Everything to know heading into Bears’ Week 8 game vs. Cowboys
The Chicago Bears (3-4) will battle the Dallas Cowboys (5-2) on Sunday, where Chicago is looking to win their second straight game and get back to .500.
The Bears are coming off a 33-14 win over the New England Patriots (3-4) in Week 7, where all three phases dominated in the upset. Now, Chicago will look to build on that momentum, especially on offense with Justin Fields, when they face a talented Dallas team looking for their sixth win.
Here’s a rundown of what we know heading into Sunday’s game against the Cowboys:
How to watch
Game information:
Who: Chicago Bears (3-4) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
When: Sunday, Oct. 30, 12 p.m. CT
Where: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Streaming:
In-market live stream: fuboTV (try it for free).
Broadcast:
TV: FOX
Radio: WBBM 780 (Chicago)
Betting odds
The Bears are considered 9.5-point road underdogs against the Cowboys, according to Tipico Sportsbook. The over/under is 42.5.
Game-day roster
Here’s a look at the Bears’ game-day roster:
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Game picks
Alyssa Barbieri: 20-17 Cowboys
Brendan Sugrue: 21-19 Bears
Ryan Fedrau: 24-17 Cowboys
Nate Atkins: 19-17 Bears
Jarrett Bailey: 23-20 Bears
Bold predictions
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Fields rushes for at least 100 yards
Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery each rush for a touchdown
No Bears receiver gets 50 yards receiving
Trevis Gipson gets his first sack in weeks
Jaylon Johnson records his first interception of the year
Behind Enemy Lines
We spoke KD Drummond from Cowboys Wire to go deep into Sunday’s matchup to get to know the competition a little better.
Thoughts on the NFC East resurgence?
Does Dak Prescott still have some rust to shake off?
Chicago the Bears’ run game continue to dominate?
Who are some under-the-radar Cowboys to watch?
Who wins?
Last meeting: 31-24 Bears (Dec. 5, 2019)
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Team rankings
Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
CHI | DAL | |
Points per game | 18 (24th) | 19.1 (22nd) |
Points allowed per game | 18.9 (7th) | 14.9 (2nd) |
Turnover differential | +1 (15th) | +6 (2nd) |
Passing yards per game | 126.3 (32nd) | 183.3 (27th) |
Rushing yards per game | 181 (1st) | 121.7 (14th) |
Passing yards allowed per game | 180.3 (3rd) | 185.1 (4th) |
Rushing yards allowed per game | 149.7 (29th) | 120.1 (20th) |
Sacks allowed | 27 (32nd) | 11 (T-5th) |
Sacks against | 12 (T-22nd) | 29 (1st) |
via Team Rankings
Cowboys players to watch
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
QB Dak Prescott: Prescott played in his first game last Sunday since suffering a thumb injury way back in Week 1. Backup Cooper Rush filled in admirably, who went 4-1 this season, but now it’s Prescott’s turn to lead his team once again. The seventh-year quarterback was still shaking the rust off last weekend against the Lions, going 19-of-25 for 207 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t need to do much thanks to the Dallas defense taking the ball away at will, but now he’ll look to return to his old self against the Bears.
RB Tony Pollard: With Elliott very questionable to play on Sunday, the door is wide open for running back Tony Pollard to lead the team in carries. Pollard is the backup to Elliott, but sees plenty of snaps and has proven to be just as effective as the starter, if not more. Pollard has 375 yards on 67 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Compare that to Elliott’s 4.1 yards per carry and it’s clear who the better back has been. The Bears have done a nice job shoring up their run defense after a brutal start to the season. Things may become more difficult however now that the Bears will be without Robert Quinn, who was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday. The edges could be more open for Pollard to break a big run.
WR CeeDee Lamb: The Bears pass defense has held strong for the most part this season and now they’ll face yet another group of pass catchers who don’t exactly scare anyone. Still, their best option is still a threat to make big plays and that’s wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The third-year receiver out of Oklahoma took over as the unquestioned top playmaker this season and has done well, despite playing with Rush for the majority of the games. Lamb is still looking for that first 100-yard performance, however, and could struggle to find it against the Bears secondary. Still, he’s the receiver to keep an eye on and he will most likely be Prescott’s top target.
LB Micah Parsons: If there’s one person to watch this weekend, it’s Micah Parsons and it’s not particulary close. The second-year linebacker is quickly becoming a star in this league and is the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Parsons has been unbelievable this year, leading the team with seven sacks, while also totaling eight tackles for loss. He’s going to be a problem for this offensive line and could be the Kryptonite to Justin Fields’ running ability. The Bears will need to take Parsons out of the gameplan to have a shot at stopping him and the Dallas defense.
DE Dorance Armstrong: Parsons may get all of the headlines, but a player who is having just as good of a season that’s flying under the radar is defensive end Dorance Armstrong. The 25-year old is having a career year in 2022, notching six sacks, eight QB hits, and 17 total tackles. He and DeMarcus Lawrence are terrorizing the line of scrimmage, but it’s Armstrong who has been more deadly getting to the quarterback. The Bears are once again shuffling their offensive line due to injuries and it could be music to Armstrong’s ears. Fields will need to keep his head on a swivel when dropping back to pass or run.
CB Trevon Diggs: Defensive back Trevon Diggs broke out in a big way in 2021, leading the NFL in interceptions with 11 and he’s off to a phenomenal start once again. Through seven games, Diggs has three picks already and is limiting quarterbacks to just a 73.9 passer rating. Those numbers aren’t like his 2021 totals, but he’s proving last season wasn’t a fluke. When the Bears decide to move the ball through the air, Diggs will need to be avoided. While he is susceptible to the big play, it’s doubtful the Bears have the receivers fast enough to make his life miserable.
Injuries to know
Bears: RT Larry Borom (out, concussion); C Lucas Patrick (IR, toe)
Cowboys: RB Ezekiel Elliott (doubtful, knee); LB Micah Parsons (questionable, shoulder); TE Dalton Schultz (questionable, knee); FS Malik Hooker (questionable, hamstring); WR Noah Brown (questionable, foot); LB Devin Harper (questionable, Achilles); OT Terence Steele (questionable, neck); DE Sam Williams (questionable, knee)
Storyline to watch: Can the Bears replicate the Eagles' game plan to beat Dallas?
Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
The Eagles’ second drive in the first quarter against Dallas was a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive that took 7:36 off the clock. Philadelphia ran the ball six times and took advantage of short passes and yards after the catch. Their third drive was a 7-play, 44-yard scoring drive that took 4:07 off the clock.
By the time the first half ended, the Eagles had scored 20 points and held the ball for more than 19-of-30 minutes, keeping the ball away from Dallas.
The other thing Philadelphia did was take advantage of the run-pass-option (RPO). The Eagles often run the RPO with Jalen Hurts – nearly 20% of Hurts’ passing yards have come from RPOs this season.
The RPO slows the defensive pass rush of Dallas because they have to confirm whether or not the offense is running before continuing forward with a pass rush. This strategy was effective against Dallas as Micah Parsons had zero sacks in that game and only one tackle for loss despite rotating as an edge rusher and linebacker. — Nate Atkins
