ESPN: Cowboys vs Bears advanced scouting report
Why To Watch
This matchup pits two of the best teams in the NFC against each other, with the story for Dallas being an offense that has put up 82 combined points over the first two weeks of the season. Chicago's defense has been equally impressive, though, holding LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson to 80 combined rushing yards during the first two weeks. But in the end the onus will be on Bears QB Rex Grossman to prove he can produce enough points on offense and avoid turning the ball over.
When the Cowboys have the ball
Rushing: Dallas RBs Marion Barber and Julius Jones split carries equally last week but Barber is the more effective runner of the two. Jones complements him well, but Barber deserves an increased workload as his size and power could give the somewhat undersized Bears defense a difficult time as the game progresses. While he will not hit the home run Barber does runs very hard and shows good vision and patience. The Cowboys have a huge, zone-blocking offensive line that has a major size advantage over a Chicago defensive line that relies on quickness and athletic ability.
Assuming this game stays close, expect the Cowboys to run the ball more often than usual with the intent of wearing down the defensive front. However, the Bears held Tomlinson to a measly 1.5 yards per carry in Week 1 and Larry Johnson under 3.5 last week. Danieal Manning has replaced the injured Mike Brown at safety, and while he is a good player he isn't the leader or force against the run that Brown provides. While the Bears are often considered a strict Cover 2 defense, in reality they have no problems mixing up their looks and bringing SS Adam Archuleta into the box for run support, an area in which he excels. But with Dallas boasting a high-powered passing attack bringing Archuleta close to the line of scrimmage could prove to be a dangerous proposition.
Passing: Dallas QB Tony Romo has been exceptional to this point. He is patient, spreads the ball around, looks off the safety and does not hesitate to check down instead of forcing an ill-advised throw. Romo has thrown the ball with great touch and doesn't panic when the play doesn't go according to script, making some crafty plays and generally looking very comfortable. He did show late last season that he is prone to throwing off his back foot, though, and if the Bears should get to Romo he could again show questionable mechanics. Dallas allowed only one sack last week, but Romo was often under pressure and fared well.
Chicago will generally rely on its impressive defensive line to pressure Romo, but under new defensive coordinator Bob Babich the Bears have been more aggressive with the blitz as well. Inside linebacker Brian Urlacher is an outstanding delayed blitzer and Chicago will surely employ this strategy to get to Romo, and DT Tommie Harris can also ruin a game plan and absolutely must be accounted for. The Bears have a fine set of CBs who can mix it up with anyone, but Dallas does a great job of moving Terrell Owens around to find a matchup to his liking and he will be difficult to contain with all of his physical gifts. The Cowboys will call several go routes to Owens early to keep Chicago's defense honest and will surely try to match TE Jason Witten against Archuleta, who had a horrendous season in coverage in 2006 and will be a liability against Witten. Also, when the Cowboys use multiple-WR sets and force the Bears into their nickel package Romo will often pick on CB Ricky Manning Jr.
When the Bears have the ball
Rushing: Starting Cowboys NT Jason Ferguson is out for the year and his presence will be sorely missed against Bears C Olin Kreutz, who is perhaps the best pivot man in the league today. Chicago will pound RB Cedric Benson between the tackles to take advantage of backup NT Jeremiah Ratliff, who lacks Ferguson's power and bulk at the point of attack, and if the Bears can establish the inside running game it will take a lot of pressure off of Grossman's shoulders. However, Benson needs to hold onto to the ball and run with more conviction, decisiveness and power. He has been less than impressive over the first two weeks and needs to develop into a dependable option.
Passing: Grossman has a good arm and overall physical tools, but he has poor pocket presence and doesn't do well when his first read is covered. His decision making isn't good enough and he too often throws off his back foot or with improper footwork. Still, this passing attack can be dangerous and when Grossman is protected he can make big plays with his arm. The Bears will look to establish Benson on the ground with a downhill, physical rushing attack and then take deep shots off of play-action, usually to Bernard Berrian, a true speed burner who has become a well-rounded receiver. The Bears could also get TE Greg Olsen back from injury and he could excel against Dallas' 3-4 scheme due to his deep speed and ability to stretch the seam.
Chicago kick returner Devin Hester remains very raw as a wide receiver and has not been involved much in the offense, but he could be a factor as a decoy and on gimmick plays. No matter what, though, Grossman must value the football against a secondary that intercepted four passes last season. The Bears must also account for Dallas OLB DeMarcus Ware on every play as he will line up on the weak side of the formation and is a very dangerous pass rusher, but fellow OLB Anthony Spencer is filling in for the injured Greg Ellis and could be a weakness in coverage and run support. The Cowboys would like to play CB Terence Newman in man coverage against the wide receiver of their choice, likely Berrian, but Newman is suffering from a nagging foot and will not completely healthy.
Special Teams
Dallas P Mat McBriar is one of the best in the game today, but Chicago still has a definitive edge in the special teams department. McBriar's superb leg strength doesn't mean anything if Dallas is afraid to punt the ball to Hester. There is no shame in being afraid, though, as Hester can change the game in an instant and Chicago special teams coach Dave Toub has done a fantastic job in all phases of the kicking game. The Bears have a distinct advantage as the Cowboys lost their top two punt returners to injury last week in Miami and were forced to use Barber in a role that he is not really equipped to handle.
