Cowboys 14-31 Bears, summary: score, stats, highlights | NFL Week 3
The Chicago Bears finally found their first win of the season as they hosted the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field. The Cowboys fall to 1-2.


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Bears defeat Cowboys!
Bears get first win of the season over Cowboys
The Chicago Bears got their first win under new head coach Ben Johnson, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 31-14 at Soldier Field for their first home victory in nearly a year.
Johnson showed the offensive creativity that made him a coveted hire, highlighted by a perfectly executed flea-flicker TD from Caleb Williams to Luther Burden in the first quarter.
In the third quarter, Johnson orchestrated a 19-play, 10-minute drive, capped by a 4th-and-goal TD pass to DJ Moore, effectively sealing the game and giving Chicago’s defense critical rest.
Quarterback Caleb Williams delivered his best game yet, throwing for 298 yards, 4 touchdowns, and posting a career-high 142.6 passer rating.
After a rocky 0-2 start and early doubts, Johnson finally gave Chicago fans reason to believe, bringing energy, creativity, and execution back to Soldier Field.
The Cowboys fell to 1-2 and the game was defined by defensive struggles and key injuries. Dallas opened with promise but lost momentum after a Javonte Williams fumble led to a quick Chicago touchdown.
Cowboys star receiverCeeDee Lamb exited early with an ankle injury, leaving Dak Prescott reliant on George Pickens (5 catches, 68 yards, 1 TD) and TE Jake Ferguson (13 catches, 82 yards).
Coordinator Matt Eberflus tried more blitzes and man coverage, but it backfired. CalebWilliams threw for 298 yards and 4 TDs, including long scores to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. Without Micah Parsons, Dallas generated almost no pressure, finishing with zero sacks for the game and just three through three weeks.
Dallas’ defense was burned early and often, while Lamb’s injury left the offense out of rhythm.
Next up
The Cowboys will host Parsons and the GreenBayPackers for SNF next week while the Bears play the LasVegasRaiders on the road on Sunday afternoon.
The Cowboys’ wide receiver was checked in the medical tent and did return, before going off again.
END GAME! Bears win!
And that's gonna be the game as the Bears kneel to run out the clock. Chicago beats the Cowboys to avoid an 0-3 start. Cowboys fall to 1-2.
Milton pass INTERCEPTED by Byard - touchback
Sanders picks up 3 - 3rd and 7
Milton incomplete to Tolbert - 2nd and 10
Sanders picks up 4 yards - 1st down
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
With just two minutes remaining, the Cowboys are out of options. They've got backup QB Joe Milton in for Dak as the Cowboys trail.
Sanders pushes through for 8 yards - 2nd and 2
Milton pass caught by Tolbert for 6 yards - 1st down
Milton pass caught by Flournoy for 11 yards - 3rd and 1
Ineligible Downfield Pass on Guyton - 5 yards, calls the last play back - 2nd and 12
Milton pass to Spann-Ford caught at 4 yards and ran down the sidelines just short of the end zone
Sanders picks up 3 - 2nd and 7
Joe Milton comes in at QB for the Cowboys and he makes a 24-yard pass to Pickens - 1st down
Taylor punts to the 32, out of bounds
Cowboys take final timeout
Williams to Zaccheaus for 6 yards - 4th and 3
Cowboys take second timeout
Swift loses 4 yards by Kneeland - 3rd and 9
Cowboys take first timeout
Bears take over at the 20
Swift picks up 5 - 2nd and 5
Prescott pass INTERCEPTED by Edmund in the end zone
Prescott pass incomplete to Pickens - 4th and goal
Prescott pass to Williams complete for 4 yards - 3rd and goal
Prescott pass way too high - incomplete, 2nd and goal
Roughing the Passer on Bears' Odunze - 1st down at the 6
Prescott under pressure throws it away
Prescott pass complete to Sanders for 3 yards - 2nd and 7
Prescott pass to Turpin complete for 37 yards! 1st down at the 14
Holding on Bears - declined
Prescott pass to Ferguson complete for 12 yards but there's a flag on the play
Prescott pass caught by Flournoy for 10 yards - 1st down
Prescott pass incomplete to Flournoy - 4th and 5
Prescott pass to Schoonmaker complete for 4 yards - 3rd and 5
Prescott under pressure again, throws it away - 2nd and 10
Prescott pass complete to Tolbert for 7 yards - 1st down
Prescott to Ferguson caught but he's short of the 1st - going for it at 4th and 1
Prescott SACKED by Sweat for a loss of 7 - 3rd and 8
Prescott pass to Ferguson for 9 yards - 2nd and 1
Taylor punts to the Cowboys 5, bounces out of bounds
Williams pass to Odunze incomplete under pressure - 4th and 6
Direct snap to Monongai and then he flicks it to Williams to scramble 2 yards - 3rd and 6
Monongai picks up 2 - 2nd and 8
Williams to Zaccheaus for 7 yards and the 1st down
Monangai picks up 8 - 3rd and 6
Williams to Moore but Steward shoves him back for a loss of 4 - 2nd and 14
Williams to Odunze for 14 yards - 1st down
Prescott pass INTERCEPTED by Edmunds at the 27
This time, the Cowboys were saved by a penalty.
