target tonight.
Dez Bryant showed why he is one of the most physically gifted receivers in the NFL, as he frequently stiff-armed defenders off of him and skied over them for a beautiful play-action pass. He finished the day with six catches for 82 yards, and he gave the Cowboys a spark in the passing game.
Jason Witten had another quiet night as a receiver, but he performed well in the run-blocking department. Witten has become a pseudo-offensive lineman this year, as he has done his best work as a blocker.
Overall, the Cowboys receivers and tight ends put together a great performance against the Bears.
Grade: A
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Cowboys offensive line put together another dominating performance, as they controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the game. They opened up huge holes for DeMarco Murray and gave Tony Romo a ton of time to throw.
Tyron Smith seems to have bounced back from his midseason lull, as he has been lights-out for the past couple of weeks.
Zack Martin put together another incredible performance, doing a great job blocking in space. Martin has proven to be an invaluable player for the Cowboys in the run and pass games. He perfectly fits the Cowboys' scheme, and it shows every week.
The rest of the Cowboys offensive line put together a solid effort as well, as there didn't appear to be many leaks throughout the game.
The Cowboys offensive line needs to maintain this level of play when they face the Philadelphia Eagles, who dominated them in their last game.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line has been one of the weakest units for the Cowboys this season, but they did an adequate job against the Bears.
They didn't get enough pressure on Jay Cutler, but they did a great job of being stout against the run, as they only allowed 35 yards on 15 carries.
Tyrone Crawford continued his stellar play, further cementing his status as the best defensive lineman on the Cowboys roster. He was constantly disruptive, and he made a lot of plays in the interior of the defensive line.
Anthony Spencer didn't do much as a pass-rusher, but he made a great play, stripping Matt Forte from behind, which helped the Cowboys pull away in the third quarter.
The Cowboys defensive line has to do a better job of getting pressure on the quarterback if they hope to be able to limit the explosive Eagles offense next week.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Cowboys linebackers didn't exactly stand out, but they got the job done Thursday night. They were great filling against the run, and they played well in coverage until the third quarter.
Rolando McClain didn't look to be completely healthy, but he looked much better than he did against the Eagles. He filled well versus the run, but he still didn't have that quick-twitch explosiveness that made him such a great player earlier in the year.
Anthony Hitchens bounced back from his pitiful performance, as he was solid throughout.
One of the most surprising aspects of the game was that Kyle Wilber replaced Bruce Carter in the base defense as the "Sam" linebacker on some occasions. Carter has had a disappointing year and it appears as though the Cowboys coaching staff had enough.
With 10 days' rest, the Cowboys hope that McClain will get healthy enough to return to his midseason form so the linebacker unit can play their best in Philadelphia.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
The Cowboys secondary have had an up-and-down year. Some games they play extremely well, and others they can't cover a lick.
Thursday night, they played extremely well for most of the game, until the coaching staff had them play soft zone coverage in the fourth quarter.
Orlando Scandrick had a beautiful leaping interception to end the game with a little over a minute to go. Scandrick has been criticized in the past for his lack of ball skills, but he did a great job of plucking the ball out of the air on that play.
Barry Church appeared to have a great performance as well. He did a solid job in run support, and he made a few plays in coverage as well. While Church isn't on Darren Woodson's level, he has made drastic improvements that should be encouraging to coaches and fans alike.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Cowboys special teams had another great performance, putting the memories of their midseason struggles behind them.
The one mistake they had was when they allowed the Bears to recover their second onside kick on a play where Gavin Escobar dropped the easy catch.
Besides that, they did a great job covering kicks, and Dan Bailey continued to be the most consistent player on the Cowboys roster. He went 2-of-2 on his field-goal attempts and did a good job of not giving the Bears many opportunities to return his kicks.
Dwayne Harris was solid covering kicks, and he is playing more like the special teams ace of prior years.
Grade: A-
Coaching
9 of 10
Head coach Jason Garrett did a great job of making crucial decisions early on in the game. He let the offense go for it on two separate fourth downs, which allowed the Cowboys to get an important early touchdown.
Play-caller Scott Linehan helped create a masterful game for the offense, as he made timely calls and took advantage of the Bears' tendencies.
Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli called a good game for three quarters, but he allowed the Bears offense to rack up points, as he had the defense play soft zones in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys coaching staff will have 10 days to prepare for the Eagles, which should allow them to call a much better game than they did in the last meeting.
Grade: B+
Final Grade
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | A |
| WR | A |
| OL | A |
| DL | B |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | B+ |
| Special Teams | A- |
| Coaching | B+ |
| Cumulative Grade | B+ |
If the Cowboys didn't allow the Bears to creep back into the game, they may have had As across the board. Even with the Bears' late-game surge, the Cowboys put together a great team performance that bodes well for their future games. The offense played lights-out and need to continue that play when they head into Philadelphia next week.
The Cowboys have to win the game against the Eagles next week, and to do so, they will need a performance similar to what they put together tonight.
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