CHICAGO – Da Bears 31, Cowboys 14.
Da what?
That's right, Da Bears, previously losers of 12 of their last 13 games. Da Bears, losers of their past six home games here at Soldier Field, the same ones allowing opponents to treat their young quarterback like a rag doll, obstructing his ability to prove why they selected Caleb Williams with the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Da previous 0-2 Bears.
Now, there are many an adjective fitting to take cheap shots at this Cowboys defense, if you can call what this bunch is failing miserably to defend. Instead, they are on a two-game streak of offending, giving up 37 points, 506 total yards to the Giants and 450 passing yards to Russell Wilson but seven days ago.
No need, though, for me to come up with appropriate adjectives to describe yielding 68 combined points in back-to-back games (92 in three games), along with 748 passing yards in these last two games while becoming the first team failing to sack Williams in now his 20-game NFL career.
But let me pass on from doing this myself.
Since Tom Brady has a dual-role career these days, co-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and Fox analyst up in the booth, let's use those booth talents to help me out since he was on the TV for this game.
Why, this is what Brady had to say after Williams completed his fourth touchdown pass of the game with nine seconds remaining in the third quarter to give the now 1-2 Bears that 31-14 lead that stood up through the fourth quarter for first-time head coach Ben Johnson to bank his first NFL lead.
And to note, by the end of the third quarter, Chicago already had earned 351 total yards of offense thanks to 76 of those coming on the Bears' drive consuming six seconds less than 10 minutes – there is only 15 in a quarter – while hogging the ball for 19 plays, their longest drive since 2009.
Ol' Tom said of the Cowboys defense:
"They are looking for answers over there.
"Not rushing well.
"Not covering well.
"Not going their way on defense."
That about covers these past two weeks of defensive ineptitude, giving up pass plays in this game of 65 yards, 35 yards, 41 yards and 31 yards. That's 172 yards on four plays, an average of 43 yards a completion, all coming in the first half when the Bears averaged 23.9 yards on just 10 catches while compiling 239 yards passing in two quarters. In the process, Williams posted a 145.8 QB rating to establish that 24-14 lead.
And for the game, get this: The Bears' second-round draft pick Luther Burden, who in the previous two games had two touches for a grand total of two yards …
(OK, time out for this aside, and then we'll continue. Had called my fervent Bears fan and college roommate at Missouri asking him why Johnson doesn't get the ball in the hands of the former Tigers wide receiver? Burden, the 39th pick in the draft, could be the next Deebo Samuel.)
… Well, maybe Ben bugged our call. Because in this game, Williams hit Burden on a 65-yard flea-flicker for his first NFL touchdown. He then followed that up with two more completions and called his number on a 7-yard run, giving the rookie 108 yards on just four touches, thank you very much. Luther led the Bears with 101 yards receiving.
Which was the impetus for Cowboys equally first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer to state the obvious afterward, saying, "We've got to stop giving up big plays on defense … too many big plays."
Like the first one on a third-and-8 from the Cowboys' 35-yard line when Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs tried to bump Bears receiver Rome Odunze at the line of scrimmage, only to slip and fall. That left Odunze open the width of Michigan Avenue for a 35-yard touchdown heave and a 7-0 lead.
Or on the very next play of the Bears' second possession. The Cowboys were now just down 7-3 when the handoff to D'Andre Swift sucked in the Dallas defenders, only for the ball to be pitched backed to Williams, who basically threw a pass as far as he could to a racing wide-open Burden for now a 14-3 lead.
But you know what?
Shame on the Cowboys offense. Those guys know the responsibility. Know they've got to score thirty-something to compensate for this defense to beat any team, like they did the previous Sunday throwing forty down on the Giants for an OT win.
And here, this offense comes in scoring just 14 points.
Scoring only one touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Having to kick two more field goals.
Not totaling 400 yards.
Turning the ball over on their first possession, second play. Cowboys running back Javonte Williams sailed downfield for 22 yards to the Chicago 28, only for Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson to somehow, someway tug the ball out of Williams' hands from behind as he was nearly out of bounds (never saw a good replay to actually see if his feet were inbounds by the time he grabbed control of the ball.)
Turning the ball over four times, though the final two of those in desperation times, one of the picks by backup quarterback Joe Milton after Schottenheimer waved the white flag.
Why, after driving the ball on their first four possessions with some authority into Bears territory for a potential score (lost fumble) then two field goals and a touchdown, totaling 172 yards, the Cowboys offense went stale. No can do with this defense.
And worse, on the second of those possessions, the Cowboys handed the ball to CeeDee Lamb, for no gain, losing him with an ankle injury, trying with all his might to return, but only for one Lamb before taking his helmet away. Now we are talking high ankle sprain. Not good. Likely out three to five weeks.
That left the Cowboys normally going three wide with George Pickens, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Tolbert, Pickens catching his second TD pass in as many games and Tolbert the two-point reception. With Lamb likely out that long and Jonathan Mingo must miss a fourth game next Sunday on IR before becoming eligible to return, more responsibility will rest and Picken's shoulders.
Assuming Lamb can't play Sunday night against the Packers (2-1), that means two of the Cowboys' projected top-four wide receivers would be missing. And that's to go along with four of their top-six cornerbacks still being out if DaRon Bland is not ready to return after missing these past two games.
As for quarterback Dak Prescott, despite trailing 24-14 at halftime, he was hanging in there, having completed 16 of 19 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown and then the two-point conversion for a 109.4 QB rating.
That is until getting sacked on the first possession of the third quarter for minus-10 yards, forcing the ensuing punt. Then after that 19-play Bears drive that saw them convert four third downs and the touchdown on a fourth down, Dak's catchable pass from Chicago's 36-yard line bounced off the hands of the normally sure-hand Pickens for a Tremaine Edmonds interception.
That was about all she wrote.
"I know scoring 14 points is never going to be OK," Dak said. "Dang sure not with this offense, this unit, the team, the players we have."
And let me pile on too – dang, 14, sure not with this defense.
