Chicago Bears: What to look for in Week 8 matchup vs. Cowboys
The defense needs to step up…again
The glaring weakness in the Chicago Bears defense is their struggles against the run. The Bears rank 29th in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns allowed. Additionally, they rank 24th in yards per carry allowed.
The Cowboys rank in the middle of the pack rushing-wise (14th in rushing yards and 18th in rushing touchdowns) but they have two talented running backs in Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. They have a lot of talent but have been inconsistent. However, Elliott has dealt with a knee injury and was ruled out so that is an advantage to the Bears.
Chicago’s defense has played well against the pass, though. They rank third in both passing yards and interceptions. Additionally, they rank second in passing touchdowns allowed.
With Prescott still working his way back, the Bears’ defense could take advantage and force him to make mistakes. Last week, the defense forced four turnovers, three of them interceptions. If they can do something similar this week, the Bears have a shot at another upset.
Linebacker Roquan Smith is once again having an excellent season. After going through a contract dispute over the summer, he is letting his play do the talking. So far, he leads the NFL in total tackles (78) and solo tackles (48). He adds 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 quarterback hits, and 3 passes defended.
This is a game that would really boost Smith’s season if he has a big one. He is the leader of this defense and this is the time for him to step up.
One thing of note is that the Bears just traded defensive end, Robert Quinn. He was the veteran who helped the younger players. Now, it will free more snaps for someone like Dominique Robinson. Robinson was supposed to be a project who would see limited snaps so he could develop. It seems, however, that his development will take place on the job. He should take over most of the snaps in Quinn’s absence.
With just 168 snaps, Robinson has 1.5 sacks, 12 tackles (2 for loss), and 2 quarterback hits. The Bears must feel confident enough in Robinson to give him more snaps. Let’s see how it goes this week.