Dallas Cowboys Game Preview: Week 3 at Chicago Bears

Photo: Dallas Cowboy quarterback Dak Prescott tries to escape then Chicago Bear defensive end Khalil Mack on December 5, 2019. The 31-24 Bear win is the last time that the Cowboys played at Soldier Field. The last meeting between the two teams was October 30, 2022, a game in which the Cowboys won 49-29 at AT&T Stadium. Photo credit: Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images.

Cover photo: Dallas Cowboy wide receiver KaVonte Turpin against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium on October 30, 2022. The Cowboys won the game 49-29. Photo credit: Richard Rodriguez, Getty Images.

The Dallas Cowboys (1-1) barely escaped with a win last Sunday at AT&T Stadium, but emerged victorious over the New York Giants courtesy of kicker Brandon Aubrey and his wondrous right leg. Aubrey nailed from 64 yards to send the game into overtime and hit from 46 yards out in OT to give the Cowboys the 40-37 win. 

Russell Wilson looked like old MVP Russ against the Cowboy secondary, as he threw for 450 yards (two yards off of his career-high) and 3 touchdowns. The Cowboys gave up 167 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns to Malik Nabers and 142 yards and a touchdown to Wan’Dale Robinson. The defense also gave up 84 rushing yards.

The Cowboy run game was successful, with Javonte Williams rushing for 97 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. CeeDee Lamb caught nine passes for 112 yards and George Pickens five balls for 68 yards and a touchdown. Dak Prescott completed 38/52 for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns with one interception. Prescott through two games is averaging 43 attempts per game, which is third across the league. 

Sunday afternoon (4:25 p.m. eastern) from Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, the Cowboys will visit the Chicago Bears, a team (0-2) that comes into Sunday’s home game off the heels of a 52-21 trouncing at the hands of their division rival the Detroit Lions. Caleb Williams completed 19/30 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns (one interception) against the Lions from Ford Field, while running back D’Andre Swift did run well, carrying 12 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. The Bear defense allowed 511 total yards (334 through the air). Lion star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine balls for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns. 

The Bears come into the weekend with injury questions as Swift is questionable with a quad after being limited in practice all week. Star corner Jaylon Johnson is pondering season-ending groin surgery - he was injured after playing twenty snaps against the Lions. Nahshon Wright (26), a former Cowboy, is one of the Bears’ starting corners and the other is Tyrique Stevenson (25). Wright primarily has been a special teams player throughout his career while Stevenson has been a starter.

The Cowboys have their own corner injury, with a foot problem sidelining DaRon Bland in Week’s 2 matchup against the Giants and again in this Bears’ matchup. Kaiir Elam and Trevon Diggs (Diggs is questionable for the game with a knee injury) will have to be wary of both Bear wideouts - Rome Odunze, who was great against the Lions catching seven balls for 128 yards and two touchdowns, and D.J. Moore, who had five catches for 46 yards against the Lions, and three catches for 68 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. If Diggs cannot go, the onus will be on Zion Childress, who was called up from the practice squad.

The Bears registered no sacks against the Lions, and will need to provide some pressure to get to Prescott. The Giants sacked Prescott three times in Week 2. Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, two offseason acquisitions at guard for the Bears, will need to keep a clean pocket for Williams, though that has not been difficult for Cowboy opponents to do so far this season. Most of the Cowboy pressure is generated up the middle with Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa. Clark has been solid through two weeks, with a pass rush grade of 71.1 according to PFF, 22nd among defensive linemen. His run defense grade is 67.7, 31st. Watch him on snaps and he does a good job of getting up field and getting pressure. He has also been decent against the run. Odighizuwa’s 76.6 overall PFF grade is 13th among defensive linemen. The Cowboys signed defensive end Jadeveon Clowney earlier in the week to a one-year contract to help ignite an edge rush that has been non-existent. Clark has one sack as do James Houston and Marshawn Kneeland. Houston is the only End of that trio and he is not a starter. Starting ends Dante Fowler and Sam Williams as well as rotational rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku have not made an impact thus far, hence the signing of Clowney. The Bears’ front has managed three sacks. 

The Cowboys lost starting center Cooper Beebe in Week 2. Beebe will miss 6-8 weeks with a lateral sprain and fracture of the small bone in his foot, and Brock Hoffman will start in his place. Returner and Swiss Army knife extraordinaire KaVonte Turpin will play against the Bears after being bothered by a neck issue against the Giants.

The Cowboy offense has averaged 392.5 yards in the first two weeks, third in the league behind the Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills. The Bears’ 328.0 yards per game is 15th. 

Chicago’s rushing offense is right behind the Cowboys through two weeks (126.5 yards to Dallas’ 127.0). Williams and Swift (if the latter does play) both figure to be successful on Sunday for their respective teams. Rookie seventh round pick Kyle Monangai will likely be the guy if Swift can’t go.

Dallas should have enough offense to carry them through in this contest, especially with the Bears not having their top corner to deal with Lamb and Pickens. One would also surmise that if the Lions can put up the numbers that they did last week offensively, that Dallas should be able to do similar. The offense should be able to run the ball effectively. The Bears have given up six sacks this season (fifth-most in the league), but to say that the Cowboys have had trouble getting to the passer would be an understatement. The Cowboy linebackers also have trouble in coverage. The visitors will need to put pressure on Caleb Williams, not allowing him time to find the likes of Odunze and Moore. An emphasis for the Bears should be running the ball. The Cowboys’ offense should and will score, but it is their generous defense that may keep things closer than expected on Sunday. Heading into the game, the Cowboys are 16-12 lifetime against the Bears. Both clubs have split the last two contests at Soldier Field - 31-24 Bears in 2019, 41-28 Cowboys in 2014.

Prediction: Cowboys 31 Bears 20