Week 3 Dallas vs Chicago.
Here are the BEARS:
IRVING, Texas - Two games in the books, and already the Cowboys (2-0) have scored 82 points, their best start to a season offensively since 1971. The offense looked nearly unstoppable at times during wins over the Giants and Dolphins, and it will be interesting to see if the Cowboys can keep it up for a third straight week because those Chicago Bears, well, they can play defense.
What's Up?
Sunday's game, slated for 7:15 p.m. (CDT), should be the acid test for Cowboys fans skeptical of their offense's success. Chicago (1-1) has quieted plenty of red-hot offenses in the past. Earlier this season it held San Diego and touchdown-machine LaDanian Tomlinson to 14 points, then surrendered just 10 to Kansas City in Week 2. The Bears beat Kansas City 20-10 on Sunday, but fell 14-3 to the Chargers in the opener. And while the Cowboys have put up plenty of points in the first two games, they left plenty more on the field. Efficiency and execution will be critical against the Bears.
It's fitting the Cowboys signed oft-troubled defensive tackle Tank Johnson on Tuesday. The Bears released Johnson in June after another off-the-field incident, figuring second-year tackle Dusty Dvoracek could fill his role just fine. They lost Dvoracek for the season in the opener, however, just as the Cowboys lost starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson. The Cowboys now have a contributor from last season's NFC champion defense, even if Johnson won't be eligible to play for several more weeks.
Statistical View
* The Bears have been pretty salty at home since 2005, having outscored visiting teams 397-202 in the 17 games during that span, with 14 wins to just three losses.
* Just kick it out of bounds! The stats say Bears sparkplug Devin Hester is the NFL's premier return man. Ever. Among returners with at least 50 punt or kickoff returns, his return-to-TD ratio is best, taking it to the house once every 12.5 attempts, for a total of six scores. Who's second? Someone named Gale Sayers scored every 14.8 times he returned a kick while playing for Chicago from 1965-71.
* Sustaining drives and wearing down the Bears' defense with the running game could be the Cowboys approach, but they'll have their work cut out. Chicago has forced three-and-outs a league-best 37 percent of drives through two weeks.
* Julius Jones remembers the Bears fondly, having gone for 150 yards and two scores against Chicago on Thanksgiving Day in 2004.
Chalk Talk
While some have said the Cowboys won't need the huge point totals from their first two games, it's not a good idea to just write off the Bears' offense. Bears quarterback Rex Grossman's strength is the vertical passing game, throwing downfield to speedster receiver Bernard Berrian. Downfield passing was the Cowboys' Achilles' heel down the stretch last year and against the Giants. Grossman will make mistakes, but not if the Cowboys can't create more pressure than they have against Eli Manning and Trent Green.
The real heavyweight fight, of course, will be the Cowboys' offense against the Bears' defense. If ball control is the Cowboys' goal, expect a heavier dose of Marion Barber in the running game, but don't discount Jones. Teams often try to use misdirection to beat Chicago's quick linebackers, and Jones is at his best running draws and screen passes. With points always at a premium against the Bears, we may get a glimpse of Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's imagination. Expect a trick or two by the Cowboys.
Connections
Cowboys right tackle Marc Colombo was a first-round pick by the Bears in 2001 and remained with the club until 2005 . . . Bears fullback Lousaka Polite was with the Cowboys from 2004 through the end of training camp this summer . . . Suspended Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson held the same title in Chicago from 2004-06 . . . Bears head coach Lovie Smith hails from Big Sandy, Texas.
Miscellaneous
The Bears allowed a combined 80 yards rushing to Tomlinson and Kansas City's Larry Johnson in their first two games . . . The Cowboys lead the all-time series 12-8 . . . Dallas could reach 3-0 for the first time since 1999 with a win . . . A Cowboys win would be their fifth straight on the road, the club's best streak since winning seven straight from 1993-94.
Next week - the Rams who are 0 - 3.
