Bears vs Cowboys Thursday night on FOX

[jersey cubs fan]

Thursday games suck, but they suck less when you get a full week off between games.

 

The Bears have been favorites in almost all of their games this year, and have not been a dog at home, until this week. The 6-6 Cowboys are 3 point favorites over the 6-6 Bears. One of these teams is running away with their horrible division while the other is on the outside, way outside, of the wild card hunt.

[raw]

This is probably a bad matchup for the Bears. Cowboys are #1 in total offense. Most passing yards, and a top 10 rushing unit. Defense is very similar to the Bears across the board, except for their run D is middle of the pack, which the Bears don't have the ability to exploit. They protect the QB better than anybody (most passing attempts, fewest sacks allowed).

 

The Bears only chance is to get turnovers. The Cowboys are -4 in TO ratio, despite not turning the ball over a ton (16 times), so they don't force very many TOs. Oddly enough, those 16 turnovers have come almost exclusively in their losses.

 

2 fumbles and an INT vs. NO

3 INTs and 2 missed FG vs GB

missed FG in 2pt loss to NYJ

missed FG and INT vs. MIN

missed FG, blocked punt & INT vs NE

2 missed FGs, 2 turnovers vs BUF

[UMFan83]

Since its a December home night game, weather forecast is relevant. Right now it shouldn't effect the game, with the low being 31 and no precipitation in the forecast. But the conditions are usually a little nastier by the lakefront.

 

Anyways, not that the Bears are particularly good or deserve to make the playoff, but sucks that they'd be right in the heart of the playoff race in the AFC or the NFC east but have a 2% chance of playoffs this morning.

[Soul]

They've lost 3 of their last 4 but against playoff, or likely playoff, teams.

 

Bears have won 3 of 4 but against chumps.

 

It'll take timely turnovers and another good game from Mitch.

[WrigleyField 22]

The Bears wear the striped throwbacks again Thursday. Some people think these throwbacks suck, and they are wrong.

[minnesotacubsfan]

like I said, 6 game winning steak powering into the playoffs

[gflore34]

How about the Bears flip the script come out and beat down knock the horsefeathers out of the Cowboys? It's got happen, at least once, why not vs the Cowboys?

[Derwood]

It’s a tough hill to climb to get into the playoffs. The Bears could almost sleepwalk into an AFC wildcard spot, but a 2 1/2 game deficit to Minny with 4 to play is almost too much.

[gflore34]

It’s a tough hill to climb to get into the playoffs. The Bears could almost sleepwalk into an AFC wildcard spot, but a 2 1/2 game deficit to Minny with 4 to play is almost too much.

 

Most frustrating is the thought that with any semblance of an offense the Bears could be 8 - 4 (GB, LAC) or 9 - 3 (GB, LAC, LAR/PHI) and right there for the division and/or wild card. Just pisses me off they lost to the collections of hot garbage that are Raiders and Eagles.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

“Bears can still make the playoffs” is fun for scenario nerds, but they aren’t winning out. 2-2 would be a miracle. Every single team left on the schedule is significantly better than them.

[Derwood]

Thank you, Seattle

[raw]

“Bears can still make the playoffs” is fun for scenario nerds, but they aren’t winning out. 2-2 would be a miracle. Every single team left on the schedule is significantly better than them.

They already beat one of the teams remaining, without Hicks, Smith and with a backup QB. They have the same record as another. I agree the other teams are all better, but we've seen recently, basically this same Bears team being very capable of beating each of these teams.

 

That being said, I expect 1-3.

 

Sent from my moto e5 supra using Tapatalk

[biittner77]

I expect 3-1 because that would mean still missing the playoffs but also getting a worse draft pick.

[gflore34]

Heard Nagy and Pagano trying to say something good about Leonard Floyd on the Score. It was pathetic the best they could muster was Floyd is a hard worker who does everything they ask of him. Pagano said he's a "sweep the floors?" kind of guy, whatever the horsefeathers that means. Basically, they said the kind of things one says when trying to be nice, Floyd is a bust and they know it, his lack of impact is one of the reasons Mack has been invisible this season. However, tonight, sure would be nice if Mack shows up.

[jersey cubs fan]

I expect 3-1 because that would mean still missing the playoffs but also getting a worse draft pick for the raiders.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Heard Nagy and Pagano trying to say something good about Leonard Floyd on the Score. It was pathetic the best they could muster was Floyd is a hard worker who does everything they ask of him. Pagano said he's a "sweep the floors?" kind of guy, whatever the horsefeathers that means. Basically, they said the kind of things one says when trying to be nice, Floyd is a bust and they know it, his lack of impact is one of the reasons Mack has been invisible this season. However, tonight, sure would be nice if Mack shows up.

