The Dallas Cowboys won without Tony Romo in Week 2, as rookie Dak Prescott, pressed into action, played well enough to give them a win over the NFC East rival Washington. The Chicago Bears are in a similar position in Week 3, as starter Jay Cutler is injured.
Bears vs. Cowboys 2016 picks: Experts unanimous in picking Dallas
Experts think rookie Dak Prescott will earn his second career win in Week 3.
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They don't have Prescott, though. They have Brian Hoyer.
Prescott, while still having a long way to go to prove himself, has looked much better than any scout expected leading up to the NFL Draft. He's shown a readiness to play that was only expected out of him after multiple seasons on the bench.
Hoyer has had flashes of high level play, but over the years has settled into a journeyman backup role. That role has afforded him starting opportunities with quarterback-needy teams, and last season he did actually play well for the most part, completing 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,606 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games.
But still ... he’s Brian Hoyer. He has 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions as a pro and a career completion percentage of 58.3 The Cowboys also have a stronger team all-around than the Bears. Add all this up, and experts aren’t exactly eager to pick Chicago in Sunday’s game.
At CBS Sports, all eight of their experts think the Cowboys will be 2-1 to start their season. Count ESPN among those whose experts are also unanimous in picking Dallas, with all nine siding with the Cowboys.
And with the experts here at SB Nation, it’s also a shutout:
| Game | RVB | Stephen White | Thomas George | Jeanna Thomas | Adam Stites | Tyler Tynes | Louis Bien | Joel Thorman | Fooch | OddsShark computer |
| CHI vs DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL | DAL |
That includes all nine experts and the OddsShark computer. Nobody likes the Bears’ chances, it seems, especially without Jay Cutler under center. Sunday’s game is the featured Sunday Night Football matchup and will kick off on NBC shortly after 8:30 p.m. ET. A live stream will be available via NBC Sports.
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