The Chicago Bears lost 31-17 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and it’s clear that the Bears have bigger problems than just Jay Cutler’s thumb injury.
Dallas makes work of Chicago’s subpar defense in 31-17 win
Jay Cutler’s injury is not the Bears’ biggest problem.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Having Cutler sidelined in favor of Brian Hoyer isn’t ideal, but Hoyer wasn’t terrible. Hoyer completed 30 of 49 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The bigger issue for the Bears was that the defense could not stop the Cowboys.
The Bears struggled against Dallas on the ground, as Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 140 yards. A tough run in the red zone in the first quarter set up the Cowboys’ first score, a Dak Prescott one-yard run for a touchdown. Elliott also hurdled this Bears defender who had no chance of stopping him.
Chicago’s pass rush didn’t disrupt Dak Prescott’s game much at all. The Bears landed no sacks on Prescott, and he was able to get the ball to his receivers at will. Prescott spread the ball around to several receivers, making things more of a challenge for the Bears’ defense.
The Bears could not prevent explosive plays against the Cowboys. Cole Beasley, who entered the week with 156 career receptions, pulled in seven catches for 73 yards against the Bears on Sunday night. Terrance Williams had just four catches for 88 yards, averaging 22 yards per reception.
Chicago didn’t do much better containing the Cowboys on the ground. Elliott rumbled for 21 yards on one play, and Dak Prescott’s longest run of the night was 17 yards.
The Bears are now 0-3, having given up 23 points to the Houston Texans and 29 points to the Philadelphia Eagles in their first two games.
See More:
