When the Cowboys line up against the Bears Monday night, they may be excused if they do a double take.

Staring back at Dallas will be a mirror image of itself, clad in blue and orange. The Bears are coached by Dave Wannstedt, the man who assembled Jimmy Johnson's first outstanding defensive unit back in 1992.

Wannstedt has tried to build his Bears in the Cowboy image. He has used the speed 4-3 defense he coached for Johnson in Dallas and at the University of Miami. On offense, he hired Ron Turner to install the system brother Norv ran so successfully for the Cowboys.

The results have been mixed. After struggling in '94, Turner's offense took flight in '95. Erik Kramer won a duel with the now departed Steve Walsh and had a career year, throwing 29 touchdown passes. Assisting him was Curtis Conway. The moody receiver from USC matured into one of the best deep threats in the game, catching a touchdown pass in a team record seven consecutive games.

The passing attack was balanced by Rashaan Salaam, who rushed for 1,074 yards in his rookie campaign. Though Chicago lost leading receiver Jeff Graham to free agency, the Bears welcome back Raymont Harris, a promising fullback who missed almost all of last season.

The problems have been on defense. Wannstedt has found speedy players to run his system, but he has not located the superstar pass rusher or cornerback to make it click. In may ways, the Bears of 1995 resembled the 1991 Cowboys; that team had much talent, but still lacked a Charles Haley to get it over the top.

Wannstedt hopes he has found the missing pieces. When the free agency period began in February, the Bears pounced on former Dolphin linebacker Bryan Cox, winning a bidding war with the Rams for his services. Later, Chicago spent its top draft pick on Mississippi St. cornerback Walt Harris. Harris was impressive during training camp, and has played himself into the starting lineup.

That increase in talent makes Chicago a dangerous team. So the question must be asked: will familiarity with the Bears schemes make them easier for Dallas to play, or will it make the injured Cowboys more vulnerable to defeat? We'll learn the answer soon enough.

When Chicago Has the Ball

Dallas Defense

Key: 31-Brock Marion, 28-Darren Woodson, 21-Deion Sanders, 59-Darrin Smith, 55-Fred Stickland, 51-Broderick Thomas, 26-Kevin Smith, 94-Charles Haley, 78-Leon Lett, 95-Chad Hennings, 92-Tony Tolbert

                     31                   28
                     o                    o
                   59       55          51
                   o        o           o
  21                                                    26
  o                                                     o
              94      78         95           92
               o       o          o            o
 ______________________________________________________________
  o             o     o     o     o     o     o            o
  83            64    75    67    63    71    85          80
                            o
                           12
                 o
                 30
                            o
                            29

Chicago Offense

Key: 83-Michael Timpson, 64-Andy Heck, 75-Todd Perry, 67-Jerry Fontenot, 63-Todd Burger, 71-James Williams, 85-Keith Jennings, 80-Curtis Conway, 12-Erik Kramer, 30-Tony Carter, 29-Raymont Harris

The Bears run the same offset I formation used by Dallas. The running attacks are almost identical. Chicago uses the fullback in motion to run blast plays or lead draws to either side of the formation. The Bears run to the strong side frequently, to take advantage of tight end Keith Jennings' blocking. The former Cowboys draftee has developed into a solid tight end in Chicago. He is adept at blocking and receiving.

The Bears will probably put Jennings next to right tackle James Williams most of the time. Williams is the Bears best run blocker. Watch the matchups between Jennings and Tony Tolbert and Williams and strongside linebacker Broderick Thomas. If Tolbert and Thomas can hold their own, the Dallas rush defense will be in good shape. If not, look out.

The bulk of Chicago's running game is between the tackles. That aspect of the Bears attack suffered when Rashaan Salaam sprained his knee in the final preseason game against Kansas City. Salaam will not play, meaning that starting fullback Raymont Harris will move to tailback. This is not a total loss; Harris played tailback at Ohio St. and is a tough inside runner with good balance. However, Chicago was counting on Harris to block for Salaam on his carries inside. Backup Tony Carter will replace Harris at fullback.

