Chicago Bears vs. Dallas Cowboys: Three Things To Watch
Bears host the Dallas Cowboys Thursday night at Soldier Field. Both teams are 6-6 on the season, but are in different situations in their respective divisions. Dallas leads the NFC East by one game, while the Bears trail NFC North leading Packers by three games. Here are three things to watch for Thursday night:
Trubisky vs. Good Dallas D
Will Mitchell Trubisky play well against a good defense? Nine of his 13 touchdown passes this year have come in three games against the Lions and Redskins. He has mostly struggled against even decent defenses. Dallas has some good stats. They're 9th in yards per play allowed but "Football Outsiders" only ranks them 18th against the pass when you weigh in who they've played. So maybe Mitch can keep his recent roll going. When asked if he was feeling more confident after his three touchdown game against the Lions, Mitch said no, he just did what he's supposed to do.
Just For Kicks
If this game comes down to a kick, the Bears might actually have an advantage. No one in the NFL has missed more field goals than Dallas' Brett Maher. And don't expect him to make or probably even attempt any long field goals especially at Soldier Field. He's 5-12 on kicks over 40 including missing a 47 yarder on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys worked out some kickers Sunday but are sticking with the guy who's struggling.
Cowboys Chaos
Speaking of that, have the Dallas players checked out on head coach Jason Garrett? Here's what's happening with the Cowboys. They suffered an embarrassing loss on Thanksgiving. Defensive tackle Michael Bennett cursed out his teammates after the game. And apparently things even got a little chippy at their practice Sunday. It all adds up to what looks like a team in disarray and possibly one that is ready to quit on their coach. So keep an eye on the players body language, maybe their energy level. This seem like a team that if they get down early, they may not put up much of a fight, other than with each other of course.