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Machota: Five Thoughts after the Cowboys 34-18 loss
John Machota
Star-Telegram

Here are five thoughts after the Cowboys’ 34-18 loss to the Bears on Monday night:

1. Tony Romo is not the problem so don’t even start with blaming this loss all on him. The Cowboys quarterback made three mistakes Monday night and that was being careless with the football on the Lance Briggs touchdown return and the two fourth-quarter interceptions. Those plays obviously hurt the Cowboys but they weren’t the sole reason for this loss. Yes, Romo deserves blame, but not all of it.

2. Romo and Dez Bryant have to get on the same page. I can’t see the Cowboys ever reaching the postseason until that happens. Bryant had his second career 100-yard game Monday night but it could’ve easily been a 200-yard game if he would’ve hauled in a few more very catchable balls. The two weren’t on the same page on Romo’s first interception. Romo signaled to Bryant before the snap, Bryant nodded. But the two weren’t running the same play. Bryant ran deep and Romo threw short. The result: Pick-six.

3. The Cowboys defense is not the No. 1 defense in the NFL. That shouldn’t be a surprise. Stats don’t matter after only three weeks. But the Cowboys defense is still better than last year. The Bears have a good offense and they were obviously clicking Monday night. When Dallas gets Jay Ratliff and Anthony Spencer back in the starting lineup, they should show improvement and return to what they are – a top 10 defense.

4. Jason Witten is back. After two lackluster games, the Cowboys’ Pro Bowl tight end caught 13 passes for 112 yards and a TD, and he didn’t drop any after dropping six the previous two weeks. He also stepped into the No. 2 overall spot on the Cowboys’ all-time receiving list. Only Michael Irvin has more. A healthy Witten is a great sign for this offense going forward.

5. There’s no doubt that this is a disappointing loss, and it only makes it worse that it was nationally televised. The Cowboys have just as much talent as the Bears and were playing at home – even though MANY Bears fans were part of the over 90,000 in the building. The negative spin: The Cowboys have a long way to go if they have any hope of reaching the playoffs. The positive spin: There are only six NFC teams with better records. It’s still a long season, folks.
 

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Jason Garret will restore order
Mike wozniak will drastically improve our team strength
Jimmy Robinson will get the receivers starightened out
Bill Callahan will fix our below average line

The problem with Dallas is that too many people believe things like this just like the owner does, and we continue to put out a completely average team on the field. This team since 1997 has as many wins as it does losses with one playoff win.

The wheel keeps spinning therefore the bicycle is officially not broken but it has a badly bent rim so we wont throw it away and buy another one.

I think the only way Jerry will realize that this team needs a complete overhaul is for us to fail in an epic way, but unfortunatley our team has too much "talent" for that to happen and it keeps fans like me watching each and every game and more importantly the owner believeing that we are close to a title

I truly despise being a fan of this team but I am an addict and Dallas is my drug dealer


Giv
 
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Cowboys Step Into A Bear Trap; Devour Themselves In 34-18 Loss To Chicago
by KD Drummond

The Dallas Cowboys took the field against the Chicago Bears tonight with a chance to tie Philly atop the NFC East, but then they Dallas Cowboy'd. After a back and forth first half, the Cowboys Dallas Cowboy'd right before the two minute break and allowed Chicago an early 10-0 lead in classic Dallas Cowboy fashion. After closing the gap to three before the break, they emerged from the locker room as the Dallas Cowboys; completely ready to Dallas Cowboy things up. And Dallas Cowboy it they did.

Where to begin? Forget that... can someone make it stop? The final score might have been 34-18, but I'm not sure quarterback Tony Romo is finished throwing interceptions to the Bears defense. From the sideline; after being removed for Kyle Orton.

The Cowboys completely undressed themselves on national television once again, and there was little to console oneself with as they head into the bye week with a multitude of question marks.

The game was a defensive struggle for most of the first half. After Chicago took a 3-0 lead late in the second quarter, a miscommunication between Romo and WR Dez Bryant led to an embarrassing pick six by veteran corner Charles Tillman to put the Bears up 10-0.

