(SportsNetwork.com) - Neither the Dallas Cowboys or the Chicago Bears had all that much to give thanks for last week. Each team will try to rebound from lopsided divisional losses on Thanksgiving Day when they kick off Week 14 of the NFL season on Thursday night at Soldier Field. The Cowboys laid a 33-10 egg against visiting Philadelphia on Turkey Day, and the Bears suffered a 34-17 setback at Detroit. Dallas is now a game behind the Eagles in the NFC East with just four to play and the Bears are all but done in the NFC North at 5-7, three games south of the Lions and four behind division-leading Green Bay. No excuses, Cowboys defensive tackle Jeremy Mincey said. We just gotta get better. Sometimes its good to get a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get you going again. The Eagles ended Tony Romos consecutive games streak with a touchdown pass at 38 in North Texas and held league rushing leader DeMarco Murray to under 100 yards. Romo completed 18-of-29 passes for 199 yards and threw two interceptions as Dallas dropped its third straight home game. Today was an opportunity that we didnt cash in on, but we have to learn from this game and move forward, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. Murray failed to reach the century mark for only the second time in 2014, finishing with a season-low 73 yards on 20 carries against the Eagles. The Cowboys will meet the Eagles again in Philadelphia on Dec. 14, meaning this could serve as a bit of a trap game for Dallas, although the Bears havent scared many foes this season. In the Motor City on Turkey Day, embattled QB Jay Cutler was 31-for-48 for 280 yards with a pair of touchdown passes to Alshon Jeffery along with two interceptions for Chicago, which had won its previous two coming into the contest. Jeffery had nine catches for 71 yards. We had a fast start which was good, Bears head coach Marc Trestman said. Then they got on a roll and really made their money throwing the football and moving it around. The all-time series between the Boys and the Bears is tied at 11 apiece but Garrett has yet to beat Chicago in his head-coaching career, losing three straight. WHAT TO WATCH FOR Cutler has always seemed very comfortable against Dallas and has passed for 552 yards with five touchdowns and a gaudy 138.2 passer rating in his previous two starts against the Cowboys. He has plenty of weapons offensively starting with lengthy wideouts Jeffery, who has seven touchdown catches this season, including four in the previous three games, and Brandon Marshall as well as 6-foot-6 tight end Martellus Bennett. Weve got a big game in primetime this Thursday night, said Marshall, who has 22 catches for 432 yards and three touchdowns in four career games against Dallas. Weve definitely got to put our best game forward against the Cowboys. Meanwhile, running back Matt Forte has been nearly as productive as Murray this season with the two ranking first and second in the NFC, respectively, in scrimmage yards this season. Forte (828 rushing, 650 receiving) is the only NFL player with at least 800 rushing yards and 650 receiving yards in 2014 and he tends to be even better at home where he 147.2 scrimmage yards per game with four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving). (Forte is) almost half of their offense if you put it all together, Garrett said. Very versatile, very productive, and they use him really well - similar to what Philly does in using their backs a lot of different ways. Despite all that skill-position talent, however, Chicago is just 21st in the league, averaging only 21.1 points per game. I think with the guys we have and character and integrity of the guys, I dont think anybodys going to quit, Cutler said. I think the coaches wont let us, theyre not going to quit on us. Dallas has been much better on the road this season than at home, piling up over 30 points per game and compiling a perfect 5-0 mark away from the Lone Star State. I think (it) turns me on a little bit - to come into someones house and hear the boos and all that, Murray said. I think its a great thing. Weve just got to focus, and have more patience, especially on the road, and not make many mistakes. I think well be fine. Romo has been exceptional as the visitor, passing for 1,164 yards with 12 touchdowns and a league-best 122.0 passer rating when he is in unfamiliar surroundings. . As a starter on Thursday games, Romo has led the Cowboys to a 7-2 record with a 103.1 passer rating. Of course, he is also coming off one of those losses. The recipe for Dallas success this season has been getting Murray going and they need to get back to that default setting. The NFLs leading rusher has at least 100 rushing yards in 10 of 12 games heading into Thursday, and has 1,427 yards this season. In three career Thursday games, Murray has 343 scrimmage yards (114.3 per game) and four rushing touchdowns. With all the focus on Cutler and the offenses failings that has masked the bigger issue in Chicago, a poor defense which lacks playmakers. Overall the Bears stop unit is 26th in a 32-team league and really doesnt do anything all that well. Its 10th against the run but that is more indicative of just how easy it has been to throw the ball against Chicago. Were going to come out and play ball, said Bears defensive end Willie Young. Were going to stick to our game plan against Dallas. It should be a good game. OVERALL ANALYSIS The Bears are technically still alive in the NFC playoff race but they would need to win out and get plenty of help. Dallas on the other hand is a legitimate player but one that could be heading for another late-season collapse if it cant get things done here. I think its just about this week, this Thursday against the Chicago Bears, Romo