Chicago raced to a first-half lead, held Dallas scoreless in the second, and won 31-14.
The Bears opened their Week 3 matchup with the Cowboys with high intensity. It was great to see Loveland targeted early, and although he ended with one reception for 31 yards, the first-round pick is more than capable of making an impact. I expect him to be a larger part of the offensive game plan in the future.
Although the Bears punted on the first drive, it was the defense’s first time on the field that set the tone for the game. In the absence of Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stephenson stepped up and played with high intensity. He made an absolute statement play, stripping the ball from running back Javonte Williams. This is precisely the energetic and motivated brand of football that Chicago fans are eager for.
The Bears capitalize on the turnover, and it’s none other than “All Pro Rome” for the 35-yard touchdown. He lined up on the outside and gave Trevon a quick stutter step. Diggs fell, and Caleb Williams delivered an accurate ball to Rome for the score. That play, set up by the 31-yard gain by Loveland, offers a brief glimpse into the bright future of the Bears and the talented young core they have assembled.
Photo courtesy Larry Brown Sports
The following drive, the Cowboys had the brilliant idea to hand the ball off to Ceedee Lamb out of the backfield. The $136 million wide receiver was injured on the play and was later diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, estimated to be out for anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Not looking so good, Jerry.
This game was a matchup of two first-time head coaches, Ben Johnson of the Bears and Brian Schottenheimer of the Cowboys. Coach Johnson showed why he was the most coveted coach this past offseason. Handoff to Swift, he pitches it back to Williams, and Caleb fires an absolute dime to Luther Burden, who records his first NFL touchdown, a 65-yard score. ELECTRIC.
Caleb Williams finished with 298 yards, four touchdowns, and a passer rating of 142.6. This is the quarterback we were promised.
He did show inaccuracy on some throws; however, he was slinging the ball confidently and showed an elite pocket presence and superior athleticism. He showed growth with his adjustments at the line of scrimmage, excellent decision-making, and improved timing with his wide receivers. The offense looked impressive, and for the first time this season, it has become clear that while this team is a work in progress, it is indeed progressing. They scored with an impressive two-minute drive before the half by finding Kmet down the middle seam. It turns out that tight ends are effective in the Red Zone, who would have thought?
The Bears started the second half with a 19-play, 10-minute drive, which included four 3rd down conversions. 12 of the 19 plays were runs, with 11 of those runs being called consecutively. On brand with the drive, they converted on fourth down with Williams extending the play and finding DJ Moore in the back of the endzone.
Coach Johnson was locked in with the play calling. He dialed up the flea flicker for the 65-yard touchdown, designed an excellent screen to Swift in the second quarter, which went for 41 yards, followed that with an end-around by Zaccheaus, called multiple read options with Williams, and continued to run wide receiver DJ Moore out of the backfield. This is the sign of a well-prepared coach, calling his game and trusting in his players to execute.
The Bears played aggressive defense and were quick to the ball, not allowing many yards after the catch. They took advantage of playing in Chicago and got the crowd involved. They delivered big hits and created four turnovers, including three interceptions and one fumble.
It was excellent to see the Bears respond with a convincing win after losing their first two games. The offense played exceptionally well, and the defense rose to the occasion after surrendering 52 points to Detroit in Week 2. Tremaine Edmunds recorded 15 total tackles, six of them solo, two passes defended, and two interceptions. It was nice to see Montez Sweat make an appearance and record a sack and two tackles. It is imperative to get production out of the $98 million defensive end.
The Bears are in Vegas this Sunday playing the Raiders, who are also 1-2.
I expect the offense to continue improving to take advantage of a vulnerable defense, which currently ranks 24th overall in total yards allowed per game, surrendering an average of 351 yards (Fox Sports). As for the defense, Week 3 showed that when you play an energetic, motivated brand of football and play aggressively on the first touch and flock to the ball, you find yourself in the right place at the right time.
Excellent coverage! Love the excitement of the writer.