The Cowboys got their head coach his first win in dramatic fashion on Sunday as Brian Schottenheimer celebrated the 40-37 overtime win. On the flip side, the Bears are waiting for their first win for new coach Ben Johnson.
So far, the Bears have struggled on defense, especially in the second half, and are 0-2 with two division losses. Here are the 10 big storylines for the week, with five each for the Bears and Cowboys.
Bears
Seeking Johnson's first win – A scenario the Cowboys nearly faced themselves, the Bears are now 0-2 with two division losses this year under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago was expected to have a big turnaround this year and still could, but it hasn't started off well so far. The Bears were in control against the Vikings in Week 1, only to see Minnesota storm back for the win. The Bears couldn't keep up with Johnson's former team on Sunday as the Lions went crazy for a 52-21 win. The Bears enter Week 3 hungrier than ever for a win.
Eberflus return – Johnson is the Bears' first full-time head coach since the departure of Matt Eberflus, who was fired after Thanksgiving last season in his third year as Bears head coach. Eberflus was 14-32 in three seasons and joined the Cowboys as the defensive coordinator this offseason, one of the headline assistant hires on Brian Schottenheimer's staff. For Chicago, Dennis Allen is the current defensive coordinator for the Bears, who have allowed 79 points in the first two games.
Bears thin at CB – Just like the Cowboys are without star cornerback DaRon Bland, it appears the Bears are going to be down a key member of their secondary, too. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson suffered a groin injury in the second quarter against the Lions and didn't return. Johnson is expected to miss this week's game, if not a few more this year. The starting cornerbacks for the Bears would be Tyrique Stevenson and former Cowboys draft pick Nahshon Wright.
Caleb on the run: The Bears appear to have made an offseason effort to put Caleb Williams on the move more this year. After playing 17 games as a rookie, Williams didn't have a rushing TD and only averaged 28 yards per game on the ground. In two games, Williams not only has run for a score, but is averaging 42 yards per game on the ground. The Cowboys have allowed some big runs to quarterbacks so far this year in Jalen Hurts and Russell Wilson.
Kicker shaky? – The Bears don't quite have the same confidence in their kicker as the Cowboys do right now. Cairo Santos has made 1 of 2 field goal attempts and had a key miss in the Week 1 loss to the Vikings. They have signed Jake Moody to the practice squad and there have been discussions about making a change. The kicking conditions in Chicago aren't exactly the same as AT&T Stadium in Arlington, which is certainly not referred to as the Windy City. Let's see if Brandon Aubrey can continue his success in Chicago this week but one way or another, the kicking game should be play a factor.
Cowboys
Both ends of the spectrum – Right now, the Cowboys are pretty much where most prognosticators had them: 1-1 after two games. Now, to play rather well in Philly but come up short, and then to struggle mightily on defense but somehow find a way to win against the Giants at home wasn't exactly the expected script, but the outcome is where we all probably thought the Cowboys would be after two games. Definitely, there are big question marks but the Cowboys still managed to get Brian Schottenheimer is first win as head coach in the most dramatic of fashions.
Beebe out – The Cowboys are going to be without starting center Cooper Beebe for some time as he suffered a high-ankle sprain at the end of Sunday's win over the Giants. The Cowboys have placed Beebe on IR-to-Return, but that means he will be out at least four weeks. The earliest Beebe could return would be Oct. 19 against Washington. In the meantime, Brock Hoffman appears to be the answer considering he replaced him at the end of the game. But T.J. Bass also has taken center snaps and played there in the preseason.
Adding Clowney – The Cowboys have added a well-known name to the mix in hopes of adding some pass-rush help. Jadeveon Clowney joins the Cowboys for his seventh different team. He signed on Monday and said he's always wanted to play in Dallas and looks forward to being both a mentor to the young guys, but also a difference-maker. Clowney said he expects to be ready to play Sunday against the Bears.
Help on the Way? – When asked about the secondary issues on Tuesday, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said on 105.3 "The Fan" that help was on the way, not only in the form of DaRon Bland, who has a shot to play this week after missing the last game with a foot injury. But also rookie Shavon Revel, who is currently on NFI (Non-Football Injury) but is eligible to play in Week 5 against the Jets. The Cowboys allowed 450 passing yards on Sunday to Russell Wilson, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Dak & Forth – In Week 1, Dak Prescott was about as accurate as he's ever been, yet many passes were dropped and his team came up short against the Eagles. In Week 2, he made his share of early mistakes but in the end, he drove the Cowboys down to score 20 fourth-quarter points to take the lead twice, and then eventually tie the game and force overtime. It was Dak's 14-yard run in overtime that led to the game-winning kick. All in all, he passed for 361 yards, two TDs and one interception (96.7). This week, he'll be facing a hungry Bears team looking for its first win and looking to avenge a 52-point game against the Lions.
