Chicago, IL – In a matchup that had all the makings of a offensive shootout, the Chicago Bears instead delivered a beat down to the visiting Dallas Cowboys, cruising to a 31-14 victory on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. The win snapped Chicago’s 0-2 start and marked new head coach Ben Johnson‘s first victory, while dropping Dallas to 1-2. Bears former Head Coach (current Dallas Defensive Coordinator) Matt Eberflus had his homecoming spoiled in embarrassing fashion.

Bears Offense Rolls

Quarterback Caleb Williams tied a career-high with four touchdown passes in a performance that silenced his doubters after back-to-back divisional debacles against the Vikings and Lions. Williams spread the ball around, connecting on a deep ball to wideout Luther Burden III, finding tight end Cole Kmet in the end zone, as well as scoring strikes to Rome Odunze and DJ Moore. “It’s awesome,” Williams said postgame. “The trust and belief… to have this moment for [Johnson] and for us, it’s really important.”

The Cowboys Struggle

For the Cowboys, it was a double-edged sword: a defense that couldn’t stop Williams (23-of-32, 298 yards, 4 TDs) and an offense slowed early by injuries and mistakes. The Dallas offense was rolling early until RB Javonte Williams lost the ball inside the Bear’s 25. After a quick TD by the Bears the Cowboys got on the board with a 53-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey. Any Dallas momentum evaporated quickly when star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb rolled his left ankle on a first-quarter rushing attempt. Lamb briefly returned in the second quarter before being ruled out for the game leaving Dak Prescott without his top target. Prescott managed 251 yards and a touchdown pass to George Pickens but 2 interceptions set the offense back in crucial drives. One INT bounced off Pickens hands adding to the frustration of the early drive-killing fumble from Williams.

Bears Defense Steps Up

The Bears’ defense, rebounding from their own Week 2 embarrassment in Detroit, set the tone early. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson stripped the ball from Cowboys running back Javonte Williams on Dallas’ opening drive, gifting Chicago prime field position. Stevenson later added a crucial fourth-quarter interception to seal the deal. The Bears defensive unit sacked Prescott twice, had three interceptions, and a recovered fumble.

Looking Forward

For Dallas, there are some critical questions going forward: Can they win without Lamb if the ankle sidelines him? Can they fix the defense allowing over 30 points for the second straight week? These questions need to be answered sooner rather than later or Dallas may be digging a hole they can’t dig out of.

Cowboys Head Coach Brian Schottenheimer summed it up after the game. “We just didn’t play well. We really didn’t. And I told the guys that. This can be a humbling business… We’ve got to stop giving up big plays on defense and we’ve got to stop turning the ball over on offense. It’s a bad formula.”

The Cowboys (1-2) return home to face the Green Bay Packers next Sunday. The homecoming for Micah Parsons will certainly create an emotional scene.

The Bears (1-2) hit the road to take on the Las Vegas Raiders looking to continue their momentum before a early bye week.

“Cowboy Regg” – Co-Host of the “Sons of the Star” Podcast. – Co-editor at “We Like Sportz”. Follow “Cowboy Regg” on X @ Irish_Cowboy88