The Dallas Cowboys earned a huge win against the Chicago Bears, posting a 49-29 final score that saw equal parts creative offense and dominating defensive stops, including the first career fumble recovery touchdown for linebacker Micah Parsons. The feisty Chicago team battled back from a 21-point deficit early to close within five points before the Cowboys took the game over in the second half.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was a scratch today, only the second time in his career that he has missed a game due to injury.
Elliott is dealing with a knee sprain and leg contusion suffered against the Detroit Lions. Tony Pollard was tabbed to fill in and had a career day, scoring three rushing touchdowns and breaking through the Bears’ defense for big chunks of yardage.
Pollard totaled 131 yards on 14 carries, a significant jump in touches due to Elliott being unavailable. With the Cowboys’ second-longest run of the season, a 51-yard power run to the endzone, Pollard also hit a 57-yard run last week, making it the Dallas offense’s longest play of the year.
The Cowboys’ offense picked up where it left off last week, scoring touchdowns on the first four drives; this was the first time Dallas had accomplished the feat since 1968 and only the second time any team has this season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott scored the Cowboys’ opening drive touchdown with his legs. The second score came on a deep middle pass from Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. Pollard scored the third touchdown on an 18-yard rush. The fourth score in the first half came after Malik Davis -in his first start- came up half a yard short. Prescott found Jake Ferguson for the one-yard score and setting off a Cowboys hog-tying celebration. The score was 28-7 with just under seven minutes remaining in the second half.
The Bears would score their second touchdown of the day following the fourth TD for the Cowboys, then caught a lucky break on a poorly thrown pass from Prescott that set up a Bears field goal to get the score to 28-17 at the half. Chicago got the ball to start the second half and scored the first points of the half on their second drive.
The Cowboys answered with Pollard collecting his second score of the day. On the following Bears drive, quarterback Justin Fields completed a pass to running back David Montgomery that was popped loose by Cowboys’ Leighton Vander Esch for a fumble. Micah Parsons, battling injuries in the game that kept him out of practice during the week, pounced on the loose ball. Inexplicably, Fields failed to touch Parsons down, and the Cowboys linebacker was able to get to his feet and rumble in for a defensive score.
The Dallas defense continued in the habit of dominating with physicality and speed, racking up four sacks, five QB hits, and seven tackles for loss that derailed a strong running game. Chicago totaled 240 yards on the ground, but only 131 yards passing. Despite significant yardage gains, the Bears scored only 12 points in the second half after failing to convert on two two-point tries.
The Cowboys will have a week off to rest and recover before facing the Green Bay Packers on November 13.
