Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears: 2014 Week 14 Recap

Game story

In Week 14 of the 2014 NFL season on 2014-12-04, the Dallas Cowboys took care of business against the Chicago Bears, pulling away with a 41–28 final that built a comfortable lead.

The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 27 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

J. Cutler (Chicago Bears) paced the passing game, with +12.32 total EPA, and +6.3% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, T. Romo (Dallas Cowboys) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +16.13 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (+13.0% win probability) landed in the second quarter when Dallas Cowboys changed the game: (1:14) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep middle to 82-J.Witten to CHI 34 for 19 yards (59-C.Jones; 57-J.Bostic).

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 T. Romo · Dallas Cowboys · Passing · +16.13 total EPA · 27 snaps · +0.60 EPA/play
2. 2 J. Cutler · Chicago Bears · Passing · +12.32 total EPA · 54 snaps · +0.23 EPA/play
3. 3 A. Jeffery · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +7.53 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.84 EPA/play
4. 4 C. Beasley · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +6.94 total EPA · 3 snaps · +2.31 EPA/play
5. 5 B. Marshall · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +5.87 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.47 EPA/play
6. 6 D. Bryant · Dallas Cowboys · Receiving · +5.58 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.70 EPA/play
7. 7 D. Murray · Dallas Cowboys · Rushing · +5.46 total EPA · 32 snaps · +0.17 EPA/play
8. 8 M. Bennett · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +4.59 total EPA · 15 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• Dallas Cowboys — D. Murray (Q2 40:53)
• Chicago Bears — M. Bennett (J. Cutler pass) (Q2 36:18)
• Dallas Cowboys — C. Beasley (T. Romo pass) (Q2 30:13)
• Dallas Cowboys — C. Beasley (T. Romo pass) (Q3 27:41)
• Dallas Cowboys — G. Escobar (T. Romo pass) (Q3 23:08)
• Dallas Cowboys — J. Randle (Q3 17:18)
• Chicago Bears — A. Jeffery (J. Cutler pass) (Q4 15:00)
• Chicago Bears — M. Forte (Q4 7:22)
• Chicago Bears — J. Cutler (Q4 6:16)

Field goals

• Dallas Cowboys — D. Bailey (Q4 12:41)
• Dallas Cowboys — D. Bailey (Q4 3:44)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The second quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 14–7. Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CHI 1 (Q2 40:53) — (10:53) 29-D.Murray right tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CHI 2 (Q2 40:50) — 5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.; Chicago Bears found the end zone from the DAL 12 (Q2 36:18) — (6:18) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 83-M.Bennett for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Chicago Bears added 1 points from the DAL 2 (Q2 36:13) — 4-J.Feely extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Cain, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CHI 13 (Q2 30:13) — (:13) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short left to 11-C.Beasley for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CHI 2 (Q2 30:08) — 5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones..

The third quarter: Dallas Cowboys won the period 21–0. Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CHI 24 (Q3 27:41); Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CHI 2 (Q3 27:32) — 5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CHI 6 (Q3 23:08); Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CHI 2 (Q3 23:02) — 5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.; Dallas Cowboys found the end zone from the CHI 17 (Q3 17:18) — (2:18) 21-J.Randle left tackle for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys added 1 points from the CHI 2 (Q3 17:09) — 5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones..