Blame could be placed on both QB and receiver in my opinion, but why quibble? Dallas gave their fans plenty of additional opportunities to plant forehead firmly in palm throughout the rest of the game. The awesome two-minute drive for a 19-yard touchdown to Miles Austin was nothing but a delay of the inevitable in retrospect. 10-7 might as well been 100-7 the way Dallas started the second half.

Jay Cutler returned to the field and promptly carved chunks into the Cowboys Stadium field. I say the field, because on most passes there wasn't a defender in sight.

The lead was almost immediately stretched back to 10 as the assault on the formerly formidable Cowboys secondary began. Morris Claiborne was fooled on a Devin Hester double-move where it appeared he should have had some safety help but didn't.

The funny thing is, that wasn't the funny thing. The rest of the second half; now that's where the comedy lies. Dallas appeared to be well on it's way to answer Cutler, driving down the field with ease. Romo saw Ogletree on a second down from the Bears 18, pass bounces off of Tree and is picked off by Major Wright.

DeMarcus Ware crushes Jay Cutler forcing a strip sack that the Cowboys actually recover? Momentum swing! Nope, Mackenzy Bernadeau lets Henry Melton right by him on the very next play. Melton hits Romo as he passes (fumbles?) and it's taken 74 yards to the house by Lance Briggs.

After a Cowboys field goal, it appears that Morris Claiborne strips Alshon Jeffrey of a pass and give a glimmer of hope? Nope, replay shows his elbow down before the ball moved. Bears drive downfield continuing to abuse all secondary players to score a field goal.

Cowboys move to midfield; cue the Tony Romo confusing interception. Bears touchdown as Brandon Marshall left completely wide open. Next drive? Another Cowboys interception.

On the bright side, Jason Witten didn't have any drops. There weren't a lot of penalties. Sean Lee is still Sean Lee. Unfortunately, plugging a couple leaks while a dozen others spring up just isn't going to cut it. Dez Bryant went over 100 yards for just the second time in his career; but it might have been one of the worst games he's played. First there was a drop on third down on the opening drive. Then, the end-of-half play where Dez was supposed to be the hot route but kept running up the field as Romo released (I don't absolve Romo of blame, the route was getting jumped and he could have taken the sack). He would add a couple more crucial drops. Romo would miss him wide open a couple times. It was a comedy of errors; if it wasn't our Cowboys.

Again, the best part is that now everyone has two weeks to stew over this slopfest; this assault on fans' eyeballs everywhere. Well, everywhere except for Cowboys Stadium as the Bears seemed to be playing a home game with the raucous cheers that emerged throughout the game. With the performance of the team over the last couple seasons, it's no wonder that Cowboys Nation doesn't want to pony up to travel to Texas to watch this team in person. Why would they?

Of course, there is a standard line that I tote in these situations is that the season is far from over. Dallas sits at 2-2 but there is so much work to be done on this team that it's hard to remain positive. Looking at the post-bye schedule of at Ravens, at Panthers, vs Giants, at Atlanta and at Philadelphia... the soul-searching over the next two weeks will have to be Paranormal Activity-worthy in order to right this ship.
 
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Cowboys LB Victor Butler fails to make impact as Anthony Spencer’s replacement
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
1:26 am on October 2, 2012

ARLINGTON — Anthony Spencer hadn’t missed a game since the 2008 season. But on Monday, before the Cowboys’ 34-18 loss to Chicago, the outside linebacker was ruled inactive with a strained pectoral muscle, an injury he suffered late in Dallas’ victory over Tampa Bay on Sept. 23.

For the Cowboys, it was a big blow. Spencer had been playing particularly well, having recorded two sacks, nine quarterback pressures and 29 tackles, according to the statistics compiled by the Cowboys’ coaching staff.

Fourth-year veteran Victor Butler replaced Spencer, starting for the first time since his rookie season. But he struggled to fill Spencer’s shoes. He didn’t perform well as a run defender, finishing with one tackle . And he didn’t much of an impact as a pass rusher, failing to hit quarterback Jay Cutler or sack him.

On a third-down play in the second quarter, Butler appeared to be on the verge of ensnaring Cutler. But Cutler spun away and completed a 16-yard pass to tight end Kellen Davis. The completion prolonged a drive in which Chicago kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

Later, in the third quarter, Butler made amends, when he recovered a fumble caused by DeMarcus Ware at Chicago’s 27-yard line.
 
