Playoff Contenders Meet as Cowboys Host Bears

Two of the most storied franchises in league history meet for a national TV bout as the 2-1 Chicago Bears and 2-1 Dallas Cowboys get together at Cowboys Stadium on Monday Night Football (8:30 pm ET, ESPN).

Can Jay Cutler rally his troops for a big game on the road? Can the Cowboys up their game, after a couple of lifeless performances? And which of these teams will get to 3-1?

Dallas opened this season with that wonderful 24-17 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Giants in New Jersey. The Cowboys got a 22-for-29 passing performance from QB Tony Romo, 131 yards on the ground from RB DeMarco Murray and the defense held New York to just 269 yards.

But Dallas then went up to Seattle and got thoroughly outplayed on its way to a 27-7 defeat.

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Last week the Cowboys beat Tampa Bay 16-10, but didn't exactly shine. Dallas committed three turnovers and 13 penalties and managed just 38 yards rushing. But the Cowboys defense held the Bucs to just 166 yards of offense.

Since his big game in Week 1 Murray has been held to 82 yards rushing on 30 carries.

Chicago, meanwhile, beat Indianapolis opening weekend 41-21, getting 333 yards through the air from Cutler. But on a short week after that the Bears went up to Lambeau Field and got beat 23-10, as Cutler got chased all night and threw four interceptions.

Chicago bounced back last week to beat the Rams at Soldier Field 23-6, but that wasn't pretty, either.

So the Bears are a half-game back of 3-1 Minnesota in the NFC North, while Dallas is a half-game back of 3-1 Philly in the NFC East.

These two teams last met three seasons ago, also in Arlington, the Bears coming away with a 27-20 victory. That game played OVER on its total, as Cutler and Romo combined to throw the ball 80 times.

One of the Cowboys' scores in that game came on a punt return by Dez Bryant.

On the injury front Chicago RB Matt Forte is still listed as questionable for Monday night with a sprained ankle.

Early last week most NFL betting outlets opened the Cowboys as 3.5-point favorites for this game, with the total as high as 45. As of Monday morning most books had dropped the hook on Dallas, and lowered the total to around 41.5.

Also, on Bovada's Monday Night Football prop board, the OVER/UNDER on total touchdowns is listed at 4.5 (O -150/U +120).