Cowboys vs. Bears: Ezekiel Elliott OUT, Tony Pollard 'Gonna Haul It!' 5 Keys To Win, Plus Inactives List
Dak Prescott will be making his second start since returning from his thumb injury here on Sunday ... and it unfolds at AT&T Stadium against the Bears. With both teams coming off wins, each will want to maintain the roll today.
They will do so without the services of Ezekiel Elliott (knee), who is out. Other inactives for Dallas: Noah Brown (foot), Sam Williams (knee), Malik Hooker (hamstring), Trysten Hill, Jabril Cox and Will Grier ... which means rookies Malike Davis and Damone Clark will debut, among many other storylines.
For Dallas, a chance to have a relaxing bye week awaits if a win is secured. But lose, and it takes on a whole new feel. So, how do the Cowboys win their sixth game of the season?
By doing these five things.
Curtail Justin Fields’ running ability: It seems like a no-brainer. But Dallas had some trouble with a quarterback of similar ilk in Jalen Hurts a few weeks ago.
Fields rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in an upset win against the Patriots on Monday and converted long third downs with his legs. If Dallas is to win in its own building, then Fields cannot be allowed to run wild at AT&T Stadium.
Convert third downs: Perhaps the offense's most significant issue - as coach Mike McCarthy will admit. The Cowboys' offense has converted just 28 of its 87 third downs through seven games.
This means that the much-vaunted defense, as good as they are, will be on the field for extended periods. It doesn't matter how good your defense is, if they are on the field for long enough, they will give up points. On Sunday, Dak & Company must be better at converting on third down.
Limit offensive turnovers: It seems simple enough. Dallas managed this feat against the Lions last Sunday and will need to again vs. the Bears.
With Chicago’s ability to run the ball and drain the clock, any extra possessions the Cowboys give Fields will not end well. We saw that against the Patriots, as turnovers played a huge role in Chicago's 33-14 win.
It will be Dak’s second game back, so expect No. 4. to fare better than last week. But Dallas must win the turnover battle, which is easier said than done against this sometimes-ferocious Bears defense.
Establish Pollard and Davis: The Cowboys running game will be without Ezekiel Elliott, so it will be up to Tony Pollard and call-up rookie Malik Davis to get it done.
With Dallas moving back to the 90s-style Cowboys football, getting success on the ground has been a big part of the team's success through seven games. Dallas has rushed for over 100 yards in five of its seven games, while the Bears' defense has allowed above 100 yards rushing in five of its seven games.
Chicago has allowed rushing totals of 176, 203, and 262; they can't stop running teams. If the Cowboys want to win their sixth game, running the ball will be the answer.
And what does Pollard say about the challenge?
"If they call it,'' he rhymed, "I'm gonna haul it.''
Get after Fields: Heading into the Week 8 clash, the Bears have given up the most number of sacks in the NFL with 27. The Cowboys' defense has the most sacks in the NFL, with 29. Talk about matchups.
Prior to last week against Dallas, the Detroit Lions gave up the least amount of sacks, just seven through their five games. Dallas sacked Jared Goff five times. If the Cowboys can do that against a good offensive line, what can they do against the Bears on Sunday?
Getting after Fields is paramount to Dallas' success on Sunday.
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