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Cowboys’ Dez Bryant says there’s ‘no excuse’ for three drops vs. Bears
By Jon Machota / Special Contributor
1:03 am on October 2, 2012

ARLINGTON – One of the key plays in the Cowboys’ 34-18 loss to the Chicago Bears was a 25-yard Charles Tillman interception return for a touchdown.

The play stands out because it gave the Bears a 10-0 lead and showcased some apparent miscommunication between Tony Romo and Dez Bryant.

Bryant ran deep and Romo threw short. Tillman didn’t stay with Bryant, he waited and was in perfect position to make the grab near the visiting sideline and jog in for the game’s first touchdown.

“You just have to give credit to the defensive back,” Bryant said. “We thought that he was going and he stopped and he played it. He just made a good play on it.”

Bryant, who said there was no excuse for his three dropped passes, was one of the last players to exit the locker room, still sitting in his game pants after the majority of the team had already showered and departed.

“I know what kind of team we are,” Bryant said. “We’re a great team. We’re a family and we play good football. Tonight, it was just unfortunate for us. They were the better team. They came out and played and came out with the W.”

Bryant added: “I feel like we’re mentally tough and we’re going to get through it. We’re going to get ready for Baltimore.”

Bryant finished with eight receptions for 105 yards, his second 100-yard receiving game of his professional career.
 
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Cowboys QB Tony Romo’s performance against Bears historically bad
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
1:00 am on October 2, 2012

How dreadful was Tony Romo’s performance Monday in the Cowboys’ 34-18 loss to Chicago?

Let’s just say it was historically bad. Romo threw five interceptions for only the second time in his career, having pulled off that dubious achievement against Buffalo in 2007. Oddly enough, that game also took place on a Monday night.

But of course Romo’s turnover frenzy five years ago didn’t seem so egregious because he was in his first full season as a starter and he managed to steer the Cowboys to a miraculous comeback victory over the Bills. He wasn’t able to do the same against the Bears.

Instead, Romo struggled, posting a quarterback rating of 60.1 that would have been even lower if he hadn’t completed 72 percent of his pass attempts. To put Romo’s rating against Chicago in perspective, he had only produced a worse efficiency score eight times in his career. None of those horrid performances, it should be noted, occurred in the previous two seasons.

“The number one factor is taking care of the football,” Romo said. “I know that. We preach it to the guys every day and it’s obviously frustrating that I was the one who turned it over tonight.”

He did so at a historic rate during a historically bad performance.
 
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Cowboys center Ryan Cook injures left hamstring but says he’ll be OK
By Brandon George / Reporter
12:51 am on October 2, 2012

ARLINGTON– Cowboys center Ryan Cook, who has filled in for starter Phil Costa since the start of the season, suffered a left hamstring injury late in the first half Monday night against Chicago but was able to finish the game.

Cook said his hamstring tightened up on him right before the end of the first half. Cook said, however, that he doesn’t believe it’s an issue going forward and that he “absolutely” should be fine.

The Cowboys will likely re-evaluate Cook’s hamstring injury Tuesday by having him undergo an MRI.
 
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Cowboys coach Jason Garrett on sputtering offense: “We have to just keep banging away.”
By David Moore / Reporter
12:47 am on October 2, 2012

The Cowboys offense is in trouble.

Forget the late touchdown drive engineered by backup Kyle Orton. Chicago’s defense had lost interest by that stage.

The Cowboys starters have scraped together just three touchdowns over the last three games. Tony Romo has thrown as many touchdown passes to opponents (Chicago’s Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs) as he has his own teammates (Miles Austin twice) in that span.

“They’re an outstanding defesne and one of the reasons is that they’ve done such a good job over the years taking the ball away from teams,” head coach Jason Garrett said. “It was a big emphasis for us and we didn’t carry it into the game like we needed to and I thought that was the story of the game.”

What is the emphasis for this offense going forward?

“I think the biggest thing is we have to maximize the opportunities we have,” Garrett said. “We have to just keep banging away. We have to focus on executing ball plays all over the field and in particular down in the red zone and cash in on some scoring opportunities.”
 