Prescott passed to Schoonmaker for just 3 yards, but Brisker was called for Illegal Contact - 5 yards, 1st down Dallas
Williams picks up 4 but Cowboys' Steele is called for Holding - 10 yards,3rd and 12
Williams gets no gain, and then Prescott's pass caught by Ferguson for 9 yards - 3rd and 1
END THIRD QUARTER
That takes us to the end of the 3rd quarter. The Cowboys are trailing by 17 points. They have the ball at the Bears 39 at 1st down.
Prescott pass caught by Turpin for 27 yards and hauls it in despite being hit hard after the catch - 1st down
Santos kicks to the 3 and Turpin takes it up to the 34
Bears went for it on 4th and goal at the 4-yard line and it was easy. WIlliams made the pass to Moore in the end zone and he was wide open for the touchdown. Santos' PAT was good and the Bears have a comfortable lead with 9 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
BEARS TOUCHDOWN!
Burden gets 7 yards - 4th and goal and Bears will go for it
Monongai gets 4 - 3rd and goal
Cowboys' Clark was injured on the play
Dallas' defense struggled to take down Monongai but in the process of trying to get away, he lost 8 yards - 2nd and goal at the Cowboys 15
Swift pushes over the line - 1st and goal at the 7
Swift picks up another 4 - 3rd and 1 at the 10
Williams scrambles for 5 - 2nd and 5
Burden pushes through for a pickup of 7 yards and the 1st down
Swift picks up 4 - 3rd and 3
Cowboys' Diggs was injured on the play
Moore picks up 3 yards, trips over Diggs - 2nd and 7
Swift picks up 4 - 1st down
Williams scrambles for 7 yards - 2nd and 3
Swift pushes through for a yard - enough for the 1st down
Swift taken down right away - 3rd and 1
Williams gets it to Moore again and he runs down the sideline for 9 yards - 2nd and 1
Wlliams pass complete to Moore for 12 yards and the 1st down
Williams pass overthrown to Odunze - incomplete, 3rd and 10
Williams pass tipped by Odighizuwa - incomplete, 2nd and 10
Swift takes off for 11 yards - 1st down
Update on Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb: Out for the rest of the game
Anger punts to the 12 and Duvernay takes it to the 24
Prescott to Ferguson gets nowhere - 4th and 14
Prescott is SACKED by Robinson for a loss of 10 yards - 3rd and 15
It's Sanders again for 5 more - 2nd and 5
Sanders gets 5 more - 1st down
Prescott to Sanders for 7 yards - 2nd and 3
Williams gets another 2 for the 1st down
Williams picks up 9 yards - 2nd and 1
And we're back!
Santos kicks to the 2 and Sanders takes it to the 28
HALFTIME
Prescott pass to Ferguson is caught for the first down but he doesn't get out of bounds and the clock winds down.
Santos kicks to the10 and Turpin takes it to the 22
Williams pass to Kmet in the end zone was good for the 10-yard touchdown and Santos' PAT was good to make it a 10-point lead for the Bears with just 25 seconds left in the half.
BEARS TOUCHDOWN!