In addition to the offset I, the Bears like to runfrom a two tight end formation. This formation was run with some success by the Redskins and Eagles against the Cowboys last year. It forces the Cowboys out of their base 4-3, where the linebackers are set a few yards behind the defensive line, and puts the outside linebackers on the line of scrimmage. Since Harris is a skilled receiver, this may become the formation of choice for Chicago. The Bears depth here was reduced when second string tight end Chris Gedney was ruled out of Monday's game. He would be replaced by Ryan Wetnight, who is better known for his receiving than his blocking.

When the Bears pass the ball, their receivers are the favored targets. Nearly half of Kramer's completions last year went to Conway and Jeff Graham. That pair complemented each other; Conway was the speedster, who could stretch a defense. Graham was the tall, tough receiver who would go over the middle and make the catch on third down. This year, Michael Timpson will attempt to replace Graham. The former Patriot is faster than Graham, but gained a reputation for dropping passes.

The Cowboys would prefer to have Deion Sanders match up against Conway as much as possible. Sanders tuned up for the season by shutting out Broncos speedster Anthony Miller two weeks ago. At this point, it is not known if Dallas will flop their cornerbacks. When Sanders first came to Dallas, he played right cornerback. Kevin Smith has played almost exclusively on the left side. In training camp last year, the Cowboys began playing Smith on both sides, so he could shadow a team's top receiver. (Larry Brown would then take the second receiver.)

That plan was scuttled when Smith was injured in last season's opener against the Giants. Smith has looked okay in his two preseason appearances, but Sanders is clearly the better cover man. If Dallas is serious about eliminating Conway, Sanders may stalk him sideline to sideline. If Dallas keeps Sanders on the right side, look for Chicago to flank Conway across from Smith and send him deep early.

If Smith can play at anywhere near his 1994 form, Dallas may play tight man to man on the corners, freeing strong safety Darren Woodson to walk up to the line of scrimmage. If Chicago goes into a two tight end set, Woodson will be needed to play as a fourth linebacker, helping Fred Stickland on running plays up the middle. When the Bears pass, Woodson must pay attention to Jennings, who has decent speed.

On passing downs, the Bears often remove their tight ends and go with a two back, three receiver set. Penn St. rookie Bobby Engram will line up in the slot, opposite second year Dallas corner Alundis Brice. Brice will have his hands full, since Engram was impressive in camp. Brice got off to a slow start, but looked better against Houston, tipping a pass that was intercepted by Brock Marion. If Brice can contain Engram, the Bears will be punting far more than they would like.

The Bears like to line up Harris and Mark Green in the backfield. Green is their answer to Ronnie Harmon, a sure handed back who is hard to bring down in the open field. The Cowboys have been vulnerable to screens and short passes to running backs on first and second down in the preseason. This may be an area Chicago can exploit. Neither Fred Stickland or Broderick Thomas are known for their coverage skills. If they continue to blow assignments, the Bears could dink their way down the field.

When Dallas Has the Ball

Chicago Defense

Key: 20-Mark Carrier, 23-Marty Carter, 59-Joe Cain, 52-Bryan Cox, 55-Vinson Smith, 27-Walt Harris, 90-Alonzo Spellman, 98-Carl Simpson, 99-Jim Flanagan, 94-JohnThierry, 21-Donnell Woolford

                    20                    23
                    o                     o
                   59       52         55
                   o        o          o
   27          90     98          99           94         21
   o           o      o           o            o          o
__________________________________________________________________
   o            o     o     o     o     o     o
   85           71    61    53    73    79    86          o
                            o                             21
                            8
                 o
                 48
                            o
                            22

Dallas Offense

Key: 85-Kevin Williams, 71-Mark Tuinei, 61-Nate Newton, 53-Ray Donaldson, 73-Larry Allen, 79-Erik Williams, 86-Eric Bjornson, 21-Deion Sanders, 8-Troy Aikman, 48-Daryl Johnston, 22-Emmitt Smith

Dallas plays in a basic offset I on most of their offensive plays. The team prefers to run to the weak side. The Cowboys will either send full back Daryl Johnston in motion or flop their tight end to set up weak side plays.

