Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears
Final Score: Bears 31, Cowboys 14
Writer: Cesar Escajeda
This game was expected to have a ton of offense, and the Bears certainly got the memo — absolutely curb-stomping the Cowboys’ defense while clamping down on a CeeDee Lamb-less offense for Dallas to give Ben Johnson his first win as a head coach.
Three Up
- Caleb Williams — Leave it to the Cowboys’ defense to make Williams appear competent at QB. No sacks, no turnovers, four TDs, and he continuously delivered big play after big play all afternoon. It was exactly what Bears fans (and fantasy managers) had been hoping to see from him. He admittedly had a few bad throws on occasion, but the stats don’t lie — he had a heck of a game.
- Luther Burden III — The entire offense was humming for Chicago, but the rookie in particular had himself a day — especially deep downfield. He averaged a monster 33.7 yards per catch against Dallas, with one score. Williams wasn’t afraid to let it loose and Burden was a big beneficiary of it, slipping past what the Cowboys call defense all afternoon.
- Rome Odunze — It may be safe to say Odunze is the go-to receiver in Chicago. The second-year receiver also feasted on the lack of a secondary in this one, leading the Bears in targets along with his score on the day. He’s built up a solid rapport with Williams thus far into the season and this game was yet another continuation of a positive trend.
Two Down
- Dak Prescott — Two interceptions aside, the biggest knock on Prescott here was his pedestrian effort. He refused to push the ball downfield, instead choosing to cautiously dink and dunk all afternoon with short-yardage throws — and the Bears were perfectly content to sit tight and swarm the plays in front of them. There were multiple third-down attempts where Dak forced throws well short of the line to gain, almost as if he was avoiding it entirely. Great players elevate their teams, and Prescott simply could not get it done.
- Dallas Defense — Massive gaps in coverage, no pass rush, poor linebacker play, and no semblance of competence in scheme — it’s BAD bad in Big D. I’m absolutely firing up any and all offensive players against the Cowboys on my roster the rest of the season. Coordinator Matt Eberflus and this unit seemingly have no idea what they’re doing right now.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: 31/40, 251 Yards, TD, 2 INT, 2-Pt Conversion (Pass)
Higher pay means higher expectations, and Dak didn’t live up to them here.
Notes
- Make no mistake, Prescott certainly tried his best to air it out, but he was severely limited once his star receiver went down. The downfield shots were nonexistent, however, and the Cowboys’ other pass catchers could not fill the void. Instead it was nothing but short throws, as Dak averaged just 6.3 yards per passing attempt — allowing the Bears’ secondary to simply sit on routes and play physical with everything in front of them. It was a questionable game plan to say the least, and one that hurt his numbers as a result.
Missed Opportunities
- There were a number to pick from in this game, but forcing the throw to Jalen Tolbert in the end zone for his second interception of the day takes the cake.
Joe Milton III: 3/5, 41 Yards, INT
Running Back
Javonte Williams: 10 Carries, 76 Yards, FUM (Lost) | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 16 Yards
Good numbers, but not a lot to show for it for Williams.
Notes
- Williams rumbled on the ground for a third straight week, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. The RB looked physical and created something out of nothing on multiple plays, chugging forward for a number of yards after contact. Game script obviously limited his afternoon as Dallas spent most of the game playing catchup, but he should have had an even bigger game had the Cowboys kept it close and stuck to the run. The only knock on him was his fumble on the first drive of the game. Williams had ripped off a monster 28-yard run before Bears corner Tyrique Stevenson simply yanked the ball out of his hands along the sideline for the turnover.