Cowboys take final timeout
Williams makes another deep pass 29 yards to Burden! 1st and goal
Williams pass to Odunze caught for 13 yards to the Cowboys 39
Monongai picks up another 2 - 3rd and 2
Cowboys take second timeout
Monongai gets 4 yards - 2nd and 1
Bears' Moore was injured on the previous play
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
That takes us to the 2-minute warning. Bears are up by 3 and have the ball at their own 34 on 2nd and 5.
Moore picks up 5 yards - 2nd and 5
Anger kicks to the10 and Duvernay returns it to the 29
Prescott pass to Ferguson is complete, but he gets just 5 yards - 4th down
Prescott's pass to Tolbert is swatted away by Stevenson, incomplete - 3rd and 9
Williams gets just a yard - 2nd and 9
Santos kicks to the 4 and Sanders takes it to the 24
Bears take back the lead with a 30-yard field goal by Santos with 4:15 to go in the first half.
BEARS FIELD GOAL!
Williams pass incomplete to Odunze in the end zone - Wilson was on him
4th down and 10
Williams pass low to Zaccheaus incomplete - 3rd and 10
Swift taken down by Hooker for no gain - 2nd and 10 at the Cowboys 11
Zaccheaus gets it this time and takes off for another 12 - 1st down
Williams gets it to Swift and he breaks loose for a HUGE gain of 41YARDS! 1st down at the Cowboys 23
Moore gets nowhere, taken down by Ofighizuwa and Sanborn - 3rd and 9
Inelligible Downfield Pass on Bears' Wright - 5 yards, 2nd and 9
Williams under pressure throws it away, but there's a flag..
Swift takes it up 6 yards - 2nd and 4
Aubrey kicks to the end zone - touchback to Bears 35
Pickens with the ONE-handed TD catch!
Prescott tosses it to Pickens and he makes a one-handed catch in the end zone for a touchdown, 2 yards. They decided to go for 2 and they got the conversion with a pass from Prescott to Tolbert in the end zone. Cowboys tie up the game with just under 8 minutes to go in the 1st half.
Cowboys go for 2 and they get it!
COWBOYS TOUCHDOWN!
Sanders pushes forward to the 2-yard line - 2nd and goal
Williams got nowhere, but Bears get a Too Many Men on the Field penalty and an Offsides penalty as well - 5 yards, 1st and goal from the 10
Williams runs it 6 yards - 2nd and 4
Prescott pass to Pickens for a pickup of 21yards - 1st down
Bears' Edmunds was injured on the play
Turpin picks up 4 yards - 2nd and 6
Williams runs it up for 6 yards and the 1st down
Prescott to Ferguson for 5 yards - 2nd and 5
Holding on Bears' Johnson, 10 yards - 1st down
Taylor punts to the 12 and Trurpin takes it to the 30, but there's a flag down
Williams pass to Moore under pressure is incomplete - 4th down
Williams pass to Zaccheaus for 11 yards - 3rd and 9
Williams pass nearly picked by Hooker - incomplete, 2nd and 20
Williams scrambles for 17 yards, but it's called back on a Holding call on Wright - 10 yards, 1st and 20
Aubrey kicks to the 9 and Duvernay takes it to the 35
Cowboys cut the lead with another Aubrey field goal, this time from 33yards with 13:49 to go in the first half.
COWBOYS FIELD GOAL!
Prescott pass tipped by Stevenson - 4th and 8
Update on Cowboys' CeeDeeLamb: on the sidelines with swollen ankle
False Start on Cowboys' Guyton - 5 yards, 3rd and 8
Prescott to Williams, he picks up 3 - 3rd and 3 at the 10
END FIRST QUARTER
The clock runs out to take us to the end of the 1st quarter. Bears are in the lead with two touchdowns on three posessions as the Cowboys trail with just a field goal.
Dallas has the ball at the Bears 13 on 2nd down and 6 to start the 2nd quarter.
Prescott pass to Ferguson caught for 4 yards - 2nd and 6
Prescott pass to Tolbert is caught and he runs along the sidelines for 12yards and the 1st down at the Bears 17
Sanders is stopped immediately - 3rd and 5
Williams takes it again for 5 more - 2nd and 5
Williams breaks through 8 yards - 1st down
Prescott pass to Ferguson for 7 yards - 2nd and 3
Prescott pass to Pickens caught for 16 yards - 1st down
Santos kicks to the end zone - touchback to Cowboys 35
WOW WOW WOW
A flea flicker, a toss to Swift, and a deep pass by Williams to Burden for 65 YARDS and a touchdown and all of a sudden, the Bears take an 11-point lead in seconds. Santos' PAT is good with 4:10 to go in the 1st quarter.