In '95, Dallas' preferred to run left, behind Mark Tuinei and Nate Newton. Newton has been the Cowboys best lineman by far in the preseason, smashing defenders in every game. With Mark Tuinei coming back from a sprained knee, the Cowboys may try the right side, where 320+ pounders Larry Allen and Erik Williams reside. Williams played the entire '95 season at far less than 100 percent after rushing his rehab from a knee injury. Watch his run blocking early in the game. If Williams is able to get a consistent push -- something he could not do even sporadically until last last year -- the Dallas line could top last year's performance.

The core of the Dallas running game is blasts and lead draws between the tackles. If Emmitt Smith finds the opposition is shooting the gaps and gumming up his draws, Dallas will go to its "power" plays, counter runs with Newton and Larry Allen leading the blocking. Smith was running with a heavy neoprene brace on his knee in practice, and his condition must be watched. If he proves ineffective, the Cowboys will probably turn to Sherman Williams first. Williams is also recovering from a knee injury, and thus had a limited number of carries in the preseason.

If the 190 pound Williams cannot make the tough yards, the team could turn to Herschel Walker. Walker played a series at tailback against Houston last week and turned in the most impressive runs of the night.

The Cowboys will be facing the Johnson/Wannstedt chase 4-3. Ends in the system are chosen for speed. They are split wide. The strong side end lines up on the outside shoulder of the tight end. The weak side end lines up outside the weak side offensive tackle. Their wide sets prevent them from being hooked inside on running plays. This is why it is so hard to run outside on teams like the Bears and Cowboys.

The linebackers are set back from the line of scrimmage and inside the ends. The defensive tackles are given the responsibility of jamming up blockers and keeping them away from the linebackers. The backers are then free to recognize the play and run to it.

This system works if you have two strong, active tackles. The Bears do not. Chris Zorich was the team's best interior lineman against the run, but he tore up a knee and is out for the season. Chicago can be pushed around by a large, zone blocking line, as Kansas City proved last week. The key for the Bears will be to hold the middle and keep Cowboys blockers off of Bryan Cox. Cox is not the fastest linebacker, but he is an instictive player who makes jarring tackles.

Cox will probably get help from Bears strong safety Marty Carter. With Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek out, expect Chicago to over play the run, until Dallas proves it can pass.

With Chicago likely to deploy single coverage on the outside, it might be in Troy Aikman's interest to attack first through the air. The Bears secondary was a weakness last year, as the team finished 27th in pass defense. One reason for the dismal performance was the midseason injury to corner Donnell Woolford. The Bears were respectable with Woolford in the lineup but collapsed once he went down.

Woolford is a smart, physical corner who has always played Michael Irvin to a stand still. The rap on Woolford is his lack of top line speed. This should present an interesting matchup with Deion Sanders. Sanders is blazing fast, but he is hardly what you would call a physical player. Woolford will try to make Sanders' initial game at receiver a rough one. Look for him to jam Sanders at every opportunity. Sanders, in turn, will try to outrace Woolford on deep routes.

Another interesting matchup will occur on the other side of the field, where Kevin Williams will test rookie corner Walt Harris. The Bears think Harris is a player, but this is his first game. Dallas will not be break him in gently.

The Bears corners will stand up better if the linecan generate a rush. Unfortunately for Chicago, there is no end on its line who can break down a pocket. Alonzo Spellman can be brilliant at times. He can also disappear for long spans of games. John Thierry is young and has yet to produce.