This matchup pits two of the best teams in the NFC against each other, with the story for Dallas being an offense that has put up 82 combined points over the first two weeks of the season. Chicago's defense has been equally impressive, though, holding LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson to 80 combined rushing yards during the first two weeks. But in the end the onus will be on Bears QB Rex Grossman to prove he can produce enough points on offense and avoid turning the ball over.
When the Cowboys have the ball
Rushing: Dallas RBs Marion Barber and Julius Jones split carries equally last week but Barber is the more effective runner of the two. Jones complements him well, but Barber deserves an increased workload as his size and power could give the somewhat undersized Bears defense a difficult time as the game progresses. While he will not hit the home run Barber does runs very hard and shows good vision and patience. The Cowboys have a huge, zone-blocking offensive line that has a major size advantage over a Chicago defensive line that relies on quickness and athletic ability.
Assuming this game stays close, expect the Cowboys to run the ball more often than usual with the intent of wearing down the defensive front. However, the Bears held Tomlinson to a measly 1.5 yards per carry in Week 1 and Larry Johnson under 3.5 last week. Danieal Manning has replaced the injured Mike Brown at safety, and while he is a good player he isn't the leader or force against the run that Brown provides. While the Bears are often considered a strict Cover 2 defense, in reality they have no problems mixing up their looks and bringing SS Adam Archuleta into the box for run support, an area in which he excels. But with Dallas boasting a high-powered passing attack bringing Archuleta close to the line of scrimmage could prove to be a dangerous proposition.
Passing: Dallas QB Tony Romo has been exceptional to this point. He is patient, spreads the ball around, looks off the safety and does not hesitate to check down instead of forcing an ill-advised throw. Romo has thrown the ball with great touch and doesn't panic when the play doesn't go according to script, making some crafty plays and generally looking very comfortable. He did show late last season that he is prone to throwing off his back foot, though, and if the Bears should get to Romo he could again show questionable mechanics. Dallas allowed only one sack last week, but Romo was often under pressure and fared well.
Chicago will generally rely on its impressive defensive line to pressure Romo, but under new defensive coordinator Bob Babich the Bears have been more aggressive with the blitz as well. Inside linebacker Brian Urlacher is an outstanding delayed blitzer and Chicago will surely employ this strategy to get to Romo, and DT Tommie Harris can also ruin a game plan and absolutely must be accounted for. The Bears have a fine set of CBs who can mix it up with anyone, but Dallas does a great job of moving Terrell Owens around to find a matchup to his liking and he will be difficult to contain with all of his physical gifts. The Cowboys will call several go routes to Owens early to keep Chicago's defense honest and will surely try to match TE Jason Witten against Archuleta, who had a horrendous season in coverage in 2006 and will be a liability against Witten. Also, when the Cowboys use multiple-WR sets and force the Bears into their nickel package Romo will often pick on CB Ricky Manning Jr.
When the Bears have the ball
Rushing: Starting Cowboys NT Jason Ferguson is out for the year and his presence will be sorely missed against Bears C Olin Kreutz, who is perhaps the best pivot man in the league today. Chicago will pound RB Cedric Benson between the tackles to take advantage of backup NT Jeremiah Ratliff, who lacks Ferguson's power and bulk at the point of attack, and if the Bears can establish the inside running game it will take a lot of pressure off of Grossman's shoulders. However, Benson needs to hold onto to the ball and run with more conviction, decisiveness and power. He has been less than impressive over the first two weeks and needs to develop into a dependable option.
Passing: Grossman has a good arm and overall physical tools, but he has poor pocket presence and doesn't do well when his first read is covered. His decision making isn't good enough and he too often throws off his back foot or with improper footwork. Still, this passing attack can be dangerous and when Grossman is protected he can make big plays with his arm. The Bears will look to establish Benson on the ground with a downhill, physical rushing attack and then take deep shots off of play-action, usually to Bernard Berrian, a true speed burner who has become a well-rounded receiver. The Bears could also get TE Greg Olsen back from injury and he could excel against Dallas' 3-4 scheme due to his deep speed and ability to stretch the seam.
Chicago kick returner Devin Hester remains very raw as a wide receiver and has not been involved much in the offense, but he could be a factor as a decoy and on gimmick plays. No matter what, though, Grossman must value the football against a secondary that intercepted four passes last season. The Bears must also account for Dallas OLB DeMarcus Ware on every play as he will line up on the weak side of the formation and is a very dangerous pass rusher, but fellow OLB Anthony Spencer is filling in for the injured Greg Ellis and could be a weakness in coverage and run support. The Cowboys would like to play CB Terence Newman in man coverage against the wide receiver of their choice, likely Berrian, but Newman is suffering from a nagging foot and will not completely healthy.
Special Teams
Dallas P Mat McBriar is one of the best in the game today, but Chicago still has a definitive edge in the special teams department. McBriar's superb leg strength doesn't mean anything if Dallas is afraid to punt the ball to Hester. There is no shame in being afraid, though, as Hester can change the game in an instant and Chicago special teams coach Dave Toub has done a fantastic job in all phases of the kicking game. The Bears have a distinct advantage as the Cowboys lost their top two punt returners to injury last week in Miami and were forced to use Barber in a role that he is not really equipped to handle.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:14 PM
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