Chicago beat Dallas 31-14 at Soldier Field on September 21, 2025, as the Bears’ defense forced four turnovers in the Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears Week 3 matchup. The game kicked off at 4:25 PM ET on FOX. Caleb Williams threw four touchdowns and posted a career-high 142.6 passer rating while Jake Ferguson caught 13 passes for 82 yards for the Cowboys. Tremaine Edmunds recorded 15 tackles and two fourth-quarter interceptions as Chicago improved to 1-2 while Dallas fell to 1-2.
Ben Johnson earned his first win as Chicago’s head coach after an 0-2 start that included a 52-21 loss to Detroit in Week 2. Williams threw touchdown passes to four different receivers, including rookie Luther Burden III, who caught three passes for 101 yards after managing just two yards through the first two games.
The game brought extra motivation for Chicago. Matt Eberflus, fired as Bears head coach in November 2024 after that 52-21 loss to Detroit, returned to Soldier Field as Dallas’ defensive coordinator.
“If you don’t take care of business, you don’t play well, then you’re not going to win,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “We’ve got to stop giving up big plays on defense, and we got to stop turning the ball over on offense. It’s a bad formula.”
Owner Jerry Jones addressed the defensive struggles and called for patience. “If you’re not making positive steps, then you’re losing ground,” Jones said. “Teams have lost their third game in the NFL and they’ve gone on to participate really well in the playoffs.”
The struggles began early for Eberflus’ defense.
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Stevenson’s Strip Sparks Chicago
Dallas’ opening possession ended in disaster on the second play from scrimmage. Javonte Williams ran for 22 yards before cornerback Tyrique Stevenson stripped the ball from behind during the run at the Chicago 28-yard line. The fumble recovery gave Chicago excellent field position.
Five plays later, Williams threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Rome Odunze when Trevon Diggs slipped at the line of scrimmage. Odunze ran untouched to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
“Tyrique had a really nice bounce-back game,” Bears head coach Johnson said about the fumble recovery. “He’s capable of being a big-time player in this league and I thought he played that way today.”
Brandon Aubrey’s 53-yard field goal cut the lead to 7-3, but Chicago answered immediately with a flea flicker. D’Andre Swift took a pitch, ran forward, then tossed back to Williams, who launched a 65-yard bomb to Luther Burden III running wide open down the left sideline.
“Feel like I shot a free throw,” Swift said about his toss. “The ball was high. I’m glad Caleb made it work. That would have been on me if he didn’t.”
The 65-yard flea flicker score traveled 62.1 yards in the air, the longest completion in the NFL this season according to Next Gen Stats.
Dallas fought back to tie it 14-14 midway through the second quarter on Dak Prescott’s 2-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens, followed by a two-point conversion to Jalen Tolbert. Chicago regained the lead with Cairo Santos’ 30-yard field goal at 4:15, then extended it to 24-14 on Cole Kmet’s 10-yard touchdown reception with 25 seconds remaining before halftime.
Passing Statistics
| Quarterback | Team | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Rating | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | CHI | 19/28 | 298 | 4 | 0 | 142.6 | 0 |
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 31/40 | 251 | 1 | 2 | 80.3 | 2 |
| Joe Milton III | DAL | 3/5 | 41 | 0 | 1 | 46.7 | 0 |
Williams completed 10.6 yards per attempt with completions of 65, 35, 31, and 29 yards. The Bears offensive line didn’t allow a sack against a Cowboys defense that had recorded four sacks through three games.
Prescott needed 40 attempts to reach 251 yards at 6.3 yards per throw. He got sacked twice and faced pressure throughout. His first interception bounced off Pickens’ hands at Chicago’s 36-yard line in the fourth quarter. His second came in the end zone on fourth down from the 1-yard line when Tremaine Edmunds dove to make the catch.
According to ESPN, Dallas has allowed 13 completions of 25-plus yards through three games, the most by any team over the past 45 years through Week 3.
Ground Game
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javonte Williams | DAL | 10 | 76 | 7.6 | 22 | 0 |
| Miles Sanders | DAL | 9 | 41 | 4.6 | 8 | 0 |
| D’Andre Swift | CHI | 13 | 33 | 2.5 | 11 | 0 |
| Kyle Monangai | CHI | 6 | 16 | 2.7 | 8 | 0 |
Dallas rushed for 121 yards compared to Chicago’s 87. Javonte Williams averaged 7.6 yards per carry but touched the ball just once after halftime. The Cowboys called only seven running plays after intermission despite averaging 6.5 yards per carry before halftime.
Receiving Production
| Player | Team | Rec | Yards | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luther Burden III | CHI | 3 | 101 | 33.7 | 65 | 1 |
| Jake Ferguson | DAL | 13 | 82 | 6.3 | 12 | 0 |
| George Pickens | DAL | 5 | 68 | 13.6 | 24 | 1 |
| KaVontae Turpin | DAL | 2 | 64 | 32.0 | 37 | 0 |
| Rome Odunze | CHI | 3 | 62 | 20.7 | 35 | 1 |
Burden’s 33.7 yards per reception led all receivers. “Just a belief and confidence in Luther being down there,” Williams said. “I thought just throw it out there as far as I can and let Luther go make the play.”
Ferguson set a career high with 13 receptions, topping all Cowboys tight ends since Jason Witten caught 18 against the Giants in 2012. He caught 13 of his 14 targets, serving as Prescott’s primary option after CeeDee Lamb exited in the first quarter.
Burden averaged 33.7 yards per reception in his breakout game. “Just a belief and confidence in Luther being down there,” Williams said. “I thought just throw it out there as far as I can and let Luther go make the play.”