said. More than anything, its a time to start playing your best football and our football team needs to understand the sense of urgency is now. I think our guys understand whats ahead of them if they can go on and play their best football. Romo and the offense isnt the problem, though. The Cowboys defense, which allowed a season-high 464 yards against Philadelphia, is starting to leak oil and that figures to continue here. Sports Network predicted outcome: Bears 28, Cowboys 23 . He just didnt expect them to be this good. Darrun Hilliard scored 19 points to lead No. 6 Villanova to a dominating 77-59 victory over Georgetown on Saturday, preserving the Wildcats hopes of a No. . -- With the Memphis Grizzlies struggling to find their offensive rhythm, O. . Ronaldo netted his 14th goal of the season in Europes top competition to give Madrid a clear advantage ahead of next weeks quarterfinal return leg in Germany. But it came at a price as the Portugal forward, who came into the first-leg nursing a sore left knee, came off in the 80th minute. . -- Chris Jones and Louisville have done a tremendous job protecting the basketball this season and thats led to easy victories. . As the Winnipeg Blue Bombers opened their main training camp Sunday, Kuale is one of the newcomers brought in to bolster a sagging defence that ranked overall where the Bombers finished 2013, in the CFL cellar with a league high 585 points against. Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at
cmonref@tsn.ca. Hi Kerry, Im in the middle of watching the Oilers-Predators game Tuesday night where we saw a puck that entered the net called no goal by the ref behind the net. After over a minute of continued play which included an Oilers penalty, the play finally stopped and the refs were able to review the goal (it was a good goal). The broadcasters said that they would have to bring the play back to the moment in time when that goal happened, so I was surprised to see Mark Frasers penalty stand from the end of the play. My question is as follows: What would have happened if Nashville had scored a goal as well? They had some good sustained pressure after the Hall goal. They let the penalty at the end of the play stand, but would they have also let a Nashville goal stand? Thanks. Aaron Deblois,Edmonton Aaron, Once video review was instituted to determine the scoring of legitimate goals, including those that are undetected by the referee during the course of play, Rule 78.6 was included in the rule book to cover the situation that occurred in Tuesday nights Oilers-Predators game. Interestingly, I was called to rule upon the identical situation the first very time it occurred in an NHL game. Current executive VP and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell was behind the bench that night as coach of the NY Rangers for a game in Pittsburgh. The Rangers scored an undetected goal and play continued for another minute until I blew my whistle for a Ranger penalty. While assessing the penalty, a horn sounded to signify the play was placed under review by the video goal judge located in the Pittsburgh Arena. Video review confirmed that the puck had indeed entered the net for a Ranger goal. I instructed the timekeeper to re-set the clock to the time of the goal and place two minutes on the Rangers penalty clock. I explained the strange turn of events that resulted from this new rule application to Coach Campbell at the Rangers bench. While pleased with the award of a goal for his team, the coach was somewhat miffed that the penalty should stand given the difference inn game time that had occurred.dddddddddddd Nonetheless, Campbell trusted my knowledge of the rule and the Rangers killed off the minor penalty. This initial situation was handled "on-site" by the referee and the video goal judge. Currently all video decisions are made "off-site" in the Situation Room in Toronto under the direction of former coach, Colin Campbell who received some basic training that night in the Igloo. Aaron, I provide points from Rule 78.6 that address various scenarios and answer your specific question. • Any potential goal must be reviewed during the next stoppage of play. No review can take place after the puck has been dropped.• If an apparent goal is confirmed by video review, the clock is re-set to the time the goal was scored.• Only one goal can be awarded at any stoppage of play. Had Nashville subsequently scored to stop play after Taylor Halls undetected goal, the Preds goal would not stand.• If review determined that the undetected goal by Taylor Hall was scored illegally (i.e. distinct kicking motion), the goal shall be disallowed and since the play should have stopped, no subsequent goal scored by either team can be awarded on the same play. The clock (including penalty time clocks, if applicable) must be re-set to the time of the disallowed goal by Hall.• Any penalties (Mark Fraser) signaled during the period of time between the apparent goal (scored by Hall) and the next stoppage of play shall be assessed in the normal manner, except when a minor penalty is to be assessed to the team scored upon (Nashville), and is therefore nullified by the scoring of the goal. If the penalty to be assessed (Nashville) was a double minor, one of the minors would be nullified with the scoring of the goal.• *If an infraction happens after the first stoppage of play following an apparent goal (i.e. infraction committed by Mark Fraser or a Preds player occurred after the whistle) by either team, it is assessed and served in the normal manner regardless as to the decision rendered by the Video Goal Judge. Whenever this unusual play occurs in a game, Rule 78.6 provides the necessary check-list for the referee and video review to follow. ' ' '