The fourth quarter: Chicago Bears won the period 21–6. Chicago Bears found the end zone from the DAL 27 (Q4 15:00) — (15:00) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep left to 17-A.Jeffery for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the CHI 17 (Q4 12:41) — (12:41) (Field Goal formation) 5-D.Bailey 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.; Chicago Bears found the end zone from the DAL 1 (Q4 7:22) — (7:22) 22-M.Forte left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Chicago Bears registered a safety from the DAL 1 (Q4 7:17) — (Run formation) TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 22-M.Forte rushes right guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.; Chicago Bears found the end zone from the DAL 10 (Q4 6:16) — (6:16) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler scrambles right end for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Chicago Bears added 1 points from the DAL 2 (Q4 6:09) — 4-J.Feely extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Cain, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell.; Dallas Cowboys connected on a field goal from the CHI 8 (Q4 3:44) — (3:44) (Field Goal formation) 5-D.Bailey 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Dallas Cowboys (Q2 31:14) — (1:14) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep middle to 82-J.Witten to CHI 34 for 19 yards (59-C.Jones; 57-J.Bostic). [WPA +13.0% · EPA +1.97]
• Dallas Cowboys (Q2 30:13) — (:13) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short left to 11-C.Beasley for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +10.2% · EPA +3.58]
• Chicago Bears (Q2 36:18) — (6:18) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 83-M.Bennett for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +9.7% · EPA +2.33]
• Chicago Bears (Q2 37:35) — (7:35) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 15-B.Marshall to DAL 15 for 15 yards (42-B.Church). CHI-15-B.Marshall was injured during the play. His return is Questionable. [WPA +9.4% · EPA +3.15]
• Chicago Bears (Q1 52:21) — (7:21) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass incomplete deep right to 17-A.Jeffery. PENALTY on DAL-39-B.Carr, Defensive Pass Interference, 29 yards, enforced at CHI 21 - No Play. [WPA +8.1% · EPA +3.32]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Chicago Bears (Q4 1:35) — (1:35) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-J.Morgan INTERCEPTED by 32-O.Scandrick at DAL -3. Touchback. [WPA -1.5% · EPA -5.44]
• Chicago Bears (Q3 29:11) — (14:11) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 22-M.Forte to CHI 48 for 21 yards (93-A.Spencer). FUMBLES (93-A.Spencer), RECOVERED by DAL-26-S.Moore at CHI 48. 26-S.Moore to CHI 31 for 17 yards (75- [WPA -5.4% · EPA -4.09]
• Dallas Cowboys (Q4 7:17) — 4-J.Feely kicks onside 15 yards from CHI 35 to 50. RECOVERED by CHI-88-D.Rosario. [WPA -1.8% · EPA -3.59]
• Dallas Cowboys (Q2 30:13) — (:13) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short left to 11-C.Beasley for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +10.2% · EPA +3.58]

Quarterback report card

J.Cutler led all passers in efficiency for Chicago Bears, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• J.Cutler (Chicago Bears) · 54 dropbacks · 59.3% completion · +6.3% CPOE · +0.23 EPA/play · +12.32 total EPA
• T.Romo (Dallas Cowboys) · 27 dropbacks · 77.8% completion · +17.3% CPOE · +0.60 EPA/play · +16.13 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Despite the final score, Dallas Cowboys generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.31 vs +0.09), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

• Chicago Bears: 11 drives, +7.69 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
• Dallas Cowboys: 11 drives, +24.32 total EPA, 8 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• Dallas Cowboys leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• T. Romo (Dallas Cowboys) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• J. Cutler (CHI) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
• T. Romo (DAL) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q2 40:53 · CHI 1 · Score 6-0
   (10:53) 29-D.Murray right tackle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
2. Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q2 40:50 · CHI 2 · Score 7-0
   5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.
3. Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q2 36:18 · DAL 12 · Score 7-6
   (6:18) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 83-M.Bennett for 12 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
4. Chicago Bears XP (+1) — Q2 36:13 · DAL 2 · Score 7-7
   4-J.Feely extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Cain, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell.
5. Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q2 30:13 · CHI 13 · Score 13-7
   (:13) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short left to 11-C.Beasley for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
6. Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q2 30:08 · CHI 2 · Score 14-7
   5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.
7. Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 27:41 · CHI 24 · Score 20-7
   (12:41) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass deep right to 11-C.Beasley for 24 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the pl
8. Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q3 27:32 · CHI 2 · Score 21-7
   5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.
9. Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 23:08 · CHI 6 · Score 27-7
   (8:08) (Shotgun) 9-T.Romo pass short middle to 89-G.Escobar for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Penalty on CHI-39-A.Louis-Jean, Defensive Holding, declined.
10. Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q3 23:02 · CHI 2 · Score 28-7
    5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.
11. Dallas Cowboys TD (+6) — Q3 17:18 · CHI 17 · Score 34-7
    (2:18) 21-J.Randle left tackle for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
12. Dallas Cowboys XP (+1) — Q3 17:09 · CHI 2 · Score 35-7
    5-D.Bailey extra point is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.
13. Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q4 15:00 · DAL 27 · Score 35-13
    (15:00) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep left to 17-A.Jeffery for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
14. Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q4 12:41 · CHI 17 · Score 38-13
    (12:41) (Field Goal formation) 5-D.Bailey 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.
15. Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q4 7:22 · DAL 1 · Score 38-19
    (7:22) 22-M.Forte left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
16. Chicago Bears Safety (+2) — Q4 7:17 · DAL 1 · Score 38-21
    (Run formation) TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 22-M.Forte rushes right guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.
17. Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q4 6:16 · DAL 10 · Score 38-27
    (6:16) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler scrambles right end for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
18. Chicago Bears XP (+1) — Q4 6:09 · DAL 2 · Score 38-28
    4-J.Feely extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Cain, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell.
19. Dallas Cowboys FG (+3) — Q4 3:44 · CHI 8 · Score 41-28
    (3:44) (Field Goal formation) 5-D.Bailey 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-91-L.Ladouceur, Holder-6-C.Jones.