The Cowboys should Fear the Bears in Week 3 – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star
Why Dallas should be beware of the Bears.
As the Dallas Cowboys head into Chicago for a Week 3 showdown, it is, by far, the least anticipated game of this young season, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy.In Week 1, it was the first game of the entire year for the NFL; on the road against the reigning champions, and a bitter division rival, only added to the hype. Then, in the home-opener, it was yet another NFC East foe in a must-win game.
This week, the Boys are headed to the Midwest to face an
0-2 team. The stakes, and viewership, seem lower than these past two games.It’s quite the drop-off in hype, but if you’re able to look past the face value of this game, you’ll see that Dallas needs to have a healthy fear of the Bears. Putting the bias and excitement of the Giants’ win behind us, here are the three biggest reasons for that fear in this Soldier Field showdown.
1: Trap Game Galore: If You Look Ahead, Chicago Won’t Look Back
The one thing everybody is talking about in this matchup is the “trap game,” and it’s hard to ignore those warning signs. Oftentimes, when a team is facing a slumping opponent right the week before a huge game, they aren’t able to put together their “expected” performance. With the Bears sitting at 0-2, the Cowboys riding the hype of a big win, and the Packers on deck in Week 4, this has all the makings of a stereotypical trap game. If Dallas comes out of the gate with their sights set ahead, Chicago won’t look back. The Cowboys must be present if they want to win this one. You can’t start prepping for Green Bay until you’ve handled their division rival.
2: Hungry Coach & Quarterback Against Struggling Defense
On the subject of the Bears’ record, it’s important to remember that they aren’t like most 0–2 squads: they have a very talented, and now hungry, duo at head coach and quarterback. Caleb Williams entered the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the most hyped-up prospects in modern history. Ben Johnson came into both the 2024 and 2025 hiring cycles as the most hyped-up coach in modern history.
In Williams’s second season and Johnson’s first, they have failed to get off to a hot start, but that doesn’t take away their ability. Dallas will have their hands full with this offensive duo, especially considering how poorly the team played defensively against the Giants. If they have a repeat of that showing, expect Williams and Johnson to bounce back from this poor start.
3 things Cowboys defense should loathe about their Sunday assignments vs Bears – Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire
Why the Cowboys defense could be in for a long day.
Two storied NFL franchises are set to face off Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys go on the road for the second time and play the Chicago Bears. The Cowboys are coming off a thrilling victory, while the Bears are 0-2 after losing two games to NFC North opponents. Winning on the road is never easy, and it’ll be an even tougher task for the Cowboys, who are facing a desperate Bears team that hasn’t found their game yet. It’s a dangerous matchup for Brian Schottenheimer’s group, and there are things to hate about playing the Bears in Week 3.
If the Cowboys win this game, they can feel good about heading into a tough Week 4 contest. Lose, and they’ll be in danger of chasing wins for the rest of the year. The Bears haven’t won a game under Ben Johnson yet, but they have enough talent to leave Sunday with a win. Here are three reasons the Cowboys should be scared of the Bears.
Caleb Williams-Rome Odunze connection
The Bears are still working on getting Johnson’s offense right, but the one thing that has worked early in the season is the Williams-to-Odunze connection. The quarterback and wide receiver are both in their second seasons, and it’s easy to see them growing together. Williams has three touchdowns passes through two games, all of which have gone to Odunze. The first-round WR in 2024 leads the Bears in targets (20), catches (13), and receiving yards (165), while averaging 82 yards a game. No other WR in the offense has more than 12 targets, and Odunze is making the most of his. Against the Detroit Lions last week, Odunze had seven catches for 128 yards and two scores, proving he’s among the top young WRs in the league. The Cowboys struggled against the pass last week, if they don’t get better against the Bears, Odunze could continue his hot start.
Watch out for Williams’ legs
While Williams isn’t thought of as being a big runner, he does have the mobility and speed to make life difficult for the Cowboys’ defense. In his rookie season he ran for 489 yards, but he’s on pace to soar past that mark in 2025. Through their two games this season, Williams has rushed for 85 yards, which ranks tied for third among all QBs in the league. That’s tied with Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, and is more than Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts and Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
Williams also has one of the two rushing touchdowns for the Bears this season. There aren’t many designed runs for Williams, but when he escapes the pocket, he makes defenses pay. The Cowboys have struggled with scrambling QBs in recent seasons, and that hasn’t changed much this year. Matt Eberflus’ group allowed Hurts to run for 62 yards and two scores in the season opener, so they’ll need to make sure they keep Williams from moving the chains with his legs.
