Cowboys Get Mauled by Bears but Still Have Shot at Playoffs

Chicago’s 31-24 victory over Dallas did not knock the Cowboys out of first place

Cowboys Get Mauled by Bears but Still Have Shot at Playoffs
Dak Prescott scrambles while being pressured by Brent Urban of the Chicago Bears. (Dylan Buell/Getty)
Getty Images

Following a loss to the Patriots in Week 12, the Dallas Cowboys were 6-5 and sitting in first place in the NFC East but had yet to win a game against a team with a winning record this year.

Now, less than two weeks later, the Cowboys are still in first place but they still have not beaten a team with a winning record and have fallen to 6-7 on the season following a 31-24 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. 

The Bears, who improved to 7-6 on the year and kept their playoff hopes on life support with the win, got an excellent performance from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Much maligned this season after a string of poor games, Trubisky threw three touchdown passes and ran in another score.

Trubisky completed 23-of-31 passes for 244 yards in the win and helped Chicago tie a season scoring high.

“I think it shows we’re resilient,” he said after the win. “We stick together. We believe in each other even when nobody else believes in us. It’s a special group in that locker room. We just want to keep this feeling going.”

For the Cowboys, quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 334 yards but only had a single touchdown pass (though it was a dime).

Despite the loss, Dallas is still a game ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. The Eagles (6-7) can tie them with a win this week over the New York Giants and do not have a game against a team with a winning record remaining on their schedule.

The Cowboys still have to play the Rams (7-5) and will also play the Eagles in a game that will likely decide the division and determine if it is Dallas or Philadelphia that makes the postseason.

Winners of three in a row, the Bears are still in the hunt for an NFC wildcard spot but will need a lot of help to make the postseason.

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.

Win the Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix Experience

Want the F1 experience of a lifetime? Here’s your chance to win tickets to see Turn 18 Grandstand, one of Ultimate Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix’s most premier grandstands!