The Bears are a heavy 9.5-point underdog this week, indicating an extreme passing game script.
This game will be played in a dome—which means no wind, increased pass volume, increased touchdown potential, and better passing effectiveness.
Opposing QBs have averaged 38.9 pass attempts per game vs. the Dallas Cowboys defense this year: 7th-most in the NFL.
The Dallas Cowboys defense has not been good when opposing pass-catchers have gotten into space, yielding an average of 6.67 yards-after-the-catch this year: the 8th-most in football.
The Chicago Bears offensive line has allowed their QB 2.51 seconds before getting pressured (10th-best in the league since the start of last season), which has a strong effect on all pass game stats across the board.
Cons
The Chicago Bears will have a new play-caller this year in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to tilt 5.5% more towards rushing than it did last year (context-neutralized).
THE BLITZ projects the Chicago Bears as the 4th-least pass-heavy offense among all teams this week with a 52.5% pass rate, accounting for their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects the Chicago Bears offense to be the 4th-slowest paced team in the NFL (in a neutral context) at the moment, averaging 29.62 seconds per snap.
THE BLITZ projects Justin Fields to attempt 29.7 passes in this contest, on average: the 3rd-least of all QBs.
Justin Fields has been among the bottom passers in the league this year, averaging 144.0 yards per game while grading out in the 8th percentile.