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Cowboys QB Tony Romo after loss to Bears: “I’m going to have to reassess a couple of things”
By David Moore / Reporter
12:35 am on October 2, 2012

Tony Romo suffered through a dismal evening with five interceptions. Two were returned for touchdowns.

Deja Detroit? The Cowboys quarterback threw three interceptions in the fourth game of last season and had two of those returned for touchdowns in a loss to the Lions.

But back to the latest loss.

“It’s going to sit there in your stomach and just eat at you,” Romo said of having to wait 13 days before the team plays again. “In different situations out there where you’re trying to do too much and help out different areas, I think that is going to catch up to you at some point in the National Football League.

“I’m going to have to reassess a couple of things that are happening and make sure that they don’t happen again.”

Romo has turned the ball eight times in the last eight quarters _ six interceptions and two fumbles.

“The number one factor is taking care of the football,” Romo said. “I know that and preach it to the guys.

“It’s obviously frustrating.”
 
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Jerry Jones addresses some of Cowboys players inside locker room after blowout loss to Chicago
By Brandon George / Reporter
12:03 am on October 2, 2012

ARLINGTON – Cowboys owner Jerry Jones addressed some of the players in the locker room after the blowout loss to Chicago on Monday night.

When the media was allowed inside the locker room, Jones was seen talking to the defensive linemen. He then went over to address several of the defensive backs in the locker room.

He was overheard telling the players that there’s still a long ways to go this season and he gave the defensive backs a thumbs up before walking away and talking to a horde of media in the middle of the locker room.

“We’ve got a long way to go, but this isn’t the way I want to get started,” Jones said about his team’s 2-2 record. “Nobody does, nobody in this dressing room does. I’m glad we got the time off we got. This will give us time to reassess and look in the mirror. As it turns out after tonight, this is a very timely bye for us.”
 
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Report card: Offense a big mess
October, 2, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

F
RUSHING OFFENSE

The running game was bad in Week 3 against the Buccaneers and got worse against the Bears. DeMarco Murray gained only 24 yards on 11 carries. He was dropped for a loss four times, meaning he's lost yardage on 11 of 29 carries over the last two games. Murray's 131-yard performance in the season-opening win over the Giants is the exception. The norm: 106 yards on 31 carries in the three games since then, an average of 3.4 yards per carry. Speaking of exceptions, Felix Jones actually looked fast on his lone carry of the night, a 13-yard burst. That was a rare occasion when the offensive line opened a hole.

F
PASSING OFFENSE

The five interceptions far overshadow Tony Romo's 307 passing yards. And who cares that Kyle Orton threw for 89 yards and a touchdown during mop-up time? It's close to impossible to win when the franchise quarterback throws more touchdown passes to the opposing team than to his teammates. Romo missed wide-open receivers twice on potential touchdowns, too. Dez Bryant had eight catches for a career-high 105 yards, but this was one of his worst performances. He had two killer drops and a mental bust that led to Charles Tillman's pick-six. The return of the real Jason Witten (13 catches, 112 yards, TD) offered little comfort.

B-
RUSHING DEFENSE

Matt Forte found some room, gaining 52 yards on 13 carries, but the Bears' running game didn't really hurt the Cowboys. Dallas bottled up backup Michael Bush for 29 yards on 10 carries. The Bears finished with fewer than 100 yards on the ground and averaged only 3.3 yards per carry. Inside linebacker Sean Lee had another outstanding performance as a run-stopper, being credited with 14 tackles, including one for a loss. Nose tackle Josh Brent played strong up the middle, getting four stops, including one behind the line on a third-and-short. Fill-in outside linebacker Victor Butler got his end turned a few times and only made one tackle, but it's not like the Bears won the game because they exploited Anthony Spencer's absence.

F
PASSING DEFENSE

Chicago QB Jay Cutler entered the week as the NFL's interceptions leader but had an almost flawless performance against the Cowboys. Cutler completed 18 of 24 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns for a passer rating of 140.1. The Cowboys weren't able to exploit a questionable offensive line, sacking Cutler only twice. Starting cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne both owned up to playing poorly. Brandon Marshall (seven catches, 138 yards, TD) was dominant, although Carr didn't cover him on all of his catches. Claiborne got burnt by a Devin Hester double move for a touchdown.