BEARS TOUCHDOWN!
Aubrey kicks to the end zone - touchback to Bears 35
The Cowboys failed to get into the end zone on their second possession, but they at least put some points on the board with their trusty kicker. Aubrey made the field goal from 53 yards and Cowboys trail with 4:21 to go in the 1st quarter.
COWBOYS FIELD GOAL!
Cowboys take 1st timeout after trying to draw Chicago offsides
Or not...
Prescott pass complete to Sanders but it's just short - 4th and 2 and Cowboys are going for it....
Sanders takes it for a gain of 3 - 3rd and 5
Prescott pass to Pickens incomplete - 2nd and 10
Williams takes it again and pushes ahead for 7 - 1st down
Williams pushes through for a gain of 4 - 2nd and 6
Prescott pass caught by Pickens for 5 yards - 1st down
Cowboys' Lamb was injured on the previous play
There's a little scuffle on the field with Turpin in the middle of it
Prescott pass to Ferguson for 5 yards - 3rd and 4
Prescott hands it off to Lamb and he's taken down by Sewell
Holding on Dallas' Steele and Holding on Bears' Dexter - offset
2nd and 9
Prescott pass to Ferguson caught but he's taken down by Sewell for a gain of just a yard - 2nd and 9
Williams pushes up the middle for 8 yards - 1st down
Prescott pass to Ferguson good for 8 yards - 2nd and 2
Santos kicks to the end zone - touchback to the Cowboys 35
The Bears got the ball back on a turnover after Stevenson forced a fumble and they took advantage of the opportunity. After a deep pass to Loveland put them into Cowboys' territory, Williams made the 35-yard touchdown pass to Odunze. Santos' PAT was good and Chicago takes the lead with 10:35 still to go int the first quarter.
BEARS TOUCHDOWN!
Williams to Swift for 2 yards - 3rd and 8
Williams pass incomplete to Odunze - 2nd and 10
Williams makes a deep pass to Loveland for a huge gain of 31yards!
Williams hands it off to Swift and he picks up 3, and there's an Illegal Use of Hands on Dallas' Williams - 1st down at the 27
FUMBLE!
Williams gets it and takes off running for 26 YARDS, but he was stripped of it by Stevenson, who picked it back up at the 23!
Williams takes it up 7 yards - 2nd and 3
Taylor punts to the 34 and Turpin takes it to the 43
Williams under pressure gets it away to Swift but he picks up just 2 - 4th down and Bears will kick it back
Swift taken down by Steward for a los of 4 - 3rd and 14
Williams pass deep to Loveland incomplete - 2nd and 10
Aubrey kicks to the Bears 5 and Burden takes it to the 19
And WE ARE OFF!!! Game time!
Cowboys won the toss and elected to defer. The Bears start us off on the offense. Let's go!
The new man was a handed a five-year deal that puts him among the best-paid head coaches in the NFL.
Cowboys and Bears - what are the odds?
Oddsmakers give Dallas a slight edge over the Bears. DraftKings lists the Cowboys as 1.5-point road favorites with an over/under of 50.5, suggesting expectations of a high-scoring game.
Dallas enters with the NFL’s No. 5 scoring offense (30.0 PPG) but a depleted defense, while Chicago’s rookie QB Caleb Williams gets a chance to rebound against a secondary missing key pieces.
The Bears’ injuries on defense (including LB T.J. Edwards and CB Jaylon Johnson) leave them vulnerable to Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens. Meanwhile, Dallas’ own secondary issues make them susceptible to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.
With both defenses thin and offenses stocked with playmakers, sportsbooks expect a shootout. Prediction: Cowboys 38, Bears 24, with Dallas covering the -1.5 spread and the game hitting the over.
Caleb Williams improving, but not enough...
The Bears were humiliated in a 52-21 loss to the Lions in Week 2, raising major doubts about quarterback Caleb Williams’ ability to lead the team.
