The Chicago Bears (3-5) suffered a 49-29 loss to the Dallas Cowboys (6-2), where the offense shined and the defense had their worst performance of the season.
The good news? Quarterback Justin Fields certainly appears to have turned a corner, which is made all the more impressive by the lack of weapons around him and poor pass protection. The bad news? The defense was absolutely destroyed by the Cowboys, where they allowed 442 yards of total offense and 49 points, which was nearly double their previous high (27).
There were no shortage of standout performances — both good and bad — in this loss, including some young, offensive players on the rise.
We’re taking a look at the studs and duds from the Bears’ Week 8 loss to the Cowboys:
STUD: QB Justin Fields
Justin Fields continues to stack positive performances, which has been the main bright spot in an otherwise brutal loss. Fields led the Bears offense to 29 points against a top-three defense in the Cowboys, where he impressed with both his legs and arm. Fields completed 17-of-23 passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 120 passer rating. He added eight carries for 60 yards and another score. In a season where winning doesn’t matter, Fields’ continued improvement has been the most encouraging thing since the mini-bye.
DUD: Bears run defense
Just when Chicago appeared to be turning a corner against the run, they took a massive step backward against Dallas. Heading into this game, the Bears were allowing 149.7 rushing yards per game. Against the Cowboys, Chicago allowed 200 yards on the ground, including 131 yards and three touchdowns by backup running back Tony Pollard, who got a bulk of the carries in place of an injured Ezekiel Elliott.
STUD: RB Khalil Herbert
Khalil Herbert has emerged as a top running back for the Bears, and he had another impressive game against the Cowboys. The Bears totaled 240 rushing yards on the afternoon, and Herbert led the way with 99 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown, which included an explosive 36-yard run. With David Montgomery in the final year of his contract, it’s fair to wonder how Herbert’s emergence could impact Montgomery’s potential future in Chicago. But Herbert has definitely earned more reps moving forward.
DUD: Bears pass defense
Chicago’s defense couldn’t do anything right against Dallas, including through the air where quarterback Dak Prescott had his way with the Bears’ secondary. Prescott completed 21-of-27 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns for a 114.5 passer rating. CeeDee Lamb had five catches for 77 yards with a touchdown and Dalton Schultz had six catches for 74 yards. The long bright spot? Eddie Jackson’s interception in the final minutes of the first half.
STUD: WR Darnell Mooney
It hasn’t been a good start to the year for receiver Darnell Mooney, which isn’t a surprise considering how bad the passing game has been this season. But Mooney had a solid game against the Cowboys, where he caught five passes for 70 yards, including a 36-yard reception from Justin Fields. As the Bears continue to open up the passing game, the hope is Mooney will continue to shine.
DUD: Bears pass protection
The biggest concern heading into this game was the Bears’ pass protection, as Justin Fields was the most-sacked and pressured quarterback in the NFL. It certainly didn’t help that Dallas had a league-high 29 sacks through seven weeks. Fields was sacked four times in this game, and he was pressured throughout. There were several instances when defenders went untouched to get pressure on Fields, and the offensive line remains the biggest concern heading into the remainder of the season.
STUD: S Eddie Jackson
Safety Eddie Jackson has been arguably the Bears’ best defensive player this season, and he’s gotten back to his playmaking form from early in his career. Jackson recorded a clutch interception of Dak Prescott in the final minute of the second half, which led to a Cairo Santos field goal. It was Jackson’s fourth interception this season, which is tied for most in the NFL.
DUD: LB Roquan Smith
It’s been an up-and-down season for linebacker Roquan Smith, who’s in the final year of his rookie deal. Following a solid outing against the Patriots, Smith followed it up with a disappointing outing against the Cowboys. Smith, who was leading the league in tackles, had just five tackles on the afternoon. He struggled to get off blocks and didn’t make the kind of plays expected from a guy that wants to be a top-paid linebacker in the league.
DUD: CB Kindle Vildor
Cornerback Kindle Vildor has been one of the nice comeback stories for the Bears this season, but he struggled mightily in the passing game against Dallas. Vildor, who had five tackles, was targeted early and often by the Cowboys, who feasted on the secondary. Vildor has certainly seen better days.
DUD: Alternate orange uniforms
It’s only been two games, but it’s safe to say those alternate orange uniforms (with the orange helmet) need to be retired. Not only are they unflattering on the eyes, it’s resulted in the Bears’ worst performances of the 2022 season. For the second time in three weeks, there have been some ugly losses with that uniform combination. Hard to tell if we’ll see these again, but at least we’ve seen the last of them this season.