Troy Aikman just said what the NFL is scared to admit about Dak Prescott – Luke Norris, The Landry Hat
Troy Aikman explains why Dak Prescott is “THAT” guy.
From the moment Dak Prescott took over as QB1 of the Dallas Cowboys as a rookie back in 2016, he’s had more than his fair share of haters. But as everyone knows, that’s simply what comes with playing the most important position in football for the most polarizing football team on the planet. Has Prescott been the most perfect quarterback over these last nine years? Certainly not. But no matter how you feel about the guy, there’s no getting around the fact that he’s got ridiculous talent. And when he’s on, Dak is undoubtedly one of the top-tier QBs in the NFL. You notice I didn’t use the word “arguably” in that sentence.
Most people tend to forget that he finished second in the NFL MVP voting just two years ago, likely because of the Cowboys’ early exit in the playoffs. Not his fault, by the way, as he didn’t give up the 48 points the Packers scored that night. As far as the first couple of weeks of this young 2025 season are concerned, the 10th-year veteran has looked fantastic. And a guy who knows a little something about playing quarterback for America’s Team thinks so as well, that being none other than Troy Aikman. The three-time Super Bowl champion was asked his thoughts on Prescott’s play thus far in a recent interview on 96.7 The Ticket, and he was fired up about what he’s seen.
“I have been impressed with Dak, certainly Week 1 and what he was able to do, and then this last game. He’s always had good energy. He’s always had good body language and all that on the field. But in addition to just how well he’s played, I just sense that there’s a confidence about him in the way in which he’s playing that I don’t want to say I haven’t seen it before, but I just feel like he’s really dialed in and feeling good about where this offense is going, the way that it’s playing, and the way he’s playing.”
“And usually, to have that, you feel really good about the plays that are coming in and who’s calling them. It just seems to be a pretty good fit right now for Dak, and what I’ve seen just as a casual observer.”Aikman is far from a “casual observer,” of course, but we’re picking up what he’s putting down, and the rest of the league should as well. No, Prescott hasn’t put up the gaudy numbers that some others have over these first two weeks. But he put the Cowboys in position to take down the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, and had it not been for a couple of untimely drops from CeeDee Lamb, Dallas likely wins that game.
And he certainly showed out when it mattered most in the Cowboys’ wild Week 2 win over the New York Giants, completing 15 of 20 passes with a touchdown and tallying 187 total yards in the fourth quarter and overtime, the last of those yards coming on a 14-yard run in the waning seconds of the extra frame to set up Brandon Aubrey’s game-winning field goal.
Week 3 rooting guide for Cowboys fans – Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys
Who you should be rooting for (besides the Cowboys) this Sunday.
Week 3 is always a big point in an NFL season. If you think going 0-2 is bad, 0-3 is miserable. For the 1-1 teams, this can serve as a swing game towards good or bad seasons. And for teams feeling themselves at 2-0, this can either be a reality check or a sign of bigger things to come.
We all know what we want for the Cowboys this week. The vast majority are hoping for a road win over the Bears, while a few joyless nihilists may already be focusing on the 2026 draft. But if you don’t believe in Dallas as a contender this season, it’s still too early for most to abandon all hope.
What about the rest of the NFC this week? Here’s what you should be rooting for.
NFC East action
- Rams d. Eagles
- Raiders d. Commanders
- Chiefs d. Giants
There’s nothing to think about here. If Dallas even has a chance of catching Philadelphia, we need all the help we can get. Any opportunity for the Eagles to take a loss right now is a positive. If we get to the point that Philly is out of the Cowboys’ reach and their opponent is a threat to a wild card spot, the logic may shift. But we’re not there yet.
It’s even simpler with Washington. If they’re not another obstacle in the way of winning the NFC East, they’ll likely be in the wild card race. So until there’s a good reason to feel otherwise, no soup for them.
The Giants may be a team we root for when they’re up against other NFC teams. But against the Chiefs? Nah.
NFC vs NFC
- Panthers d. Falcons
- Saints d. Seahawks
- Cardinals d. 49ers
We’re rooting for Carolina and New Orleans to help keep the NFC standings manageable. They’re both 0-2, while Atlanta and Seattle are 1-1. Whether Dallas wins or loses this week, more 1-2 teams is better for us.
As for Arizona and San Francisco, both are 2-0. Who are you more afraid of going forward? The 49ers have done this despite QB Brock Purdy’s injury, so it’s a little scarier to think about how competitive they could be when he’s back. That leans us towards the Cardinals this week.
