Injuries are a fact of life in the NFL. The best teams are the ones that can navigate them without losing steam. Both the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys face such a challenge going into their matchup today. The Bears are down two offensive linemen in Lucas Patrick and Larry Borom. It seems Dallas is dealing with a setback of its own. Running back Ezekiel Elliott suffered a knee injury last week and will not play. Safety Malik Hooker also may not suit up either.
All of this comes on the heels of cornerback Jourdan Lewis going down for the season. So the Cowboys face quite a challenge. Elliott is still their workhorse back in the offense. He handles most of the carries and is by far their best pass protector at the position. Lewis was their critical outside corner opposite Trevon Diggs. QBs had a 74.2 passer rating when targeting him in coverage. As for Hooker, his range and coverage instincts are a vital part of their excellent pass defense. If all three guys are indeed out, that creates opportunities for the Bears.
Cowboys’ TE Dalton Schultz, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a knee injury, is expected to play vs. the Bears, per source. RB Ezekiel Elliott, listed as doubtful due to a knee injury, is not.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 30, 2022
#Cowboys TE Dalton Schultz (knee) and LB Micah Parsons (shoulder) are both expected to play after being listed as questionable, sources say. S Malik Hooker (hamstring) is a game-time decision.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 30, 2022
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The Chicago Bears can’t let Dallas play their game.
The Cowboys know what they want to do. It’s pretty straightforward. Grab the early lead, force the opposing team to throw, and unleash the pass rush led by Micah Parsons. It’s a formula that can work wonders. The Bears understand their goals clearly, too. They need to run the football, control the clock, keep the game close, and not allow those Dallas pass rushers to pin their ears back on Justin Fields. It is especially true with the offensive line so banged up.
Having Elliott out can be beneficial. While Tony Pollard is an electric runner in his own right, he’s a bad pass protector. The Chicago Bears could exploit this if they get Dak Prescott into enough obvious passing situations. Not having Robert Quinn anymore could make that difficult. Then again, that is why Matt Eberflus and his staff get paid the big bucks. It will be interesting to see how they approach this game with this information.
I was hoping Zeke would be healthy. I was expecting what Pollard did. 100% Pollard is better than 50/50 Zeke/Pollard. Pollard is a better back and I think he proved it yesterday.
Not a good game. This is so embarrassing right now. Hope GM can fix the ship sooner than later. Really getting tired of well maybe next year.
Bears O-line is down three starters, not two. Don’t forget Cody White hair.