Chicago Bears: 5 Takeaways from Week 14 win vs. Cowboys

Defense suffered another injury but still performed well

As I mentioned, the Cowboys took it to the Bears on the opening drive. That drive was the longest opening drive in the NFL this season. Then, when Smith went down, things got dicey.

The Bears were already missing Prince Amukamara, who went down last week with a hamstring injury. In addition, Danny Trevathan (elbow) and Akiem HIcks (elbow) have been out for weeks with their injuries.

Kevin Pierre-Louis came in for Smith and while he wasn’t a tackling machine like Smith, he played well. He had five tackles, one for loss. He also held down the middle, along with Nick Kwiatkoski, who played in place of Trevathan. Kwiatkoski himself continued to play well as a starter, recording 10 tackles in the game.

Kevin Toliver stepped in for Amukamara and pitched in seven tackles. He did a good job of coverage, though he did give up a touchdown. He played it well, however, but Prescott just made a perfect throw.

It is remarkable how well this defense continues to play. Yes, they gave up some points during garbage time. It made the game look closer than it really was, and it hurt their per-game average, but whoever saw this game saw a dominating Chicago Bears defense.

Hicks could be on the field next week against the Packers in Lambeau Field. Having him play will give the defense a big boost. His absence weakened the run defense. Also, Hicks takes up double teams, opening up space for Khalil Mack (2 tackles, one for loss, one sack). Mack is having a good season but not his typical great one. He’ll welcome Hicks back with open arms.

It doesn’t matter who is in, the defense continues to play well. Even with the injuries and a new coach, the unit came into the game ranked fourth in defensive scoring (17.3 points per game), the most important stat there is for a defense.