Miles Sanders: 9 Carries, 41 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 12 Yards
It’s worth noting that Sanders had almost the same number of carries as Williams, albeit with less efficiency. Fantasy managers relying on Williams might want to keep an eye on this going forward. No one likes a timeshare.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
CeeDee Lamb: 1 Carry (unofficial)
Notes
- Lamb was injured very early in the first quarter on a carry (of all things). Bears linebacker Noah Sewell attempted to make the tackle and pinned Lamb’s ankle underneath him, taking him out of the game as a result. Lamb made an effort later on to try to return but quickly took himself out with a noticeable limp. The broadcast showed a very visibly swollen ankle on the sideline, and it was announced that Lamb would undergo an MRI in the week. Because of the caliber of player that Lamb is, I had to include him despite his goose egg on the stat sheet.
Jake Ferguson: 14 Targets, 13 Receptions, 82 Yards
Ferguson was the go-to for Dak with his WR1 out.
Notes
- His 14 targets lead all pass catchers, and he was certainly the safety blanket for Prescott throughout the game. Ferguson’s 82 yards receiving led the Cowboys, though there wasn’t much in the way of substance to his game. Still, the dink-and-dunk offense fed him early and often, and he had a great stat line as a result.
George Pickens: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 68 Yards, TD
Notes
- Pickens had a very impressive one-handed grab for his only score on the day, but the connection between him and Prescott still needs work. The volume is there at the very least, and should Lamb miss extended time the expectation is that Pickens will inherit the big numbers given the Cowboys’ inability on defense.
Kavontae Turpin: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 64 Yards | 1 Carry, 4 Yards
Jalen Tolbert: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards, 2-Pt Conversion (Rec.)
Ryan Flournoy: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 21 Yards
Luke Schoonmaker: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Caleb Williams: 19/28, 298 Yards, 4 TDs | 5 Carries, 12 Yards
The No. 1 overall pick in 2024 looks to be living up to his billing.
Notes
- Williams played like a man without fear against the Cowboys, heaving moon shots time and time again with absolute success en route to the rout. He spread the ball out consistently to the multitude of talented pass catchers, finding four Bears for four touchdowns. It was a solid reminder of what a talented player Williams can be when firing on all cylinders, and a great showcase of what a Johnson-led offense should do.
Missed Opportunities
- Even with the monster numbers, there were a few pass attempts by Williams that were downright ugly. A number of throws hit the ground in front of open receivers, or were overthrown completely. Against a better defense, it’s likely a few of these become turnovers, but for the week, at least the young QB had himself a career performance.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift: 13 Carries, 33 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 45 Yards
Notes
- Swift had a poor day rushing, but the Bears really didn’t him need him in this matchup. He mostly did his part to help ice the game late, and did the bulk of his damage through the air as one of the many Chicago players to feast on poor coverage.
Kyle Monangai: 6 Carries, 16 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Rome Odunze: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 62 Yards, TD
Not exactly efficient, but an outright lethal stat line nonetheless.
Notes
- Odunze burned Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs for the first touchdown of the game, a wide-open 35-yarder. It was an ominous sign of things to come for Dallas, and while he would only have two more receptions the rest of the game, he’d lead the team in targets and set the tone early for the beating.
Luther Burden III: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 101 Yards, TD | 1 Carry, 7 Yards
Have a day, rookie — and what a performance it was for the former Missouri Tiger.
Notes
- Burden held the team lead in yards in this game, with his longest an absolute bomb — 65 yards for the score. The rookie wasn’t targeted a ton, but did more than enough damage with what he got. Hopefully a performance like this warrants more usage going further, and if he isn’t rostered in your leagues already, good luck trying to after this week.
DJ Moore: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 21 Yards, TD | 3 Carries, 7 Yards
Notes
- The veteran was second in targets but had just a modest 21 yards through the air on the day. The TD saved his numbers for fantasy purposes, however, and while they weren’t the greatest stats, it was encouraging that Williams still looked his way every so often.
Colston Loveland: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 31 Yards
Notes
- The rookie actually out-targeted veteran Cole Kmet 3-1 against Dallas, though it would appear neither has a stranglehold on consistency at the TE position. Still, his 31-yarder was explosive and showcased the talent the first-rounder has.
Olamide Zaccheaus: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards | 1 Carry, 12 Yards
Cole Kmet: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards, TD