Pickens scored on a spectacular one-handed grab in the second quarter but dropped a crucial pass in the fourth quarter. The ball bounced off his hands at Chicago’s 36-yard line, falling into Tremaine Edmunds’ arms for an interception that stopped a Dallas scoring threat.
Third Quarter Drive Extends Lead
Chicago opened the second half with a 19-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that consumed 9:54 of the third quarter. The Bears ran the ball 16 times on the possession, including 11 consecutive rushes. Williams found DJ Moore for a 4-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to push the lead to 31-14 with nine seconds left in the quarter.
“To have what seems like a forever drive to give them a punch in the gut there was really good for us,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “It’s an identity builder. You really want your identity for any team to be physical and be able to run the ball at will. I thought we did that on that drive.”
According to Chicago Bears official statistics, the drive matched the longest given up by Dallas this century by plays and the longest scoring drive they’ve allowed this century by time of possession.
Dallas threw three consecutive interceptions in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys never threatened after Pickens’ drop at the Chicago 36-yard line.
Defensive Performances
Chicago Defense
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tremaine Edmunds | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Noah Sewell | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nahshon Wright | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Byard III | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Montez Sweat | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Edmunds now has seven interceptions with Chicago (2023-present), more than any NFL linebacker during that span. His two fourth-quarter picks stopped Dallas drives inside Chicago territory. Montez Sweat and Dominique Robinson combined for Chicago’s two sacks. Kevin Byard III intercepted backup Joe Milton III in the closing moments.
The Bears secondary limited Dallas receivers to minimal separation on most routes, forcing Prescott into checkdowns rather than explosive plays.
Dallas Defense
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Wilson | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Sanborn | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddy Steward | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Murray Jr. | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Hooker | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dallas recorded zero sacks for the first time this season. Defensive ends Donovan Ezeiruaku, James Houston, and Marshawn Kneeland combined for a 0% pass rush win rate according to Pro Football Reference. The Cowboys generated minimal quarterback pressure all afternoon.
Malik Hooker gave up 98 yards on three catches, including two touchdowns. The secondary allowed five pass plays of at least 25 yards as communication breakdowns plagued Eberflus’ defense. Without consistent pressure from the front four, Cowboys cornerbacks had to cover for extended periods, leading to multiple breakdowns.
Dallas has now allowed 92 points through three games, the fourth most to open a season in franchise history. In the three previous seasons when the Cowboys allowed 92-plus points through three games (1963, 2000, 2020), they failed to reach the playoffs. The defensive performances exposed gaps in both pass rush and coverage.
Special Teams Contributions
While the defense struggled, special teams provided consistent performance.
Brandon Aubrey connected on both field goal attempts, including the 53-yarder that gave him 28 career field goals from 50-plus yards. The kick broke Dan Bailey’s franchise record according to Dallas Cowboys official statistics. The All-Pro kicker remains perfect this season.
KaVontae Turpin averaged 24.5 yards on two kick returns and 14.0 yards on two punt returns, giving Dallas solid field position on returns. Chicago’s Devin Duvernay averaged 15.5 yards on two punt returns. Cairo Santos converted all four extra points and his lone field goal attempt from 30 yards.
Situational Execution
Chicago converted 8 of 14 third downs (57%) while Dallas succeeded on 3 of 11 (27%). The Bears scored touchdowns on two of three red zone trips (67%) compared to Dallas managing one touchdown on four red zone possessions (25%).
Dallas outgained Chicago 396-385 in total yards and held possession for 32:58 to Chicago’s 27:02, but turnovers made the difference.
CeeDee Lamb’s first-quarter exit compounded Dallas’ problems. Lamb took a handoff and got twisted up by linebacker Noah Sewell. The four-time Pro Bowler attempted to return for one play in the second quarter but was ruled out for the second half. Head coach Schottenheimer said additional imaging revealed a high ankle sprain that could sideline Lamb three to five weeks.
Trevon Diggs (shoulder) and Kenny Clark (ankle) left the game in the fourth quarter and didn’t return. Both had been questionable entering the contest. With DaRon Bland already out, the Cowboys secondary faces significant depth issues heading into Week 4.
Johnson Celebrates First Victory
The Bears presented game balls to Williams and Edmunds in the locker room, but the players gave one back to their coach. Williams tossed the ball to Johnson as the team mobbed their first-year head coach.
“It’s awesome,” Williams said. “The trust and belief and hard work and just all of it together, to be able to have that hard work for him and his family and the organization, this historic organization, it’s just a constant growth and mindset that we’re on. To have this moment for him and for us, it’s really important.”
At 1-2, Chicago remains in contention in the NFC North despite the rough start. The Bears travel to Las Vegas in Week 4 before their Week 5 bye. Williams’ performance proves he can succeed when given clean pockets and opportunities to attack downfield.
Dallas Faces Critical Stretch
The loss dropped Dallas to 1-2. The Cowboys host Green Bay next Sunday, with the Packers sitting at 2-1. Micah Parsons, traded to Green Bay before the season, returns to AT&T Stadium in enemy colors, adding intrigue to an already crucial game for Dallas’ playoff hopes.
“I know scoring 14 points is never going to be OK,” Prescott said. “Dang sure not with this offense, this unit, the team, the players we have.”
Dallas has allowed 68 combined points to the Giants and Bears in consecutive weeks while generating minimal pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Ferguson’s 13 receptions give him 27 catches through three games, the most by any Cowboys player through the first three games of a season. Without Lamb, Dallas desperately needs contributions from other pass catchers.
The Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears game stats reflected Chicago’s dominance, capitalizing on four Dallas turnovers while committing none in the Week 3 matchup.
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