The Dallas Cowboys fell to 1-2 on the young season with their 31-14 road loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Their defense allowed 385 total yards and five pass plays of 29 or more yards. Owner Jerry Jones provided a blunt assessment of how the unit can fix its issues.
“Well, I think it gets fixed individually, each person resolves to be more focused on not only their assignment, but what they’re trying to accomplish as a group out there,” Jones told Jon Machota of The Athletic. “And I think that’s how you get better. And I look forward to it being better. I think we’ve got a lot of room for improvement, without trying to be trite.”
The Cowboys’ latest loss comes one week after their first win of the year. While they defeated the New York Giants 40-37 in Week 2, their defense was not stellar agaisnt the Russell Wilson-led offense.
Dallas did not sack Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in Sunday’s game, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer mentioned that the team was able to create a good amount of defensive pressure.
“I thought we got pressure on (Williams), we just couldn’t finish it,” Schottenheimer told The Athletic. “We were around, we just couldn’t get him on the ground. … We’ve got to take a look at it. We’re three games into this 17-round fight and have a good opponent coming this week. It’s what we get paid to do, make corrections and get these guys playing better and with more confidence.”
Newly signed veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was inactive on Sunday, but defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and the Cowboys hope he will be able to help strengthen the defense as the season progresses.
The Cowboys will host Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.
