Bears Pummel Cowboys, Gain Ground on Lions
Josh McCown accounted for five touchdowns as the Bears demolished the Cowboys.
The Chicago Bears shrugged off recent poor performances to outclass the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field Monday night, winning the contest 45-28.
In the bitterly cold surrounds of the NFL’s oldest stadiums, Josh McCown and the Bears put on an offensive master class, brushing by the Cowboys and moving into a tie with the Detroit Lions at the top of the NFC North.
It was the Cowboys who struck first though, with Tony Romo finding Dez Bryant for a 2-yard score early in the first quarter.
The Bears returned the favor on their first drive of the game, with McCown – spelling the injured Jay Cutler for the fourth straight game – finding Earl Bennett in the end zone. The Bears took a lead on their next drive, with McCown running the ball in from seven yards out.
The Cowboys would tie the game with 5:30 left in the first half as Romo found Jason Witten for a 10-yard strike. But that would mark the end of a competitive game.
Over the next 21 minutes or so, the Bears piled on the points, scoring 28 unanswered. McCown connected with Alshon Jeffery, Matt Forte and Michael Bush, bringing his tally to a career-high four passing touchdowns as well as a rushing score. Robbie Gould would add a pair of field goals along the way.
Trailing 42-14 with 14 minutes left, the Cowboys managed to record a pair of touchdowns – a Romo pass to Cole Beasley and a Joseph Randle rush – but were ultimately trumped by a Bears team that had the bit between its teeth.
McCown finished the game completing 27 of 36 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns, while Matt Forte added 102 yards rushing as the Bears capitalized on the league’s worst defense.
Dallas was successful on the ground, a rarity these days, compiling 198 rushing yards on the frozen Soldier Field, 146 of which came from DeMarco Murray. Romo was just 11 of 20 passing for 104 yards, although he did record three touchdowns.
The game was turnover-free despite the tough playing conditions.
With the win, Chicago (7-6) well and truly through its helmet back in the playoff race. The Bears and Lions are tied atop of the NFC North with seven wins apiece, although the Lions own a valuable tiebreaker having beaten the Bears twice this season.
The Bears will hope that the Lions slip up between now and December 29.
In the NFC East, Dallas (7-6) falls a game behind the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles (8-5). While this is a less than ideal position for Jason Garrett’s side, the Cowboys are still sitting pretty, of sorts.
Dallas already owns a tiebreaker over the Eagles by way of a Week 7 win in Philadelphia. The Cowboys are also 4-0 within the division, compared to Philadelphia’s 3-2, so if the teams finished tied at the end of the year, the Cowboys will be crowned champs. The Cowboys just need to match the Eagles over the next two weeks and then defeat them in the season finale matchup between the two sides. Still, that could be a tough ask for a team that is leaking yards and points, and looks to be without linebacker Sean Lee, who left Monday’s game with a neck injury. And then there’s that not-so-stellar December record…
Vegas Impact
Chicago’s victory was accompanied by a rare success against the spread. The Bears (3-9-1 ATS) covered for just the third time this season. In fact, the Bears – underdogs to start the game – didn’t just cover the spread, they obliterated it.
On the other side of the ball, Dallas (8-5-0 ATS) failed to cover the spread for the second straight game and fourth time in five outings. Prior to this run of poor form, the Cowboys had posted the league’s best ATS record.
The total – which sat at 49 before kickoff – went over thanks to the Bears’ best offensive outing of the year. That’s a trend that has become familiar with both Chicago (9-4-0) and Dallas (8-5-0) this season, something you’ll want to keep in mind as the season draws to a close.
Odds of the Cowboys winning Super Bowl XLVIII stood at 33/1 heading into Week 14 while the Bears were 75/1 longshots. Expect those odds to be a lot closer when the NFL futures are released on Tuesday, and don’t be surprised if the Bears move above the Cowboys in the bookmakers’ standings.
Chicago (7-6, 2-4 road) will travel to Ohio to meet the Cleveland Browns (4-9, 3-4 home) in Week 15. Early odds for that fixture can be found here.
Dallas (7-6, 5-1 home) will return to Arlington, Texas to face the Green Bay Packers (6-6-1, 2-4-0 road) in a game that could see the loser done for the season. The Bears will almost certainly be rooting for the Cowboys’ success in that one. Odds for the game can be found here.
For a list of Week 15 NFL odds, click here.
For a full list of NFL Futures, click here.
For NFL team prop bets, click here.
For NFL player prop bets, click here.
