Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard had a golden opportunity in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, getting his fourth career start with Ezekiel Elliott sidelined with a knee injury, and he didn't disappoint: the 2019 fourth-round pick ran for 131 yards and a career-high three rushing touchdowns on a career-high 14 carries. His career day powered the Cowboys to a 49-29 win, running their record to 6-2 as they enter their Week 9 bye week.
Pollard's performance made him only the sixth player in Cowboys history with more than 100 rushing yards and three rushing downs in a game and the first to do so since Julius Jones against the Seattle Seahawks in 2004. He is now the third player to accomplish the feat this season, joining Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill.
Quarterback Dak Prescott also looked more like himself in his second start back from a fractured thumb, completing 21 of 27 passes for 250 yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception. Prescott also had a 7-yard rushing score on the game's opening possession.
The Cowboys' 49 points scored are the most the Bears have allowed since surrendering 55 points in the 2014 season against the Green Bay Packers, and Sunday is only the 12th time in Bears' franchise history that they have allowed 49 or more points in a game.
Despite falling behind 28-7 to begin the game, the Bears opted for a run-heavy attack, rushing on 43 of their 61 offensive plays. Quarterback Justin Fields had 151 passing yards and two passing touchdowns on 17 of 23 passing Sunday for a career-high 120.0 passer rating in addition to 60 rushing yards and another touchdown. Fields had plenty of success scrambling earlier, but the Cowboys kept him in the pocket in the second half and he ended with four sacks taken.
The win improves the Cowboys to 6-2, keeping them within striking distance of the undefeated Eagles in the NFC East with nine games remaining after their bye week. Chicago falls to 3-5 overall with losses in four of their last five games after starting the 2022 season 2-1.
Why the Cowboys won
The Cowboys could not be stopped to begin the game, scoring a touchdown on each of their first four possessions for the first time since Week 16 of the 2014 season against the Indianapolis Colts, a game they won 42-7. Prescott began the scoring with a 7-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a 21-yard dart to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Pollard tacked on an 18-yard rushing touchdown, which Prescott followed with a 1-yard touchdown toss to tight end Jake Ferguson off a play-action pass. The Cowboys led 28-7 midway through the second quarter. That was enough as NFL teams are now 49-1 since 2000 in games when their offense scored a touchdown on each of their first four drives.
After the Bears trimmed the lead to 28-23 thanks to a Prescott interception and the Bears scoring an early third-quarter touchdown, Pollard ran for two more rushing scores, and Micah Parsons tallied his first career touchdown on a 36-yard fumble recovery. The double-P's accounted for 21 of the game's final 27 points scored. Overall, the Cowboys offense was too much for a Bears team built to run the football and play from ahead.
Why the Bears lost
Allowing the opponent to score four consecutive touchdowns and allowing 49 points overall is a recipe for disaster. The 49 points allowed were the Bears' most in a game since 2014 when Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw six passing touchdowns against them in the first half of a 55-14 loss in Week 10 of the 2014 season. Falling down by 21 to start the game just won't win you many games, especially for this Bears team that runs the football on 59.9% of their offense plays, the highest rate in the NFL.
The Bears were in striking distance against the Cowboys, down 35-23 midway through the third quarter before a fumble by running back David Montgomery doomed their comeback chances since Parsons scooped up Montgomery's fumble for six points in the other direction.
Turning point
After a 16-0 run by the Chicago Bears that spanned the end of the first half and the beginning of the third quarter, Micah Parsons put his foot down. Bears running back David Montgomery gained 13 yards on a checkdown from Fields before fumbling when being dragged down by Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. Montgomery lost control of the football, bobbling the pigskin before it rolled 5 more yards downfield. Parsons dived on the football and got low enough to avoid Fields' jump toward him before getting up and sprinting 36 yards for his first career touchdown.
The play helped secure the Cowboys' win as a three-score second-half deficit was simply too much for the NFL's top rushing offense since the Bears offense simply isn't built to play from behind in 2022.
Play of the game
The play of the game couldn't be anything else besides Parsons' first career touchdown via fumble recovery. He displayed great athleticism, showcasing the ability to dive for the ball before quickly popping back up after avoiding Fields and sprinting toward the end zone. He looked like a running back rumbling toward the end zone. Parsons has showcased his versatility in his young career by seamlessly rotating back and forth between the defensive line and linebacker positions, now he has let Mike McCarthy know that he could handle a carry or two at running back if needed.
What's next
The Cowboys will rest up on their bye week before heading to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers in a homecoming game for head coach Mike McCarthy in Week 10. The Bears return home to Chicago to face Tua Tagovailoa's 5-3 Miami Dolphins in Week 9.