The Dallas Cowboys are coming off an impressive win against one of the top offenses in the NFL, with the Dallas defense holding the Detroit Lions offense to just six points. The Cowboys also saw the return of quarterback Dak Prescott, who looked a bit rusty but seemed to start shaking it off as the game progressed.
This week the Cowboys will be hosting the Chicago Bears who are coming off an impressive win of their own, beating the New England Patriots on Monday night.
Led by quarterback Justin Fields and an aggressive defensive unit, the Bears are trying to fight their way back into the playoff conversation. Much like the Cowboys did with a young Prescott under center, the Bears are effectively utilizing the legs of Fields in order to build his confidence and open up the passing game at the same time. This makes him a tough quarterback to face for the Cowboys who’ve at times had problems with the more mobile quarterbacks in this league.
It remains to be seen how Dallas will approach defending this dynamic quarterback and beating this very good defensive unit. But we will try and figure it out in this weeks, “Know Thy Enemy”
Cowboys vs. Bears: Week 8 Know Thy Enemy
Chicago Bears at a Glance
All-time record vs Cowboys: 12-13
2022 Record: 3-4
2022 Offensive Ranking: 24th out of 32 teams
2022 Defensive Ranking: 7th out of 32 teams
Current Injury List: G Lucas Patrick (Toe), OT Alex Leatherwood (Illness), G Cody Whitehair (IR Knee), LB Christian Albright (Undisclosed), CB Tavon Young (Undisclosed), WR David Moore (Leg), WR Byron Pringle ( Calf)
#Bears starting center Lucas Patrick has left the game with an apparent leg injury.
— Bears Insider (@bears_insider) October 25, 2022
Patrick had been making his return to center. He is doubtful to return. https://t.co/dR2roh2dWM
Most Notable Offensive Players: QB Justin Fields, RB David Montgomery, RB Khalil Herbert, WR Darnell Mooney, TE Cole Kmet
Most Notable Defensive Players: LB Roquan Smith, S Jaquan Brisker, DL Al-Quadin Muhammad, DL Justin Jones, CB Eddie Jackson
What We’ve Seen and Possible Offensive Gameplan Against Dallas
Points Per Game: 18 points
Passing Yards Per Game: 149.7 yards
Rushing Yards Per Game: 181 yards
Total Yards Per Game: 307.3 yards
Third Down Conversion Percentage: 40.7%
Red Zone Conversion Percentage: 47.4%
It’s pretty easy to figure out what makes this Bears’ offense run, and it’s exactly that, their strong running game. But it’s not just their running backs Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery who are doing all of the damage. Quarterback Justin Fields is right there with them in terms of their effectiveness on the ground.
The Bears currently rank second in the NFL in rushing attempts (242) and first in rushing yards (1,267). They also have the fifth-best yards per carry average in the league at 5.2 yards per attempt.
So, we know exactly how the Bears plan to attack the Cowboys’ defense but what else are they able to do against this Cowboys’ offense?
They have a banged-up offensive line with their center going down on Monday night with a toe injury and their starting left tackle is still out with an illness. This means more quick throws from Fields who has a cannon for an arm but is still learning to read defenses and get faster going through his receiver progressions.
Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has done a great job of putting Fields in situations that make it easier for him to read defenses and make quick decisions with the read-option being the main staple of this offense.
Justin Fields' designed runs brought "whole different element" to Bears offense in blowout over Patriotshttps://t.co/uHwqMYR7Ye pic.twitter.com/AgYwgmr4l6
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 25, 2022
And yet while the running game is the engine that keeps this Bears offense going, their receivers and tight end are spark plugs that keep the offense on the field in tough situations. Receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet are two of Fields’ favorite targets and in crunch time they are the playmakers in the passing game he’s going to be looking at to make plays.
The Cowboys are going to have their hands full with this group and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is going to need to be able to come up with a scheme that is able to restrict Fields in the running game and force him to make plays with his arm behind a weakened Bears offensive line.
The addition of Jonathan Hankins to the Cowboys’ defensive line will be a nice boost in order to stop Montgomery and Herbert but to stop Fields, he’s going to need to figure something else out because his size and strength make him more difficult to defend compared to the likes of Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.
What We’ve Seen and Possible Defensive Gameplan Against Dallas
Points Per Game: 18.9 points
Passing Yards Per Game: 180.3 yards
Rushing Yards Per Game: 149.7 yards
Total Yards Per Game: 330 yards
Third Down Conversion Percentage: 46.5%
Red Zone Conversion Percentage: 62%
This Chicago Bears defense prides itself on causing havoc along the offensive line to disrupt plays in the backfield and throw off the timing of the opposing quarterback.
Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams has his defenders out here causing major problems for offensive linemen with large defensive tackles clogging the middle of the line allowing Pro-Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith and their aggressive safeties and cornerbacks to come up and make tackles.
The Cowboys are going to see a far more aggressive but disciplined unit than what they saw last week against the Lions.
Bears rookie S Jaquan Brisker through 7 games this season: 42 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovered, 447-of-448 total defensive snaps played.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 25, 2022
He continues to look like a tone-setting, foundational piece for the Chicago defense. Total stud. pic.twitter.com/dIjjhUr6LN
We have to assume that the Cowboys are going to have some issues running the football this week against the Bears. This means more coming out of the passing game and the one player that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will need to be on the lookout for will be rookie safety Jaquan Brisker who has come into the league and made a name for himself as an impact player on this defense. The Cowboys will be able to attack these Bear cornerbacks this week but their receivers need to be able to create separation and make things easier for Prescott to make plays.
If they aren’t able to, then Prescott and this Dallas offensive line can expect to see pressure all game long. They will need to stay out of these third and long situations that they’ve been stuck in as of late and also be more creative with their play calling to catch this aggressive defense off guard. Will they be able to, time will tell.
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