What if

[Stinger226]

What if we beat Dallas with the same dominance that we beat NE? So what changes ? We will be in the running for a playoff berth in a less than stellar NFC.

6 0f the next 9 games are at home. Buffalo and Philly are almost sure loses but the rest of the schedule is winnable.

We have a ton of young players, are they starting to jell and play better. The answer is YES.  A weak spot is our D line. In the last 3 games they are holding teams to 105 yards rushing a game. Down from the pervious average of 185. Our DBs are starting to take over games. With the ability to stop the run and get more TOs that is putting us in the position to win every game.

Getsy is starting to plan the game around Fields best traits. That is putting pressure on opposing Ds. Its working. We are playing the best D in the league but they are still 5-2 and last week entering the 4th quarter they were only leading the lowly Lions 10-6. If we can run the ball well, it will slow down Dallas's pass rush that will give us a chance to win.

After last weeks game, confidence is booming which helps developing players stay focused. Sconfield has a calming effect to our Oline. Even with Mustifer having to play OC again, he played his best game of the yr. With Borom out, is Reilly going to play better than Borom. That is totally possible. 

Injuries: Dallas will probably be playing w/o Elliott and Noah Brown. Dalton Schutz and Micah Parsons have injuries that will affect their play. Because we play so physical, they could be out of the game in the 4th quarter. The last two games we have been physically beating up the other team. Look at their injury report after their games. It will have an affect on this game.

If we can limit mistakes in this game , penalties and TOs and we will be in the game at the end. 

If we end up 4-4, the National Media talk will change drastically. 

[Mongo3451]

48 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

If we can limit mistakes in this game , penalties and TOs and we will be in the game at the end. 

If we end up 4-4, the National Media talk will change drastically. 

If that happens, it would be all the talk.  There was already chatter this week.  Folks would definitely take notice in a big way.

[adam]

After Mustipher, Borom has been the weak link on the O-Line. So it is not like Reiff can play any worse than Borom has recently. Leatherwood is also activated. 

If the Bears can beat Dallas, which would be an even bigger upset than NE, then that last win was no fluke. However, a loss would make any playoff chance extremely unlikely as Dallas is currently one of those Wild Card teams (Giants too) and the Bears will have lost both head to heads with those teams killing any tie breakers. So the last wild card spot would come down to competing with GB, the non-Division winner in the west (so SF, ARZ, and LAR right now). Just based on shear numbers competing for the same spot, at 3-5, there is no point even discussing playoffs. It would take a 6-2 finish after 3-5 to even have a chance to make the playoffs. At 4-4, 5-3 might be good enough. 

I am still thinking 6-7 wins is probably where this team ends up getting 3-4 wins after a loss to Dallas (going 4-5 or 3-6 after starting 3-5). 

[BearFan PHX]

6 minutes ago, adam said:

After Mustipher, Borom has been the weak link on the O-Line. So it is not like Reiff can play any worse than Borom has recently. Leatherwood is also activated. 

If the Bears can beat Dallas, which would be an even bigger upset than NE, then that last win was no fluke. However, a loss would make any playoff chance extremely unlikely as Dallas is currently one of those Wild Card teams (Giants too) and the Bears will have lost both head to heads with those teams killing any tie breakers. So the last wild card spot would come down to competing with GB, the non-Division winner in the west (so SF, ARZ, and LAR right now). Just based on shear numbers competing for the same spot, at 3-5, there is no point even discussing playoffs. It would take a 6-2 finish after 3-5 to even have a chance to make the playoffs. At 4-4, 5-3 might be good enough. 

I am still thinking 6-7 wins is probably where this team ends up getting 3-4 wins after a loss to Dallas (going 4-5 or 3-6 after starting 3-5). 

this is how I see it too.

[Stinger226]

This coming  game tells a big story on how the Bears have progressed this year. Dallas has a stellar defense and potential offense which has yet to take off. In the last game there were only beating the Lions 10-6 at the beginning of the 4th quarter. That is the closest comparison to when they last played. 

If we run the ball well,(leading the league) we neutralize the pass rush. We eat up time and wear down the defense. Those things are all possible. Dak just came back last week and is not up to par yet. They come in to the game injured. Since we play so physical after getting beat up the first half, teams lay eggs against us. If we can keep the score close in the first half, we totally have a chance. The key will be mistakes, penalties and TOs. If we keep them low, we totally have a chance.

People keep saying they are one day short this week. Flus said on the 10 days off they spent two days putting in stuff for the Dallas game. So I dont see the short week having an effect on the game.

Quinton Bohanna	DT	Shoulder	FP	FP	FP	Unspecified
	Noah Brown	WR	Foot	DNP	DNP	DNP	Questionable
	Damone Clark	LB	Neck	FP	FP	FP	Unspecified
	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	Knee	DNP	DNP	DNP	Doubtful
	Neville Gallimore	DT	Wrist	FP	FP	FP	Unspecified
	Devin Harper	LB	Achilles	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
	Trysten Hill	DT	Thigh	FP	FP	FP	Unspecified
	Malik Hooker	FS	Hamstring	DNP	DNP	DNP	Questionable
	Jayron Kearse	S	Foot	FP	FP	FP	Unspecified
	Dalton Schultz	TE	Knee	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
	Terence Steele	OT	Neck	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
	Micah Parsons	LB	Shoulder		LP	LP	Questionable
	Sam Williams	DE	Knee		DNP	LP	Questionable

[ChileBear]

Going into this game like I did last week: low expectations for a win, knowing we lack talent, expecting a solid effort from the team, looking for growth and development, hoping for no injuries and a win. Still, I'm doing it all with eyes to next year and the SB.

 

[Stinger226]

Agree with most of your statements but , if we start playing well week to week, my expectations for this year is still focused on this year.

[Stinger226]

I just watched highlights from the Lions and Philly games that Dallas played in. 

Detroit had a chance to win that game except for 3 TOs with 12 minutes left in the game. They fumbled the ball on the 1 yd line with 12 minutes left. They would have went up 13-10. Then with 2.43 left in the game they turned the ball over twice that gave Dallas short fields that they scored on.

Notes:   Dak did not move well , he stayed in the pocket 95% of the time.

              Detroit run up the middle successfully and quick Passing game kept Parsons out of the plays. They kept throwing to the area that Parsons vacated. Pollard in not good as pass blocking that is why he doesnt get more carries in past games. Elliott was a supreme pass blocker. 

              Detroit turned the ball over 5 times in the game and got 1 from Dallas.

               Detroit was successful passing to the TE and Slot WR. 

               Detroit run for 120 yds w/o Swift. they rushed the ball 25 times.

Out for the game is Noah Brown, Zeke Elliott, and Sam Williams( had two sacks last week) Dalton Schultz is active but coming in with a knee injury. I can see him a few hits away from not finishing the game. 

The more I look the more I think we could easily win this game. The key is the physicality. They wont react very well to that. Getsy will scheme Parsons to have an average game..