The Dallas Cowboys arrived in Chicago with hopes of steadying their season. Instead, they delivered a performance that deepened concerns. In front of a raucous Soldier Field crowd, the Cowboys looked flat and outmatched. It wasn’t just the scoreline. It was also the manner of the defeat. This was a game that exposed flaws across the roster and on the sidelines. It left Dallas facing hard questions heading into Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers.
Cowboys outclassed in second-half collapse
The Bears defeated the Cowboys 31-14 in Week 3. Bears QB Caleb Williams delivered one of his finest performances to date. He tied a career-high with four touchdown passes and posted a 142.6 passer rating. Chicago’s defense compounded Dallas’s struggles by forcing four turnovers. Those included two late interceptions of Dak Prescott by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
The Cowboys’ offense never recovered after losing CeeDee Lamb to an early ankle injury. Though Dallas briefly tied the game at 14 in the second quarter, they fell apart after halftime. The Bears dominated the second half. Meanwhile, the Cowboys hurt themselves with mistakes on both offense and defense. For head coach Mike McCarthy’s team, now 1-2, this was a troubling warning sign.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss the Dallas Cowboys most to blame for the discouraging loss to the Chicago Bears.
Tyler Guyton continues to be a liability
The offensive line has long been a cornerstone of Dallas football. On Sunday, however, left tackle Tyler Guyton was a glaring weakness. Sure, his first two games back from a knee injury carried some leeway. However, that excuse no longer applies. Against Chicago, he was repeatedly beaten clean off the line,. Guyton surrendered a sack in the second half that stalled a promising drive. Worse yet, his lack of discipline showed in critical moments. He had a false start in the red zone, followed by another penalty that erased a big gain late in the fourth quarter.
Through three weeks, Guyton’s improvement has been nonexistent. Each game features a handful of disastrous reps that directly impact the offense. If he doesn’t clean things up soon, the Cowboys may be forced to consider benching him for Nathan Thomas. Having a starting lineman play this poorly is plainly unsustainable.
George Pickens fails to seize the moment
When Lamb went down, Dallas needed George Pickens to elevate his game. Early on, it looked like he might deliver. Pickens hauled in a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab to tie the score at 7-7. However, that was the high point. From that moment forward, Pickens disappeared. He finished the game with little impact outside of a costly drop.
The most damaging moment came in the fourth quarter when a pass slipped through his hands and into the waiting arms of Edmunds for an interception. Instead of stepping up as Prescott’s go-to option, Pickens became part of the problem. With Lamb sidelined, the Cowboys cannot afford to have their No. 2 receiver vanish when they need him most.
Trevon Diggs no longer looks like himself
Trevon Diggs’ struggles have carried over from the start of the season. Sunday may have been his worst showing yet. Early in the second quarter, he stumbled in coverage. That left rookie wideout Rome Odunze wide open for a 35-yard touchdown. Later, he injured his shoulder on a tackle attempt and did not return.
Note that injuries have piled up for Diggs over the last two years. His play no longer resembles the All-Pro ballhawk of 2021. Instead of a shutdown corner, he’s become a liability in coverage. The Cowboys’ secondary was exposed all afternoon. With that, Diggs’ decline is becoming one of the team’s most alarming storylines.
A pass rush without bite
The absence of Micah Parsons loomed large on Sunday. Without their defensive centerpiece, the Cowboys generated almost no pressure on Williams. They finished with just one quarterback hit and zero sacks. That lack of disruption gave Williams all the time he needed to carve up the defense.
What’s more concerning is how invisible the rest of the line looked without Parsons commanding double-teams. No one consistently won their matchups. The Bears’ offensive line largely controlled the trenches. If this is what Dallas looks like without Parsons, it’s a sobering reminder of how much the defense depends on a single player.
Matt Eberflus comes up empty
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus must shoulder significant blame for Sunday’s collapse. Yes, the defense lacks elite depth. Still, the schemes and adjustments were ineffective. The Bears repeatedly caught the Cowboys out of position. Wide-open receivers ran freely at every level.
The lowlights were glaring: a 35-yard touchdown to Odunze where Diggs was left trailing, and a flea flicker that fooled the entire secondary. That sprang Luther Burden for a 65-yard score. Note that at halftime, Williams already had 239 yards and three touchdowns. That level of dominance reflects not just player execution but coaching failures. Opponents are just exploiting Eberflus with ease.
A discouraging trajectory
The Cowboys’ 1-2 start is troubling. It's not just because of the record but because of the way they’ve played. Their offensive line is shaky, and their receiving corps is unreliable without Lamb. The Cowboys' defense was just too dependent on Parsons, and their coordinator hasn’t found solutions. Against Chicago, all those flaws were laid bare.
Now Dallas faces a daunting Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers and Parsons himself. If they don’t show marked improvement, this season could unravel quickly. Sunday’s loss wasn’t just ugly. It was a sign that the Cowboys have bigger problems than anyone in Arlington wants to admit.
