Dallas Cowboys: 5 Players that must shine vs. Bears in Week 14

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4. Dak

This remains the most productive season of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s career as he eyes working out a new contract in the 2020 offseason. He’s still on pace for more than 5,000 passing yards and has been playing exceptionally well. However, his production has felt empty in the past couple of weeks, even with 355 yards against Buffalo and a solid enough 212 against New England.

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Prescott has to be a reliable playmaker from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Too often when the Cowboys have struggled, Dak has simply been inconsistent and gotten out of his rhythm. Part of that is due to the play-calling and the coaching staff, which can’t be put on the quarterback. But the other part is simply the signal-caller being the leader he wants to be paid to be and setting the tone for this explosive offense.

3. Kerry

There’s no question that DeMarcus Lawrence should have a big game on Thursday Night Football. The Chicago offensive line has severely underperformed this season and, while Lawrence hasn’t put up the sack numbers many would like to see, the film shows a player that’s been highly effective. However, the Cowboys need to generate as much pressure on Mitchell Trubisky as possible.

A player like Kerry Hyder could play a critical role in that. While Robert Quinn and others have been good this season opposite Lawrence, Hyder has played quite well this season and has really come on strong as of late. Trubisky struggles when he feels the heat and that responsibility can’t fall solely on Lawrence for the Dallas defense. That means Hyder needs to show his veteran moxie and come up with a strong outing.

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