B
SPECIAL TEAMS

The Cowboys contained Devin Hester, who had only one punt return for eight yards and two kickoff returns for 50 yards. Brian Moorman pinned the Bears inside the 10-yard line on two of his three punts. Felix Jones took a knee on five kickoffs -- yes, that counts as progress -- and failed to get to the 20 the two times he came out of the end zone. Dan Bailey made his only field goal attempt. And Joe DeCamillis' units didn't have any disasters.

F
COACHING

Jason Garrett's offense is as big a mess as there is in the NFL. Oh, the Cowboys are no longer the lowest-scoring team in the NFL. They avoided that dubious distinction with a garbage-time touchdown, but a five-turnover performance was an epic failure. Garrett has two weeks to figure things out, and he'll need every minute of it. Rob Ryan failed to generate much pressure on Cutler despite facing a suspect Chicago offensive line, but at least he had an excuse with four starters out and linebacker Bruce Carter missing much of the game.
 
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Jerry Jones on loss: We got beat soundly
October, 2, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Cowboys turned the ball over five times, resulting in two scores for the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

The Cowboys also fumbled twice, but recovered both, and had another poor performance in the running game (2.9 yards per carry).

It all led to a 34-18 loss to the Bears at Cowboys Stadium.

"We met a Chicago team that made big plays with the ball," Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said. "They took care of the ball. They made plays with the ball. We didn't. We got beat soundly. That's all there is to it. I'm very disappointed to get beat at home in front of our fans. We thought a lot was at stake here. We got a long way to go."

The Cowboys have lost all the momentum they had after beating the New York Giants in the season opener. It was such a solid performance by the Cowboys, considering they almost needed to beat the Giants after losing both meetings last season, including the regular-season finale which knocked them from a playoff berth.

Over the last three weeks, the Cowboys have lost at Seattle, beat Tampa Bay and now lost to the Bears.

At 2-2, the Cowboys' odds of making the postseason stand at 35.3 percent. Under the current playoff format, 71 of 201 teams in their position have made the postseason.

Jones isn't thinking about the postseason, especially when he says the team has "a long way to go."

"I know it's the same make-up of the team," Jones said when asked if this is the same team that beat the Giants. "Same personnel. ... We've seen this team play well and we can play a lot better. ... We have a lot of work to do."
 
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Were wide receivers to blame for Tony Romo's first two picks?
October, 2, 2012
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The five interceptions go on Tony Romo's line in the box score.

The blame for the first two should fall on the shoulders of the intended receivers.

Kevin Ogletree accepted total responsibility for the ball intended to him that was intercepted. Dez Bryant offered a wishy-washy explanation where he credited the cornerback for a pick-six that happened because of a mental bust.

Romo’s first interception, which Charles Tillman returned for a touchdown, occurred when Romo threw a stop route and Bryant kept going up the sideline. Romo and Bryant had a conversation on the sideline immediately afterward that appeared to be an X’s and O’s lesson for the third-year receiver, but Bryant stopped short of accepting blame for the miscommunication.

“It was just the guy made a good play on the ball,” Bryant said. “He kind of disguised what he was doing. What was called, if I was pressed, I was supposed to run deep. If he was off, I was supposed to run the stop route. He pressed and then he kind of bailed and stopped. I just felt like he made a good play on the ball.”

Ogletree, on the other hand, cut straight to the chase when asked about Romo’s second interception.

Safety Major Wright came up with the rebound after the ball ricocheted off Ogletree, who ran a slant in the red zone.

“I’m really disappointed we didn’t get some points out of that drive,” Ogletree said, “and I’m to blame for that.”

It was the first time this season that Ogletree let Romo down. As far as Ogletree is concerned, that’s one time too many, even with cornerback Tim Jennings making contact soon after the ball arrived.

“It was a bang-bang play,” Ogletree said. “But at the end of the day, that’s what we get paid to do, make those plays. And it didn’t happen.”
 
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Rapid Reaction: Bears 34, Cowboys 18
October, 1, 2012
By Calvin Watkins | ESPNDallas.com

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jay Cutler is not one to smile during a game. It's not in his nature.