 

 

Neither Nagy nor Pagano drafted Floyd. What do you expect them to say?

[gflore34]

Heard Nagy and Pagano trying to say something good about Leonard Floyd on the Score. It was pathetic the best they could muster was Floyd is a hard worker who does everything they ask of him. Pagano said he's a "sweep the floors?" kind of guy, whatever the horsefeathers that means. Basically, they said the kind of things one says when trying to be nice, Floyd is a bust and they know it, his lack of impact is one of the reasons Mack has been invisible this season. However, tonight, sure would be nice if Mack shows up.

 

 

Neither Nagy nor Pagano drafted Floyd. What do you expect them to say?

 

I agree and understand the politics, but Floyd's lack of production is just one of many frustrating aspects of this season.

[minnesotacubsfan]

Heard Nagy and Pagano trying to say something good about Leonard Floyd on the Score. It was pathetic the best they could muster was Floyd is a hard worker who does everything they ask of him. Pagano said he's a "sweep the floors?" kind of guy, whatever the horsefeathers that means. Basically, they said the kind of things one says when trying to be nice, Floyd is a bust and they know it, his lack of impact is one of the reasons Mack has been invisible this season. However, tonight, sure would be nice if Mack shows up.

 

 

Neither Nagy nor Pagano drafted Floyd. What do you expect them to say?

 

I agree and understand the politics, but Floyd's lack of production is just one of many frustrating aspects of this season.

 

I agree their individual numbers have been disappointing, but the defense as a whole is still performing at a relatively high level. #7 in ypg and #4 in ppg, #8 in DVOA and they've been w/o Hicks for most of the season. I think its more indicative of how valuable Hicks is to the defense.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The defense is still really good, it's just not "drag you to a championship" good, whereas at times last year it looked like it might be.

 

Just like I think Mack is still one of the top-10 defensive players in the league, but I don't think he's *as* good as he was the last few years.

[David]

“Bears can still make the playoffs” is fun for scenario nerds, but they aren’t winning out. 2-2 would be a miracle. Every single team left on the schedule is significantly better than them.

 

Nothing would be a miracle in 4 games. And that's without taking into account a very good defense seeing the return of Akiem Hicks next week. Good defenses muck things up and keep games close that maybe don't look like they should be.

 

Do I think it's gonna happen? Probably not would be an understatement. But it'd be far from a miracle.

 

On the other hand, that along with the other dominoes falling for them to get in is pretty close to necessitating the assistance of a higher being.

[gflore34]

“Bears can still make the playoffs” is fun for scenario nerds, but they aren’t winning out. 2-2 would be a miracle. Every single team left on the schedule is significantly better than them.

 

Nothing would be a miracle in 4 games. And that's without taking into account a very good defense seeing the return of Akiem Hicks next week. Good defenses muck things up and keep games close that maybe don't look like they should be.

 

Do I think it's gonna happen? Probably not would be an understatement. But it'd be far from a miracle.

 

On the other hand, that along with the other dominoes falling for them to get in is pretty close to necessitating the assistance of a higher being.

 

I go back and forth, on one hand you've got the defense able to keep them in the game, keeping it close. That seems to, according to Nagy, necessitate a conservative play not to lose game plan which has led to close losses but, losses, nonetheless. On the other hand, because of defense keeping it close, why not be super aggressive on offense? Take shot after shot downfield, sure it may result in turnovers but, there's also a chance it'll result in scores. At least a greater chance in scores than that of the boring conservative avoid turnovers mode.

[jersey cubs fan]

That seems to, according to Nagy, necessitate a conservative play not to lose game plan which has led to close losses but, losses, nonetheless. On the other hand, because of defense keeping it close, why not be super aggressive on offense? Take shot after shot downfield,.

 

I really don't think Nagy wants to be very conservative. The Bears aren't conservative because Nagy just wants the defense to keep it close. The game plan winds up being conservative because the offensive line can't block, the QB can't do much good and the RBs can't make a play on their own.

[raw]

That seems to, according to Nagy, necessitate a conservative play not to lose game plan which has led to close losses but, losses, nonetheless. On the other hand, because of defense keeping it close, why not be super aggressive on offense? Take shot after shot downfield,.

 

I really don't think Nagy wants to be very conservative. The Bears aren't conservative because Nagy just wants the defense to keep it close. The game plan winds up being conservative because the offensive line can't block, the QB can't do much good and the RBs can't make a play on their own.

 

Yep.

[Splendid Splinter]

What the horsefeathers kind of throw was that????

[Tim]

I turn it on and the first thing I see is an interception at the goal line on a terrible throw.

 

Why did I tune in?