2024 NFL Season: Grades for teams coming off Week 7 bye
One club is just starting to hit its stride, while the other is scratching their collective helmets looking for answers. The surging Chicago Bears are riding a three-game winning streak, and are in Washington today. The Dallas Cowboys don’t resemble a team that has won 12 regular-season games each of the past three seasons. Jerry Jones’ club is in San Francisco for a prime time clash with the 49ers. How have both of these teams fared so far in 2024?
Season grades for the two teams that were off in Week 7
Chicago Bears (4-2)
There was a lot of anticipation regarding Matt Eberflus’s team this offseason, especially after general manager Ryan Poles stocked the cupboard with plenty of offensive weapons a month before the Bears used the first overall pick in the NFL Draft on 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and USC quarterback Caleb Williams. From trading for wide receiver Keenan Allen, to signing running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett in free agency, to using the ninth overall pick in April on University of Washington wideout Rome Odunze, the Bears loaded up.
The Chicago Bears won their opener over the Titans without an offensive touchdown. They lost narrow games to the Texans (19-13) and Colts (21-16). However, Williams and the offense have now begun to gel. After scoring a combined 53 points and totaling three offensive TDs during the team’s 1-2 start, Chicago has won three straight games, combining for 85 points and 13 offensive touchdowns. The defense has been solid, picking up where it left off late last season.
Things get really interesting for the Bears as well as the entire NFC North starting in Week 11. Chicago was chasing the Lions, Vikings, and Packers in the division entering Sunday. They play six of their final eight games vs. their NFC North rivals. The Bears have come a long way in their last three outings and look dangerous as they battle the Commanders today.
Grade: B+
Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
Once upon a time, Mike McCarthy’s team was basically unbeatable at home and were subpar on the road. The Dallas Cowboys entered 2024 off three consecutive 12-5 campaigns, winning the NFC East in 2021 and 2023. McCarthy’s club led the NFL in scoring during both of those division title years. The Cowboys hosted the Packers in the wild card round back in January having won 16 consecutive games at home.
Green Bay 48, Dallas 32. It was a stunning result and not nearly as close as the final score would suggest. Unfortunately, it proved to be a sign to come eight months early. Dallas’ home losing streak now stands at four in a row, and by a combined score of 167-85. They’ve allowed at least 44 points in three of those setbacks, the latest a 47-9 loss to the Lions when the Cowboys last took the field. Meanwhile, McCarthy’s team in 3-0 on the road this season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott leads a very one-dimensional offense. Dallas is dead last in the league in rushing yards per game (77.2) and only two of the team’s 10 offensive touchdowns.
The issues on defense have been stunning under Mike Zimmer, who took over for Dan Quinn when the latter became the Commanders’ head coach. Not having standouts such as DeMarcus Lawrence (team-high 3.0 sacks) and Micah Parsons the last two games, and cornerback DaRon Bland this season to date hasn’t helped.
No team has repeated as NFC East champion since Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles turned the trick four straight years from 2001-04. The Cowboys are chasing both the Commanders and Eagles at the moment. They haven’t faced each team this season, but they can’t afford to dig too much bigger of a hole. Sunday night’s clash with the Niners shapes up as quite the challenge.