Monday night, he did.

After Brandon Marshall caught a 31-yard touchdown pass to give the Chicago Bears a commanding 24-point lead against the Dallas Cowboys, Cutler slapped fives with linebacker Brian Urlacher and had one of those "I just won the lottery" smiles.

Tony Romo didn't have one of those smiles. He had frustration on his face and used a profanity after throwing a crowd-clearing interception with 5:51 to play in a distasteful, 34-18 loss to the Bears.

What it means: At 2-2, the Cowboys' odds of making the postseason stand at 35.3 percent. Under the current playoff format, 71 of 201 teams in their position have made the postseason. The Cowboys are heading into a bye week that will only raise questions about just how good or bad they are. This is the second consecutive season they have started 2-2 going into a bye. The last time the Cowboys had a record above .500 into a week off was 2009, and they were 3-2.

Turnovers hurt: Romo tied a career high with five interceptions. Some of the picks weren't his fault. Dez Bryant ran the wrong route that led to one pick; Kevin Ogletree failed to hold on to a pass for another. But the other three could be blamed on Romo. For the night, Romo completed 31 of 43 passes for 307 yards with one touchdown to go with the five picks. Kyle Orton replaced Romo late in the fourth quarter. It was a poor performance by Romo, who watched Jay Cutler outplay him. Cutler completed 18 passes on 24 attempts for 275 yards and two touchdowns.

Carr struggles: Brandon Carr did a nice job covering Vincent Jackson in the win over Tampa Bay last week, but not so much against Brandon Marshall. Marshall caught seven passes for 138 yards, and his only touchdown reception caught Carr in a pick play in which he failed to get past Kellen Davis.

Pass rush isn't there: Cutler was sacked just once Monday night, but he didn't get hit often by the Cowboys' pass rush. There were times when outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware couldn't reach Cutler, who got rid of the ball quickly. Without Anthony Spencer (pectoral muscle strain) and for a few snaps inside linebacker Bruce Carter (hip), the Cowboys were lacking in the pass rush. It was a long night for it as Cutler picked apart the Cowboys' secondary.

No drops for Witten: The NFL leader in drops, tight end Jason Witten had none. He finished with 13 catches for 112 yards and a late touchdown, coming with 34 seconds to play. Witten was just two catches shy of his career high. Witten has five drops through four games.

What's next? A bye week, and thank goodness, at least for the Cowboys. The Cowboys will have one practice this week, on Wednesday, before taking four days off. When they return, nose tackle Jay Ratliff (ankle), who has missed the first four games of the season, could make his season debut. Center Phil Costa, who played just three snaps in the season opener, could also make a return to the starting lineup.
 
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Bears 34, Cowboys 18: Deep Sixed by the Pick Six
by Rafael

The rotisserie of funk keeps spinning.

Two weeks ago, a litany of special teams mistakes put Dallas into an early 10 point hole, and four quarters of sloppy wide receiver play kept them there.

Tonight, a simplified Cowboys offense protected better. It reached half without a penalty. A modified secondary held Chicago in check, limiting the Bears to a field goal drive. And yet, the Cowboys trailed 10-7, because a glaring short circuit between Tony Romo and Dez Bryant led to the Bears touchdown.

The maliase grew in the 2nd half. After Chicago burned Gerald Sensabaugh and Morris Claiborne on their opening 2nd half drive, the Cowboys rolled down the field, mostly on throws to Dez Bryant. With a 17-14 score in sight, Kevin Ogletree broke the rhythm, letting a well-thrown Romo pass bounce off his shoulder pads. The ball bounced into the air and was intercepted.

The Cowboys defense answered with their lone turnover of the game. DeMarcus Ware tore the ball from Jay Cutler on a pass attempt, setting up Dallas at the Bears 29.

The second chance to close the gap evaporated after one play. Right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau was beaten outside by tackle Henry Melton. Melton swiped at Romo's right hand as the quarterback slid forward in the pocket. Melton clubbed the football free and it floated into linebacker Lance Briggs' hands. Briggs outraged the Cowboys line to the end zone, and a second looming chance to narrow Chicago's lead ended with the Bears holding a 24-7 lead.

