Clarence Hill: Why the Dallas Cowboys win the battle of edges against Chicago Bears
The Dallas Cowboys are planning to keep running back Ezekiel Elliott out of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears because of a sprained knee.
With the bye coming out, the Cowboys have an opportunity to get Elliott a chance to rest and heal for the stretch run.
They don’t want the knee to be a lingering situation. It is a decision that the team is making with Elliott.
But that is not the plan for the rest of the Cowboys on a lengthy injury list heading into the game.
Safety Malik Turner (hamstring) and receiver Noah Brown (foot) did not practice on Wednesday and Thursday and right tackle Terence Steele (neck) and tight end Dalton Schultz (knee) were limited.
Parsons, Steele and Schultz are expected to play. No final decision has been made on Brown and Turner.
But it won’t be with the bye week in mind.
“The reality is you have 17 games,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “This game is very important. It’s always all hands on deck. If they can go, you always want to line up with your best guys.”
So who has the edge on Sunday?
Cowboys offense vs. Bears defense
The Cowboys will be without Ezekiel Elliott against the Bears but they will continue to lean on the running game with Tony Pollard as the lead back. Pollard has been the team’s best weapon all season.
And the Bears are 29th in the NFL against the run, allowing 149.7 yards per game. They will need to make plays with quarterback Dak Prescott and the passing game, especially on third down. But look for Pollard to go off against the Bears.
Edge: Cowboys
Cowboys defense vs. Bears offense
The Cowboy have had one of the best defenses in the NFL, ranking in the top five across the board in nearly every key metric, including second in points, first in sacks, fourth in yards allowed and fifth in takeaways.
The Cowboys have allowed at least 200 net passing yards just one once this season. Bears quarterback Justin Fields has been sacked more than anyone in the NFL and he quarterbacks the league’s worst passing offense. The Bears will try to run the ball against the Cowboys and Fields will be part of that dynamic. But one dimensional won’t get it down against Micah Parsons and company.
Edge: Cowboys
Special Teams
Bears kicker Cairo Santos has made 11 of 11 field goals this season and is coming off a game in which he was named NFC Special Teams player of the Week for kicking four field goals and three extra points against the Patriots.
Cowboys kicker Brett Maher has made 11 of 12 field goals. Bears punter Trent Gill is one of the under microscope. He averages 48.1 yards per punt but must deal with Cowboys returner KaVontae Turpin. He is second in the NFL in returns and is only player in the NFL with multiple returns of 50 or more yards. He is due for a touchdown.
Edge: Cowboys
Coaching
The Bears come to Dallas with a first-year head coach in Matt Eberflus, a former Cowboys assistant, and a first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, whose presence and rise in this presence to Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. But there will be no homecoming parade. McCarthy said of Getsy: too bad he’s on the other side Sunday. Getsy certainly losing the coordinator chess match with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Edge: Cowboys
Intangibles
The Bears are coming off their best games of the season on Monday night. But they are going from being on the road in New England to on the road in Dallas on a short week. The Bears also traded one of their defensive players during the week.
Edge: Cowboys
Prediction: Cowboys 21, Bears 13
