The Dallas Cowboys will go on the road to Soldier Field and take on the Chicago Bears on the gridiron on Nov. 4. The Cowboys vs. Bears NFL matchup can be watched online via live stream - free with subscription - below, and through NFL Network.
According to the Associated Press, the Cowboys (8-4) have to avoid losing against the Bears (5-7) for the fourth time on Thursday night in order to maintain their undefeated record away from home. While Dallas coach Jason Garrett wants a rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles after their 33-10 loss to them, he has to jump through this hurdle in Chicago first.
"We got to get focused on beating Chicago," Garrett said. "We have to learn from (the Eagles) game, build on the good stuff, correct the bad."
Although the Cowboys yielded a season-high 464 yards on the defensive end, including 256 on the ground, they allowed the Eagles to record first-quarter scoring drives of 80 and 88 yards, according to Associated Press. The loss against Philadelphia still weighed on the mind of defensive tackle Jeremy Mincey.
"No excuses," Mincey said. "We just gotta get better. Sometimes it's good to get a good old fashioned butt-kicking to get you going again."
The Cowboys do have a track record of winning on the road. The Associated Press noted that Dallas averaged 30.4 points on the road compared to 21.4 at home, where they are 3-4 and haven't scored more than 17 in each of the last three.
The Cowboys were tied with Eagles at the top of the NFC East before their loss. Despite that, a Sports Illustrated article by OddShark noted that Dallas is favored to win over the Bears by four points.
"They are a perfect 5-0 on the road this year -- going 4-1 vs. the line -- but just 2-10 SU and ATS in their past 12 against NFC North foes," OddShark wrote in regards to the Cowboys.
As for the Bears, they are coming off a loss as well. They lost to the Detroit Lions 34-17; as a result, OddShark noted the closing NFL odds showed them as seven-point road underdogs.
Garrett indicated that Chicago's Matt Forte could be a significant threat to his team's game strategy.
"He's 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."
The Bears could be hindered by the fact that kicker Robbie Gould is out due to a quadriceps injury. However, Forte knows that his team has to remain focused in an otherwise disappointing season for Chicago.
"It's of the utmost importance, especially if we're playing outside, with the weather and stuff," Forte said. "You can't just sit back there and throw 50 passes a game and expect to win."
The Associated Press thinks that Chicago will probably miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season due to its lackluster performance, citing that the team allowed 28.1 points per contest. However, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler expressed similar sentiments with Forte of not giving up just yet.
"I think with the guys we have and character and integrity of the guys, I don't think anybody's going to quit," Cutler said. "I think the coaches won't let us, they're not going to quit on us."
Thursday's game can be seen at 8:25 p.m. ET on NFL Network. While subscriptions to both options are required, online viewers can watch the game the day after it airs live on NFL Game Rewind or in real time via NFL Mobile (limited to Verizon customers only).
