Caleb Williams ties career high
with 4 TD passes, Ben Johnson gets 1st win as Bears beat Cowboys
[September 22, 2025]
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
CHICAGO (AP) — Ben Johnson had just presented game balls to Caleb
Williams and Tremaine Edmunds in a raucous locker room. There was
one more to give.
Williams tossed the ball to Johnson and the players mobbed their
coach.
After two brutal losses to start the season, the Bears sure felt
better after this.
Williams tied a career high with four touchdown passes and Chicago
gave Johnson his first win as an NFL head coach by beating the
Dallas Cowboys 31-14 on Sunday.
“It’s awesome," Williams said. "The trust and belief and hard work
and just all of it together, to be able to have that hard work for
him and his family and the organization, this historic organization,
it’s just a constant growth and mindset that we’re on. To have this
moment for him and for us, it’s really important.”
The Bears (1-2) got a win they sorely needed coming off a 52-21
blowout loss at Detroit. Johnson called out his team’s practice
habits during the week, saying they weren’t “championship-caliber."
But he had to like what he saw against the Cowboys (1-2).
Johnson’s offense broke off several big plays while racking up 385
yards. It added up to a rough day for Dallas defensive coordinator
Matt Eberflus in his first appearance at Soldier Field since the
Bears fired him as head coach last November.
“It will be fun for tonight and then we’ll be on to the next one,”
Johnson said. “We’re behind the 8-ball here. We’re 1-2 and we’ve got
to get back to .500.”
Williams looked more like the quarterback the Bears need him to
become than the one who faded after strong starts the first two
weeks. The No. 1 overall draft pick last year, he completed 19 of 28
passes for 298 yards and a 142.6 rating.
Rookie Luther Burden caught his first career touchdown when he
hauled in a 65-yarder on a flea-flicker in the first quarter. The
second-round pick from Missouri finished with 101 yards on three
receptions.
Rome Odunze had 62 yards and a touchdown catch, giving him four this
season.
Cole Kmet caught a 10-yard touchdown pass near the end of the first
half. DJ Moore made it 31-14 with a 4-yard TD reception on a fourth
down in the third quarter, capping 19-play drive that ate up 9:54.
“A 19-play drive, that’s going to bring the dog out of everybody,
you know what I mean?” Odunze said. “So for us to be able to put
those 19 plays out there and then touch the paint, that tells me
we’ve got the right guys in here and we’ve got that dog mentality.
We’ll continue to put that forward.”
Tremaine Edmunds had two of Chicago's three interceptions, and the
Bears came away with their 799th regular-season victory. The Green
Bay Packers have 812.
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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson watches play against the Dallas
Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 21,
2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
“Humbling” for Cowboys
The Cowboys never really got their offense in gear and couldn’t make
the stops they needed after squeezing out a thrilling overtime win
over the New York Giants. It won't get any easier this week with
Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers visiting Dallas — their
first meeting since a contract standoff ended with a blockbuster
trade before the opener.
“This can be a humbling business,” coach Brian
Schottenheimer said. “If you don't take care of business, you don't
play well, then you're not going to win. We've got to stop giving up
big plays on defense, and we got to stop turning the ball over on
offense. It's a bad formula.”
Owner Jerry Jones said he understands fans' frustration with the
defense and Eberflus. He also preached patience.
“If you're not making positive steps, then you're losing ground,” he
said. “Everybody starts off, they've got to make adjustments along
the way for injuries and for depreciation in talent that they've
counted on. But there's a constant adjustment going on right now,
and this is what we're seeing right here.
"Teams have lost their third game in the NFL and they've gone on to
participate really well in the playoffs.”
Dak Prescott completed 31 of 40 passes, but had just 251 yards. He
threw a touchdown to George Pickens in the second quarter, but was
intercepted twice and sat out Dallas' final series.
Star receiver CeeDee Lamb left with a sprained ankle. The four-time
Pro Bowler headed to the sideline early in the first quarter after
he was hurt on a run when he took a handoff and twisted his ankle as
he was tackled by Noah Sewell. He returned on the first play of the
second quarter before being ruled out to start the second half.
Brandon Aubrey made two field goals, including a 53-yarder. He broke
Dan Bailey's franchise record with 28 field goals of at least 50
yards.
Injuries
Cowboys: Schottenheimer said Lamb wanted to try to play through his
injury. He was to have more imaging. ... CB Trevon Diggs (shoulder)
and DT Kenny Clark (ankle) got banged up.
Bears: TE Colston Loveland (hip) was hurt in the first half. ... CB
Kyler Gordon (hamstring) missed his third game. ... LB T.J. Edwards
(hamstring) was inactive.
Up next
Cowboys: Host Green Bay next Sunday.
Bears: Visit Las Vegas next Sunday.
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