The Cowboys look to bounce back against the Chicago Bears this Sunday. Dallas opened as 8 ½ point favorites but the line has come down to 7 points at most sites. The public is responsible for the line movement, still playing the Bears at over 60%. Clearly, the Cowboys’ performance at Washington is on the minds of bettors.
The Cowboys weren’t completely inept. They managed to outgain the Redskins 380-250. Other than the aforementioned fumble, the Cowboys didn’t turn the ball over. Tony Romo was 31-47 for 282 yards with 1 td and 0 ints; take away the holding call on Barron and Romo would’ve had 2 tds, including a game winner. Miles Austin had 10 catches for just under 150 yards with a touchdown. Dez Bryant had 8 catches and was a key contributor on the Cowboys final drive. And the ‘Boys defense played especially well. They kept Donovan McNabb and Clinton Portis in check, and kept Washington out of the endzone. In other words, Dallas has a lot to build on.
However, miscues and mental gaffes spoiled an otherwise decent effort. For the game, Dallas committed 12 penalties for 81 yards, which is inexcusable. I’m surprised Barron wasn’t immediately cut after the game; the final holding call wasn’t the only time he was flagged. Regarding Washington’s defensive touchdown, there was no reason for Dallas to not run out the clock at the end of the first half, and they paid for it. And I can’t figure out why Dallas didn’t run the ball more often. The ‘Boys averaged 4.7 yards per rush and they weren’t getting blown out. So why did Romo throw the ball 47 times? I don’t know, but I expect to see more dedication to the run against Chicago.
Speaking of the Bears, they should be 0-1. Calvin Johnson and the Lions deserved that win. I haven’t seen such an unjustifiable execution of NFL law since the infamous ‘tuck rule’ decision between the Patriots and Raiders in 2002.
In fairness, though, the Bears clearly outplayed the Lions, who lost Matthew Stafford midway through the game. Chicago outgained Detroit by nearly 300 yards, 463-168. Matt Forte played terrific both running and catching the ball. The defense held the Lions to only 1 yard per carry, which is commendable. But 4 turnovers by Chicago help to explain why Detroit was even in the game, let alone able to win it.
So why fade the Bears getting a touchdown? Because I expect Dallas to play considerably better this week. Playing at home will be a boost for this team. Overall, I still think the ‘Boys have a good chance of playing in the Super Bowl and I don’t think the Bears are in the same class. The Dallas offense needs to be more balanced and more efficient in the redzone. I think Dez Bryant will help with the latter. But the strength of this team is the defense. Their linebackers are maybe the best in the league. Their cornerbacks are top-notch, too; I see Terrance Newman and Mike Jenkins giving Jay Cutler a hard time this Sunday. I don’t think Dallas will have too much trouble covering 7 points, but if you can find 6 ½ points (hint hint, view our NFL odds page to compare lines from multiple sportsbooks), of course, that makes your Sunday play that much easier.
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