Cowboys lose to Bears, fall to 1-2 with CeeDee Lamb injured and defense reeling

ASSOCIATED PRESS

All the Dallas Cowboys have to show for the first three weeks of the season is a high-wire win at home over the New York Giants. 

The Cowboys traded Micah Parsons before the season started and not much has gone right since. The defense without Parsons got torched again by the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams. The offense couldn't get anything going against a Bears defense that gave up 52 points last week and had multiple starters out due to injury, partially because CeeDee Lamb injured his ankle in the first half. The Bears won 31-14 for their first win of the season. 

Williams had the best day of his career. He made some huge passes downfield and put up four touchdowns. It looked like Russell Wilson last week, when the Giants quarterback burned the Cowboys for 450 yards with numerous deep completions. 

It's just three games into the season but it's getting harder to get excited about where the Cowboys are headed this season. It might be a good thing that Brandon Aubrey helped bail them out in an overtime win over the Giants last week, because it doesn't appear that many more wins are coming their way. 

Caleb Williams has huge day

For the Bears fans waiting to see a breakout from Williams in Ben Johnson's offense, the solution was easy: Face the Cowboys defense. 

The game started poorly for the Cowboys. Rome Odunze got behind the defense for a 35-yard touchdown. That got Williams going. 

Williams hit a flea-flicker touchdown to rookie Luther Burden III after that, then a touchdown to tight end Cole Kmet. Williams had 239 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Given Johnson's ability to call an offense and the talent around him, that type of explosion was possible for Williams. But it helped that Dallas was the opponent. 

Williams got a fourth touchdown to D.J. Moore late in the third quarter and that put the Cowboys behind 31-14. 

The Cowboys weren't coming back from that, especially considering that Lamb was on the sideline. 

Cowboys miss CeeDee Lamb

Lamb went down when he got a carry out of the backfield and was dropped for a 1-yard loss. His ankle got rolled up on. He tried to play later in the half but limped off the field shaking his head. 

The Cowboys better hope it isn't a long-term injury because they don't have much else around Dak Prescott. George Pickens caught a touchdown, but also had a bad drop in the fourth quarter that was picked off by the Bears before it hit the ground. It didn't matter much with less than five minutes left, but on fourth-and-goal Prescott threw another interception into the end zone. 

The Cowboys don't have much hope on defense. The offense might not be much better if Lamb has to miss any additional games. It's not even October yet but it already feels like it has been a long season in Dallas.