Chicago Bears: Grading the Week 2 Win Over the Dallas Cowboys
The Chicago Bears went into Dallas and have done something that many teams don't do: beat the Cowboys at home.
In fact since the NFL merger, the Cowboys have the best home winning percentage in the NFL.
After falling behind early, Jay Cutler and the offense got rolling. Quick adjustments by Mike Martz led to quick scores for Chicago.
The defense also held its own, by limiting the Cowboys on offense and making them a one-dimensional team.
Quarterback: A
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Jay Cutler had another spectacular game against the Cowboys. Cutler finished 21-29 with 277 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
More importantly Cutler had zero interceptions. Limiting his mistakes was key for Chicago, who trailed by four early on.
Cutler made quick reads and good decisions. One thing I noticed was that Cutler didn't force the ball. He simply threw it away when nothing was there.
Showing off his strong arm, Cutler had completions of 53 and 39 yards. He was hit and hurried on his first seven drop backs.
Cutler kept his composure and led the Bears to an impressive win in Dallas.
Running Backs: C
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The running game struggled for the second week in a row. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor ran on a combined 14 attempts for 35 yards.
The Bears also couldn't convert in the run game in some short-yardage situations, something that needs to happen, especially down the stretch.
Matt Forte made up for his lack of rushing in the receiving game, including a touchdown late to pad the Bears' lead.
Receivers/Tight Ends: B+
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Are these the same Bears wide receivers we saw last season and preseason?
It sure is, but they have improved. This core has stepped up big time since the end of last season. Johnny Knox and Devin Hester had big games against the Cowboys.
Knox and Hester both had 4 receptions, including Hester's amazing one-handed touchdown catch. Earl Bennett, who saw his first action of the season Sunday, had 5 receptions for 29 yards.
Greg Olsen made up for his dismal week in one game. He had a big touchdown reception just after Dez Bryant scored on a punt return.
Chicago is developing weapons at this position and they are all young. The Bears could be a dangerous team this season if Cutler and the receivers continue to get better.
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Offensive Line: D+
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This offensive line continued to prove that they needed help. Especially in the first quarter, where it seemed like Cutler had a defender in his face every play.
Pass blocking and run blocking need to be improved, and it's no secret that Dallas dominated them upfront. That is until the team made adjustments, and seemingly played well.
Losing Chris Williams hurt Chicago. Although he hasn't played up to par this season, it shifted the whole line.
The grade would be higher for this group, but a dismal first quarter and part of the second quarter still show this group needs help.
Defensive Line: C
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The defensive line didn't pay amazing, but they didn't play bad, either. I would have loved to see more pressure on Tony Romo, but that's hard to do against a tough Dallas offensive line.
The Bears made plays behind the line of scrimmage often, which is a positive to see. They didn't sack Romo once, though.
The line will need to play better next week against Green Bay. Otherwise, Aaron Rodgers with plenty of time can torch you on any play.
Linebackers: B
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The Bears defense was led by the linebackers Sunday. Who seemed to be all over the field making plays on the Cowboys.
Brian Urlacher led the linebackers with 8 tackles, and 2 of them for losses. Lance Briggs also played a good game, finishing with 6 tackles, and 2 of them for loss as well.
The linebackers effectively run blitzed, and got to the Cowboy running backs in the backfield. The Bears defense struggled last season, but it's showing how good they can be.
Secondary: B
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The Bears secondary really impressed me Sunday, forcing two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The coverage was good all game long, and they never got burned for a big play.
Charles Tillman forced a fumble, well that's nothing new, late in the game to seal a Bears victory.
Besides giving up 142 yards to Miles Austin, the secondary held its own.
Special Teams: C+
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Robbie Gould converted on his two attempts, including a 46-yard field goal to give the Bears a early 3-0 lead.
Punter Brad Maynard pinned the Cowboys deep a few times, setting the Bears defense up with an advantage.
The only negative in Chicago's special teams was Dez Byrant's punt return for the touchdown early in the second half.
Coaching: B+
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Early on it looked like the Bears offense had no chance in this game. Things changed throughout the game though.
Mike Martz adjusted his offense, and did it to Cutler's advantage. Shorting the drop steps, and making quick passes. Those were key to Chicago's offensive success in this game.
Credit also is deserved to Rod Marinelli, who showed Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense different schemes all game, and made them one-dimensional.
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