From that point the game snow-balled. The Bears defense is hard to beat under normal conditions. WIth a 17 point lead and just over a quarter to kill, the Bears sat back in their traditional cover two and dared the Cowboys to throw deep.

The Bears took some last chances at sacking Tony Romo and gave Dallas one shot early in the 4th quarter. They sent five rushers and sat in cover one, with man-to-man on Dallas' receivers and a solo safety. Romo read the play and floated a pass up the right sideline to a wide open Dez Bryant.

Bryant dropped the pass. Two plays later, Romo was intercepted while trying to throw underneath the restored cover two and the Cowboys misery grew. When the miscues mercifully ended, the Cowboys had been rolled 34-18. The loss dropped the team to 2-2, with a welcome break next on the schedule.

Lots of fingers will be pointed, at the quarterback, at the receivers, at the line. The short answer is that every member of the passing game flailed. When the game was scoreless early in the 2nd quarter, Dallas mounted the first sustained drive of the game, when Romo completed a few short passes to Bryant. On a 3rd down just inside the Bears' 40, Bryant was isolated on a Bears corner out of the right seam. Bryant got behind the coverage on a double move, but Romo overthrew him.

In the second quarter, Bryant made his first big gaffe. With Dallas facing a 3rd-and-7 inside its red zone, Romo attempted a quick out to Bryant. The Bears had sent measured pressure at Romo from Dallas' first drive. Romo had succeeded in throwing quick-set passes, slants, hooks and stop fades, against Chicago's coverages.

On this play, Bryant ran a few yard up the field, hesitated at the first down stripe, then continued up the field. Bears corner Charles Tillman stopped at the stripe and snapped up Romo's throw, while Bryant broke up field behind him.

Ogletree took his turn as the gaffe-master in the 3rd, and Bernadeau's whiff broke Dallas' back one series later. The Cowboys offense runs on its passing attack and in both losses, the passing attack has been woefully out of sync.

The bye could not have come at a better time.

Notes:

-- Keep safety high on the off-season wish list. Barry McCray struggled badly in coverage. So did Mike Jenkins, who played most of tonight's snaps at free safety. Both McCray and Jenkins covered the Bears lumbering tight ends and both were overpowered by Kellen Davis.

-- Dez Bryant painted the target on his jersey in bright neon paint this evening. He had a respectable line -- 8 catches for 105 yards, but made some major lapses in discipline. His missed sight adjustment cost Dallas a touchdown. He dropped another bomb in the 4th. He dropped a third key pass on Dallas' first drive after Briggs' pick six. Romo hit Bryant on a slant inside the Bears 15 but the receiver lost his concentration.

Tony Romo resisted his previous habit of freezing out a target after a mental mistake. Instead, he offered Bryant encouragement on the sideline and kept the throws coming. It has to irk the team so see so many attempts literally slide through Bryant's fingers.

-- Conversely, Jason Witten took a giant step forward. He appears to be regaining his strength and did not have any of the drops which dogged him in weeks two and three. He finished with a team-high 13 catches for 112 yards.

-- Linebacker Victor Butler had a disappointing game. The Bears ran outside of Butler early. He had trouble containing his edge. He also missed on a 2nd quarter rush that would have forced a Bears punt. Instead, Jay Cutler ran through Butler's grasp and completed a pass to continue Chicago's first scoring drive.
-- Welcome to the NFL, Morris Claiborne. He's played well overall, but the Bears Devin Hester got him on a stop and go route in the 3rd. Claiborne squatted on Devin's initial break and peeked at QB Cutler while Hester made his second move.

-- The biggest defensive disappointment tonight was Dallas' pedestrian rush. The Cowboys controlled action for a quarter with four-man rushes, but Rob Ryan dialed up more pressure in the middle quarters. The extra rushers either missed or were blocked. The Bears gave tight end held or running back help to the offensive tackles facing DeMarcus Ware. The rest could not harass Cutler, allowing him to find down-field targets late on plays over and over again.

The defense needs to get its injured rushers back ASAP.
 
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Would Jay Cutler and Tony Romo Enjoy More Success If They Switched Teams?
by Justin Bonnema

Before diving into a series of hypotheticals that will most likely never happen, it’s important to note that this is not a heads-to-head comparison of Jay Cutler and Tony Romo.

