Well, the day of reckoning is here, its our first big game on the road. This game against the Bears will assess how good this new Garrett offense stacks up against one of the better defenses in the NFL. Questions remain for both teams: Do the Bears have a good defense or have they simply not played anyone yet? Is the Cowboys offense the real deal
or have we not played anyone? Two teams are on a collision course and after tonight, most questions should be answered.
Keys to Victory
Turnovers above anything needs to be zero against this solid Bears defense. Romo has been wise in his game management and game decisions, so I expect more of the same. Every inch of territory is premium in this game, so that means limit the dumb penalties. Sustain drives and control the clock.
The fast start has yet to materialize, and I don’t know if it ever will. Garrett is very analytical, and from what I’ve seen, Garrett will run some plays to test out what the Bears will do, and the 2nd half is where its at. We’ll probably see more of the same. Fast start would be nice, but don’t be surprised if the first half is low scoring and close.
Rattle Gator Arms
I’ve been saying this all week; If you rattle Grossman, you increase your chances of victory over the Bears exponentially. Let’s throw more Bradie James up the middle again, and rush him all night. He will throw a few INTS.
Kick Away
This could be a game of kickers, and Nick Folk could be the man at the end of the game. Let’s see how Folk does on the road under the big lights, in the swirling fields in Chicago. We could see alot of field goals being exchanged in this game.
In addition, Mat McBriar will have a busy day as well. The gameplan will be simple on punts…kick out of bounds. I don’t want any of Hester. Call it what you want, whatever
it takes to win, its called strategy. It would be dumb to even try it and see what happens. If we had a decent coverage team, maybe, just maybe I would reconsider; unfortunately, our coverage team is not good.
In Garrett We Trust
You have to know that when Garrett saw the schedules come out, he already had some ideas swirling in his mind. I’m confident Garrett will throw the kitchen at this Bears defense. He’ll prod and poke that defense until he finds the weakness, and he will go after it. Let’s see what he has in store.
Running Attack
Julius Jones needs a solid outing tonight. Too bad his brother is gone, because last time we played the Bears, Julius had a solid day and outshined Thomas Jones. Can Jones repeat his solid performance. I think this is a game where Jones will turn on the burners and showcase what he can do against an elite defense.
MB3, Marion the Barbarian, The Closer, or whatever you want to call him will continue to energize the offense. If Julius Jones struggles early on and the offense stagnates, the
bring in the boss. Barber is just fun to watch, but he can deliver the goods. I’d rather have Jones start this one, and utilize his speed, and have Barber deliver the KO in the second half. If you also notice, the 2nd half has been where the offense has really turned on the afterburners, and who else better to serve up another ass whippin on the ground than MB3? He’ll have another solid game.
Special Teams
The Bears are always looking for the easy takeaway, and with Crayton being a little banged up with his hand, you can expect them to take some swings at the ball once he has it. So again, Crayton, please tuck that ball in after the catch. Thank you sir!
Cowboys @ Bears
Soldier Field – Grass
NBC 7:15 PM CST
Analysts: Al Michaels and John Madden
NFL.com Gamecenter
The Rest of the NFC East:
Giants @ Redskins 3:15PM CST FOX
Lions @ Eagles 12:00PM CST FOX
Browns Watch:
Browns @ Raiders 3:05PM CST CBS
Join us for LIVE GAMEDAY discussion on the message boards!
Madden Simulation: Cowboys 27 Bears 34
My Prediction: Cowboys 27 Bears 17
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