Final Score: Bears 31 Cowboys 14
The Bears secured their first home victory since October 6 of 2024 yesterday afternoon. The impressive win marked the first in the head coaching career of Ben Johnson. The 2024 #1 pick, Caleb Williams, posted the best QBR of his career in a fantastic 298 yard, 4 touchdown performance. He was able to stick it to Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who led him to a rocky rookie season in 2024. Williams was amazing, the offensive line was flawless, the pass rush was fantastic, and almost everybody got involved on offense. Ben Johnson capped off the day with a fiery speech in the locker room. It was exciting to see that type of electricity surging through Soldier Field once again. GOOD, BETTER, BEST!
In the scope of the season, the Bears avoided disaster (an 0-3 start) this Sunday. With a winnable game in Las Vegas scheduled for next week, Chicago has a realistic chance of heading into their bye week with a record of 2-2 and heaps of momentum. Johnson will be able to use the extra time to reassess and tinker with his gameplan now that he’ll know more about what he’s working with.
Bright Spots
New-Look Offensive Line Flexed Its Muscles
The offensive line was phenomenal this week. After two weeks of frequent pre-snap penalties and pressures allowed, the unit did not allow a single sack and limited the Cowboys to one QB hit. Dallas was 5th in the NFL in pressures heading into the week, but only managed 9. This protection is what enabled Caleb Williams to have the best game of his career this week. He was completely comfortable and rarely had to evade the pocket. This is the type of feeling that propelled Jared Goff into his MVP-caliber season last year under Ben Johnson.
Newly acquired future Hall of Fame left guard Joe Thuney still has it. He posted the 2nd best PFF pass blocking grade in Week 3 among all offensive lineman. Left tackle Braxton Jones, who struggled in Weeks 1 and 2, finished 5th in the same stat. Two very impressive individual performances are almost overshadowed by the fact that the line committed zero pre-snap penalties. With this being a major issue in Weeks 1 and 2, the line seems well on its way to consistent play.
Offense Excelled Against Subpar Cowboys Defense
The offense looked like a well-oiled machine against the Cowboys. The pre-snap penalties disappeared, Johnson was scheming up open receiver left and right, Caleb was calmly finding and hitting said receivers, and everybody got involved. Eight players caught a ball on Sunday, and each of Williams’ four touchdowns found different hands. It feels like each sub-unit is beginning to find its footing in the new offense. Even against a subpar defense in Dallas, this Sunday marked an exciting development for Chicago’s offense.
Defense Got the Job Done
The defense also deserves it flowers. After surrendering 52 points to Detroit last week, I expected more of the same against a dangerous Cowboys offense. Despite the multitude of injuries it is facing, the unit allowed only 14 points to Dak Prescott and co. This was a huge bounceback performance. Even though it gave up 396 yards, Chicago crippled the Cowboys by limiting them to 1/4 in the red zone and forcing FOUR turnovers.
The pass rush came alive as well. After stacking only 8 pressures in Week 1 and 5 in Week 2, the Bears defensive line forced a whopping 25 QB pressures. DT Gervon Dexter Sr. and DE Montez Sweat each posted 6 themselves (more than the entirety of Week 2). If we see more of this moving forward, the Bears could make some noise in the NFC North.
Glaring Issues
Colston Loveland Injury
One negative out of the game was the injury to rookie tight end Colston Loveland. Though it knocked him out of the contest after only 6 snaps and he might not miss any more time, I hated to see him miss snaps today and know that this injury will certainly linger throughout the season even if he continues playing. Through only 6 plays, he managed to reel in a 31 yard dot from Williams, in addition to getting wide open twice and gardening two more targets (two of Williams’ few misses of the day). With 3 targets in 6 snaps, he clearly was a major part of this week’s gameplan.
Run Game Still a Work in Progress
The only phases that weren’t firing on all cylinders this week were run defense and the rushing attack. D’Andre Swift passed the eye test for me, but only managed 33 yards on 13 carries. The Bears tried mixing it up by giving WR DJ Moore and rookie RB Kyle Monangai some tries, but efficiency was bad. Meanwhile, Cowboys RB Javonte Williams posted 76 yards on only 10 carries (7.6 yards per carry). This has been a pattern for Chicago.
Standout Performers
Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams had the best game of his career this Sunday! He posted 4 TDs, 0 interceptions, and 298 passing yards. Though there is still room for improvement (he sailed a few balls), he looked fully in control from start to finish. We knew it would take time to learn the new offense, and it looks like things might already be resonating.
Luther Burden III
Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III, the 39th pick of the 2025 draft, had the first big game of his career. Burden III finished 1st in the NFL in PFF receiving grade on the week (93.0). Although he was only on the field for 17 snaps (out of 59 possible), he was able to put up 101 yards on just 3 receptions. His 65-yard TD catch on the flea-flicker was our first glimpse into the world of Ben Johnson trick plays. In addition to that major highlight, he also hauled in a crucial 35 yard catch just before halftime to set up a Cole Kmet touchdown. I can’t wait to see more of his explosiveness in the coming weeks.
Tyrique Stevenson
With CB Jaylon Johnson out for at least the next 4 weeks, the Bears need Tyrique Stevenson to step up. He did just that this week in a fantastic bounce back performance after getting toasted by Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 2. Stevenson was one of only four players to have multiple PBUs this week, in addition to forcing a momentum-changing fumble on Dallas’ first drive. He was targeted 8 times but only allowed 2 catches amounting to 9 yards. In his third season now and with the injury to JJ, Stevenson has realized that it is time to finally live up to his 2nd round draft pick billing. Hopefully he can keep it up.
Tremaine Edmunds
Veteran LB Tremaine Edmunds had a huge game in Chicago this week. Similar to Stevenson, Edmunds’ season could’ve started off better. However, he came back in a huge way today with 2 interceptions from the linebacker position. He also led the team in tackles (15) according to ESPN.
Key Drive of the Game
The pivotal drive of Week 3’s victory against the Cowboys was the Bears’ first drive of the second half. After forcing a quick Dallas punt, Chicago took over possession with 10:03 left in the 3rd quarter. This drive did not end until the clock read 0:09. The Bears offense drained almost 10 minutes off of the clock using 19 plays (the most for a single drive in the NFL this season). This included a streak of 11 straight rushes. The drive ended in a devastating DJ Moore touchdown catch on 4th and goal, extending the lead to 31-14 with only 15 minutes of play remaining. In addition to the 4th down conversion, the Bears converted four 3rd-downs during the drive. The drive drained the life out of the Cowboys and probably was the most impressive of the season for Chicago thus far.