I think it’s fair to say that Romo is a better quarterback and only in a few crowded circles in Chicago would anyone disagree. So let’s clear the air on that right now; never would I suggest that the Cowboys would be better off with Cutler.

The question is: would Cutler be better off with the Cowboys?

One area of familiarity that he could embrace immediately upon arriving in Dallas is running for his life. The Cowboys offensive line is as bad, if not worse, than anything he has had to endure since moving to Chicago.

One thing that Romo has excelled at—something required of any Cowboys quarterback—is making throws on the run and keeping plays alive with his feet. Cutler has made some fine plays under pressure, but he doesn’t have the same kind of awareness or scrambling ability.

Regardless, he would be well-served with the talent in Dallas.

DeMarco Murray is no Matt Forte, but he’s on his way to being one of the most respected running backs in the league. Dez Bryant and Miles Austin offer a much better wide receiver duo than Cutler has ever enjoyed, and Jason Witten is an elite tight end. Offensively, he should have no problem thriving.

Defensively, he would see a slight downgrade. Critics have often claimed that Chicago’s defense has carried them over the last decade.

The opposite has been true in Dallas. But that may be changing.

The 2012 season brings much higher expectations for the Cowboys, as they have completely revamped their secondary through free agency and the draft. Their front seven is, on paper, a top-10 unit and will provide plenty of short fields.

The biggest issue Cutler would face is the same one that’s followed him everywhere he’s gone: his attitude. He has a tendency to project his negativity on others, sulking on the sidelines and cussing at offensive linemen—behavior associated with weakness rather than leadership.

Romo handles things differently. He’s positive and encouraging, even after Dez Bryant loses focus and runs the wrong route. Romo doesn’t chew his head off on the sidelines; he grabs him by the shoulder pads and has a calm and honest conversation.

The word is maturity. It’s the only thing that could keep Cutler from having a more successful career in Dallas than he has had in Chicago. Imagine if he were to have the same offensive coordinator instead of going through three in a four-year stretch, which is what he's had to endure in his tenure with the Bears.

There’s no question Cutler would flourish with a star on his helmet.

And what about Romo? What if he would have been playing for the Chicago Bears for the last five years? What if I were to tell you that he would have more than one playoff win?

The thing we all know about Romo is that he is a terrific quarterback. And if we all agree that he is a better quarterback than Jay Cutler (which the facts support) and that the Bears have had a much better defense than the Cowboys over the years (also supported by facts), wouldn’t it ultimately mean that Romo would be more successful with the Bears?

Consider this: Romo has proven year in and year out that he can make good receivers great. Laurent Robinson and Miles Austin are prime examples. Without a top-10 quarterback, I’m not so sure that either of those guys lands their respective contracts.

When was the last time anyone said that about Cutler?

Instead, critics have credited the Bears defense for the team's success, which is fair. In Dallas, the defense has been the scapegoat for the Cowboys failures. Also fair. Give Romo Chicago’s defense, Chicago’s running game and a few good receivers, and I have no doubt in my mind that he would have more playoff appearances and wins than he does now.

Conclusion
It’s impossible to quantify these hypotheticals without considering every angle.

It might be unfair to call Tony Romo a warm weather quarterback but since he’s never played anywhere but Dallas (and has very few bad weather games on his resume), we can only assume that the climate and field conditions in Chicago don’t favor his style of play.

We also have to assume that Jay Cutler would benefit from having the same offensive coordinator for his entire career. These are factors that we can’t prove but are worth considering, as—were they to transpire—our perspectives could be dramatically altered.

It also seems as simple as saying “if Romo had a better defense, he would win more games.” That’s true of any competent quarterback. The difference between the Cowboys defense and that of the Bears isn’t so significant that it translates into several more wins. But the turnovers and short fields would certainly aid Romo in situations in which he has previously struggled.

In summation, a quarterback swap benefits Romo and the Bears more than it does Cutler and the Cowboys. It’s becoming cliché to call the NFL a passer’s league—just like it’s been cliché to say defense wins championships.

Imagine a team that features both plus an elite running back. And then add Brandon Marshall.
 
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