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Dallas Cowboys: 5 Takeaways from Week 3 Win vs Chicago Bears

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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What are the five biggest takeaways from a well-rounded victory for the Dallas Cowboys over the Chicago Bears in Week 3?

Even without Tyron Smith at left tackle in the third game of the season, the offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys blocked well enough to help rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott rush for nearly 150 yards, and for rookie quarterback Dak Prescott to throw his first touchdown pass of his career.

Prescott has 99 passing attempts without an interception to start his NFL career. Though the Cowboys at times looked dominant, some of it was due to their opponent being the struggling Bears, who have more issues than we need to list at the moment.

Neither the Cowboys or the Bears had their “true” starting quarterback on the field for this game, with Tony Romo still recovering from his back injury suffered in the preseason and Jay Cutler was out with a sprained thumb.

Both Prescott and Brian Hoyer of the Bears played a respectable game for the most part. But with Prescott, his consistency is key for him to have success as he continues his progression from the collegiate level to the professional ranks.

Most of Chicago’s scoring came in the second half, after the Cowboys had already built a solid lead in the first half. What was great to see for the Cowboys is they kept that lead in the final two quarters, plus they continued to work on their game with two reserve offensive linemen in the game at times as well on Sunday night.

Though they are now preparing to head out west and face the San Francisco 49ers for their Week 4 game, let’s look back at their third game of the season one last time. Here are five takeaways from the second win of the season.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant (88) runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

5. Health of Players

Dez Bryant played part of the game with a sprained knee, but even with that issue, he was able to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter off a 17-yard pass from Dak Prescott. There is also the fact left tackle Tyron Smith didn’t play due to a back issue and nether did Orlando Scandrick at cornerback. Scandrick missed all of last season with an ACL tear. But right now his problem is his hamstring.

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Of course, quarterback Tony Romo is still weeks away from returning, and there are others who three weeks into the season are starting to be injured as well.

With the four players mentioned above, the Cowboys offensive line can survive without Smith against teams like the Bears and even possibly the San Francisco 49ers because neither have that great of a pass rush. The issue is Smith protects the blind side of the quarterback and he’s one of the best in the league at his job. So when he’s not out on the field, it can eventually came back to hurt the Cowboys.

With Bryant, it is a wait and see process, and one that many hope ends with him being healthy. Last season, Bryant missed nine games with his foot injury and the Cowboys can’t afford to miss him in that many games for a second consecutive year.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Alfred Morris (46) scores in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

4. Red Zone Play was Excellent

The Cowboys were in the red zone four times on Sunday night. All four times they left with points. In Week 1 against the New York Giants, the Cowboys were 1-for-2 in the red zone and, in Week 2 against the Washington Redskins, the red zone efficiency was 3-of-5. Through three games this season, the Cowboys in the red zone are 8-of-11 in terms of getting points.

Getting points in the red zone is very important, as three of the four Cowboys touchdowns against the Bears came in goal line situations. The first touchdown of the game was a one-yard rush by Prescott and later Lance Dunbar had a one-yard run in the second quarter. Alfred Morris rushed for a two-yard score to give the Cowboys three goal-line touchdowns for a combined four yards.

Those are the type of touchdowns the Cowboys really need to have this season to really be a threat to compete in the NFC East once again. Big-time touchdown runs and plays are great to have too, but seeing a team being able to grind out short-yardage scores from the one- or two-yard line is pivotal.

The Cowboys need to continue this tough-nosed pace of play in the red zone, and if they do so against teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Redskins and Giants, they can really stake their claim back the the top of the NFC East standings, a division they won a couple seasons ago with a tough-nosed rushing style.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) runs with the ball after catching a pass against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Fast Start is Always Needed

Scoring 24 points in the first half was exactly what the Cowboys needed to control the pace of the game, and not only that, but to play the type of game they needed to play to have success. Notching three touchdowns in the first half allowed the Cowboys to not rush and put Dak Prescott into a situation where he’s not comfortable.

It did help they were facing the Bears’ defense, but the Cowboys took advantage of the Bears’ inabilities to play solid defense like they have been known for in the past.

With the Cowboys gaining the fast start, it helped the way the game was called by the coaches to make Prescott the most comfortable. It allowed the defense to not only play with a lead, but to maybe take a few extra chances with their play calls as well.

Though the Bears’ offense won’t be setting any yardage records this season, for the Cowboys, playing them as tough as they did, in that first half especially, was much-needed for a team still trying to figure out an identity with all the roster moves made thus far since the preseason began.

The Cowboys have another chance at a similar type of game this Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers are up on the schedule, and like the Bears, they’ve had their struggles as of late as they too are trying to rebuild their once-great franchise.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) scrambles in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

2. Dak Prescott Takes Another Positive Step

Not only did Dak Prescott rush for another touchdown on Sunday night, but he also threw his first touchdown pass, a 17-yard pass thrown to Dez Bryant near the end zone, with Bryant breaking a tackle to finish the play for six points. Sure, Prescott had some passes that were high. But he  still posted a QBR of 99.1 and a passer rating of 123.6 in the win against the Bears. Again, Prescott’s 99 passes without an interception prove his accuracy and acumen.

Even at Mississippi State last year, Prescott didn’t throw an interception until the eighth game of the season. His entire final college season saw him throw no more than one interception in any given game, totaling just five in his final six games in college.

Prescott has been a pleasant surprise for his overall consistency. The best thing about him is he’s level-headed and knows there is still a lot of work to be done. Looking at the list of the quarterbacks drafted this past April and the Cowboys have an argument they got the best deal of anyone, including the Eagles. Drawing Prescott in the fourth round has already proven to be a steal.

We are all still unsure how the narrative with Prescott will go for this entire season. However, he’s been exciting to watch and doesn’t give the feeling that the Cowboys have a rookie under center through three games this season—something they sure had issues with last season.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs with the ball against Chicago Bears cornerback Tracy Porter (21) in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. Welcome to the NFL, Ezekiel Elliott

The rookie Cowboys running back not only hurdled his way for extra yardage, but he played a solid, complete game for the most part in his third NFL start. There is still plenty of work to be done for the fourth-overall selection, but Elliott has to be given props for his Week 3 effort.

Elliott played like a first-round pick on Sunday night, rushing the ball 30 times for 140 yards. Though he didn’t score a touchdown, he had a 21-yard rush. Even more impressive, he averaged 4.7 yards per carry. The rookie took advantage of what was given to him by the Bears defense and he did a nice job overall. There are still some parts of his game that the Cowboys seem to be working on, but that seems to be coming with time and more game experience.

In three games this season, Elliott has 71 carries for 274 yards, an average of 3.9 yards per carry. The one worry with Elliott is whether the rookie can hold up to how the Cowboys seem to be using him. He’s taking a lot of punishment in his short NFL career.

Neil Greenberg of The Washington Post pointed that out as well in a recent article:

I guess if a player is going to ever have a high number of carries in a season, it might as well be when he is 21 years old and not 31. The progression and consistency of Elliott is key. Though La’el Collins’ injury at guard (expected to miss 6-10 weeks) will have some effect on Elliott, he’ll have to overcome that obstacle as well in his current progression.

This Sunday is another possible great day for Elliott with the 49ers allowing 122.6 yards per game on the ground. Elliott has another team where he can continue to make a name for himself and progress. It will be very exciting to see if he and the offense of the Cowboys take full advantage of it.

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