While Williams has struggled with accuracy and consistency, head coach Ben Johnson pointed to signs of growth, noting his progress in going through reads and trusting his footwork. Williams himself acknowledged his frustrations with missing simple throws but emphasized his commitment to improving. Despite the positives, the Bears’ quarterback play must improve quickly, or questions about finding yet another long-term solution under center will only grow louder.
Brian Schottenheimer warns Dallas defense
The Cowboys’ defense has struggled to meet expectations after moving on from Micah Parsons, most recently giving up 37 points to the Giants. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer admitted the unit “didn’t play well enough” and challenged them to improve against the Bears.
A big focus is on Trevon Diggs, who is still finding his rhythm after missing training camp and returning from injury. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus noted Diggs is essentially learning on the fly, but with DaRon Bland sidelined, Dallas may have to lean heavily on him. After logging extra snaps in an overtime game last week, Diggs is expected to carry a major load as the Cowboys look to reestablish their defensive identity.
Bears-Cowboys INACTIVES
Chicago Bears
The Bears enter their Week 3 matchup with the Cowboys severely depleted in the secondary, with Jaylon Johnson (groin), Kyler Gordon (hamstring), and Jaylon Jones (hamstring) all out, while linebacker T.J. Edwards also headlines the inactives. On offense, Bears running back D’Andre Swift will play through a quad injury.
Bears INACTIVES
OL Ozzy Trapilo
LB D’Marco Jackson
CB Kyler Gordon
LB T.J. Edwards
CB Jaylon Jones
QB Case Keenum (3rd QB)
Dallas Cowboys
While cornerback Trevon Diggs was cleared to play despite a sore knee, DaRon Bland remained out, and newly signed pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney was inactive. Rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith will make his season debut after being passed over for Jay Toia in the first two weeks, raising questions about whether the change reflects Smith’s progress or Toia’s struggles. Another surprising inactive was running back Jaydon Blue, who has yet to debut despite his change-of-pace potential behind Javonte Williams.
Cowboys INACTIVES:
DE Jadeveon Clowney
RB Jaydon Blue
CB DaRon Bland
DT Jay Toia
LB Shemar James
OL Ajani Cornelius
OG Trevon Keegan
Eberflus returns to Chicago
Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is now the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys. He makes his first return to Soldier Field today after being fired midseason in 2024 with a 14-32 record, the first in-team history to be dismissed during a season.
Current Bears coach Ben Johnson and players downplayed any concerns about Eberflus’ familiarity with Caleb Williams and their offense. Johnson noted that Chicago has insight into Eberflus’ defensive tendencies and expects no real advantage for their former coach.
Jaylon Johnson update - good news for Bears
Unfortunately for Chicago, they'll be playing without star cornerback Jaylon Johnson today, after he re-injured his groin. That's not good for the already struggling Bears defense up against Lamb and Pickens.
However, they did receive some good news about Johnson in the long term just today. NFL insider Ian Rapoport gave fans renewed hope about Johnson’s future. After being placed on IR, Johnson is expected to meet with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia for likely surgery. If all goes well, Johnson could return in the second half of the 2025 season. His comeback will depend on the Bears’ playoff outlook - if Chicago is out of contention, the team may hold him out to protect his long-term health.
Bears and Cowboys - where they stand
Chicago Bears
The Bears have yet to win a game after falling to the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, putting them in last place in the NFC North. In a must-win game against the Cowboys, history is stacked against them with no team in the 17-game era having made the playoffs after starting 0-3.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have lost one (to the Philadelphia Eagles) and won one, but they won just by the skin of their teeth over the New York Giants last week. If they manage to lose to the Bears, there will be even more questions than there already are about this 2025 team.
Both teams have struggled defensively, ranking near the bottom of the league in scoring, pass, and run defense, setting the stage for a high-scoring game. While the Bears have home-field advantage, the Cowboys’ passing attack, led by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, could overwhelm Chicago’s injury-depleted secondary.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE text coverage of the Chicago Bears vs Dallas Cowboys!
The Bears are looking to avoid an 0-3 hole to start the season as they host the Cowboys at SoldierField. Kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. ET and we'll be here to bring you all the live updates, scores, stats, and highlights starting from an hour before kickoff and until the final whistle.


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