Tackle Jim Flanagan is the one Bear who can reach the quarterback. Flanagan had a breakout year in'95, recording eleven sacks. If the Cowboys can contain Flanagan, Troy Aikman should have time to throw.

Bryan Cox was a rushing end in Miami's 3-4 scheme several years ago. In sure passing situations, the Bears will line him up at right end. Chicago removes Carl Simpson, giving the Bears three ends and Flanaganon the rush line. Cox' matchup with Tuinei is critical to the Cowboys' success. If Tuinei's knee has not healed sufficiently, Cox will spend lots of time in the Dallas backfield, and the weakened passing attack will sputter.

With Chicago struggling to produce a rush, Wannstedt may decide to blitz. Houston blitzers sacked Aikman twice last week and forced him to throw several passes away. Chicago slowed down the Chiefs when Wannstedt sent five men after Steve Bono. If the Bears undershift their linemen to the weak side, and bring Vinson Smith up to the line, expect Smith and other Bears linebackers to come after Aikman.

The unknown factor in the passing game is secondyear tight end Eric Bjornson. Bjornson was groomed to take over when Jay Novacek finally wore down. That time is now, but Bjornson has missed almost all the preseason with hamstring pulls. Bjornson practiced this week. Any contribution from him would be welcome. Free agent pickup Derek Warewill take over if Bjornson still cannot play. Recent acquisition Tyji Armstrong will be used exclusively as a short yardage blocker.

Special Teams

A poor kicking game cost Chicago at least one game last season. The Bears worked to remedy that by cutting greybeard Kevin Butler and keeping former Miami Hurricane kicker Carlos Huerta. Second year punter Todd Sauerbrunseems ready to fulfill his potential. The former West Virginia standout boomed a 62 yard punt last week. Sauerbrun did this regularly in college, but rarely in the pros. His 37.8 yard average was among the worst in the NFC last year.

Sauerbrun will face a challenge from the Dallas special teams. Joe Avezzano complained of poor special teams play midway through the preseason. Avezzano added several veterans to his squad, and the Cowboys' kick coverage improved immediately. Dallas blocked a punt against Denver, something they have not done recently. With the offense playing shorthanded, the Cowboys may use some tricks on special teams.

Prediction

The Cowboys could not have ordered a better opponent for week one. (Except, perhaps for the Giants, who they play in week two.) Dallas' weaknesses match up nicely with Chicago's. The Cowboys have an unproven passing game, but they will face a shaky secondary and an anemic pass rush. The Cowboys strength is inside running, and the Bears are soft in the middle.

On defense, Dallas is itself soft up the middle, but it's not clear that the Bears can take advantage, with Rashaan Salaam sitting this game out.

Look for Chicago to run lots of draws and screens against Dallas. This formula worked for New England and Denver, who often caught the Cowboys overcommitting to the pass rush. If Kramer finds a rhythm, he could nickel and dime the Dallas defense to death.

Look for lots of fractured drives by the Cowboys offense. Against Houston, it proved that it could run. It has yet to demonstrate that it can convert third downs through the air. Dallas knows this and may throw deep passes more than usual. Aikman and Wade Wilson completed many deep balls this preseason to Deion Sanders, Kevin Williams and Herschel Walker. If Aikman and coordinator Ernie Zampese catch Chicago in a blitz, they can put up a quick touchdown.

Finally, look for Ernie Zampese to hit Chicago with a blizzard of offensive formations. In exhibition games, the Dallas pass offense remained fairly basic. Word from practice was that Zampese was running a variety of combinations. Expect Zampese to take the wraps off some exotic lineups.

With Dallas struggling through the air, the difference could come down to the kicking game. Here, Dallas has an advantage. Chris Boniol is one of the most accurate kickers in the game. The Cowboys may need him to be at his best on Monday. If Boniol can maintain the accuracy he demonstrated in '95, incomplete Cowboy driveswill not have to be empty ones.

DALLAS 23, CHICAGO 17