Status Check is FanHouse's conversation with fans from the rest of the blogosphere. Every week during the NFL season we'll be focusing on a big rivalry. Today, it's Cowboys-Bears, two teams with very different strengths, at least through the first two weeks of the season. Dave Halprin, the guy behind Blogging the Boys, and WCG of Windy City Gridiron, answer a few questions.
First up, Cowboys fan Dave Halprin.
FanHouse: Bill Parcells retired and owner Jerry Jones hires Wade Phillips. Phillips has a pretty good record as a head coach (50-39 heading into the Bears game), but he'll forever be remembered as the guy who benched Doug Flutie for Rob Johnson. What were fans' reactions when he was first hired? And what about now, after he has a training camp, preseason schedule and two regular season games under his belt?
Dave: When Wade Phillips was hired there were a lot of Dallas fans behind the move. I would say a majority, but of course not everyone. I supported it because Dallas had spent so much effort in building a 3-4 defense through draft picks and free agency and Wade Phillips is one of the gurus of the 3-4 defense. Almost everywhere he's gone, his defenses have been good. Plus, the players needed a more relaxed atmosphere after four years of Bill Parcells. He's a great coach, but his style was starting to produce diminishing returns and he had lost some of the players.
Ironically, after two games of the season, it's the offense that we're all excited about and the defense that is causing us worries. But anytime you can come out and go 2-0 with a win inside the division and a win on the road, the fans are going to be ecstatic. Especially with the way the Cowboys have played on offense. So right now, I'd say Cowboys fans are thrilled with what Wade has done. But ask me the same question after we've played some good teams and faced some adversity.
FanHouse: Hardcore football fans know Terence Newman, but casual observers (outside of Dallas, anyway) have probably never heard of him. Which little-known Cowboys player should people look for Sunday?
Dave: This is always a hard question to answer when you follow the Cowboys as closely as I do because I'm never sure past the T.O.'s and the Romo's who other NFL fans really know on our team. By now, I'm guessing everybody is familiar with RB Marion Barber III, or MB3 as we like to call him. The guy runs angry and is a touchdown machine. If you don't know about him, watch him on Sunday.
How about a guy on defense? Middle linebacker Bradie James is a vet that lost weight over the off-season and he's been flying around the field so far, he's making hard-hitting tackles in the running game. He's not the best in coverage, but when stuffing the run or on the occasional blitz, he's been a player this year.
FanHouse: A lot of fans thought Jerry Jones should've pulled the trigger on Brady Quinn as he was slip slidin' down the draft board. With four months perspective, do you think the Cowboys should've made that happen, or are you more excited about the likely top-5 pick Dallas will get from Cleveland?
Dave: The Cowboys absolutely did the right thing by passing on Brady Quinn and getting Cleveland's first-round pick next year. Nothing against Brady Quinn, he may turn out to be a fine QB in this league, but the Cowboys believe they already have their QB of the future. We've watched Tony Romo develop over the last four years and his play so far this year has been phenomenal.
The Cowboys are going to sign Romo to a long-term deal soon, so having Quinn here probably wouldn't help us all that much. Plus, having Cleveland's first-round pick combined with our own gives us lots of options in next year's draft. If we wanted someone like Darren McFadden, we have ammunition to make that move if necessary - no telling how high our pick will be from Cleveland. We could also just sit back and use the picks as the draft unfolds. Either way, we think we already have our QB and now we have an extra first-round pick.
FanHouse: Putting aside this rivalry for a moment, if you could have one Bears player on the Cowboys, who would it be?
Dave: My brain says someone like Lance Briggs or Brian Urlacher, or someone else off that defense. That's the rational answer and any of their defensive stars would be a great addition. But my heart says Devin Hester. The kid is so explosive and entertaining to watch; he turns every kickoff and punt into a legitimate scoring opportunity. Plus, he changes an opponents kicking strategy and he can switch field position in a flash. I'd try to get him at least five touches on the offensive side of the ball.
FanHouse: What do the Cowboys have to do win this game?
Dave: First, don't turn the ball over and give Chicago's offense a short field. Make Rex Grossman and that struggling offense drive the whole field for their points, don't spot them any easy ones. Next, stop the running game. Force them to rely on Grossman's arm to beat your defense and don't give up the long bomb to Bernard Berrian.
Again, to paraphrase Hank Stram; make them matriculate the ball down the field. Make that offense run as many plays as possible on a drive in hopes they'll breakdown along the way. On offense, Dallas needs to take what Chicago gives them. If they stack the line against the run, and they like to do that, make them pay in the passing game until they soften up. If they back off into a traditional 4-3 alignment with seven in the box, then you have to mix-it-up and run some on them. Finally, don't let Devin Hester beat you.
Next up, Bears fan WCG.
FanHouse: Let's go ahead and get this out of the way: Rex Grossman, thumbs up or thumbs down? If it's the former, how long do you stay with him? If it's the latter, what's Plan B?
WCG: Thumb firmly sideways. At this point there is not a better option, so he is the guy this year unless he caves. Besides the offense has other problems that are not his fault. This is a contract year for him, so if he continues to just be middle of the road I wouldn't expect he is here next year.
FanHouse: Hardcore football fans know Nathan Vashar, but casual observers have probably never heard of him. Which little-known Bears player should people look for Sunday?
WCG: The two they need to know are Danieal Manning and Hunter Hillenmeyer. Hillenmeyer is our strong side linebacker and he gets over shadowed by Urlacher and Briggs. He isn't up to their level, but he is more than capable of the big play. Manning will be taking over for Mike Brown. He is not nearly as good against the run, but he is the fastest guy we have back there, so coverage should improve.
FanHouse: Like Grossman, Cedric Benson has also caught his fair share of grief this season. How much do the Bears miss Thomas Jones, or are Benson's struggles not all his fault?
WCG: The Bears do miss Jones. Jones had the speed to get to the outside and was better on blocking the blitz. Benson has been getting grief, but he only had one bad game against a great D. He went for 100 the other game, so a lot of the criticism is either just too soon or piling on. In the KC game he had something like 85 of those 101 yards after initial contact, so he is doing what he is supposed to. It would be nice to see him get a few more longer gains. Our offensive line also is a bit inconsistent right now and our pass offense isn't going anywhere, so it is a mix of everything.
FanHouse: Putting aside this rivalry for a moment, if you could have one Cowboys player on the Bears, who would it be?
WCG: Funny you should mention it as I have somebody writing a similar piece for the site. The person he picked is Mat McBriar, who is quickly becoming one of the league's best punters. Personally, I have really enjoyed watching Marion Barber run. That is how I am waiting for Benson to preform.
FanHouse: What do the Bears have to do win this game?
WCG: Score. It is as simple as that. The Bears are more than capable of keeping the Cowboys to 15-25 points if not less. The problem is whether they can score more. The Cowboys D is nothing to fear right now, so maybe this is the game they can start getting things moving. The biggest thing is to start spreading the field. I would take a few shots deep early, to get Rex comfortable. That is what he likes to do and he does it well. Greg Olsen could also help with that. I dare say Roy Williams will look the fool if he has to hang with Berrian or Hester in a foot race. If the Bears can get him the other safeties away from the line that will open things up for Benson.
Good stuff. thanks again to Dave and WCG for their insights.
