As the Dallas Cowboys head into Chicago for a Week 3 showdown, it is, by far, the least anticipated game of this young season, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy.
In Week 1, it was the first game of the entire year for the NFL; on the road against the reigning champions, and a bitter division rival, only added to the hype. Then, in the home-opener, it was yet another NFC East foe in a must-win game.
This week, the Boys are headed to the Midwest to face an 0-2 team. The stakes, and viewership, seem lower than these past two games.
It’s quite the drop-off in hype, but if you’re able to look past the face value of this game, you’ll see that Dallas needs to have a healthy fear of the Bears.
Putting the bias and excitement of the Giants’ win behind us, here are the three biggest reasons for that fear in this Soldier Field showdown.
1: Trap Game Galore: If You Look Ahead, Chicago Won’t Look Back
The one thing everybody is talking about in this matchup is the “trap game,” and it’s hard to ignore those warning signs.
Oftentimes, when a team is facing a slumping opponent right the week before a huge game, they aren’t able to put together their “expected” performance.
With the Bears sitting at 0-2, the Cowboys riding the hype of a big win, and the Packers on deck in Week 4, this has all the makings of a stereotypical trap game. If Dallas comes out of the gate with their sights set ahead, Chicago won’t look back.
The Cowboys must be present if they want to win this one. You can’t start prepping for Green Bay until you’ve handled their division rival.
2: Hungry Coach & Quarterback Against Struggling Defense
On the subject of the Bears’ record, it’s important to remember that they aren’t like most 0–2 squads: they have a very talented, and now hungry, duo at head coach and quarterback.
Caleb Williams entered the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the most hyped-up prospects in modern history. Ben Johnson came into both the 2024 and 2025 hiring cycles as the most hyped-up coach in modern history.
In Williams’s second season and Johnson’s first, they have failed to get off to a hot start, but that doesn’t take away their ability.
Dallas will have their hands full with this offensive duo, especially considering how poorly the team played defensively against the Giants. If they have a repeat of that showing, expect Williams and Johnson to bounce back from this poor start.
3: Don’t Ignore Warning Signs: Cowboys Could Be 0-2 Right Now
Lastly, let’s not forget how the Dallas Cowboys got here. They could easily be in the exact same situation that the Chicago Bears now see themselves in.
The Cowboys dropped the season-opener against Philly, albeit in a closer fashion than many expected, but they also came within a few metaphorical inches of losing to the Giants, too. That game, which Dallas was the favorite in, became a coin flip.
Despite the excitement and momentum that brewed from the first win of the year, they are still not the talent juggernaut that we’ve seen in recent seasons. This operation will have growing pains as they retool over the next season or two.
Going on the road to knock off this Bears team is far from guaranteed when you take a step back and remember where the Cowboys are themselves.
In short, the team and their fans should not let the Week 2 win and Chicago’s struggles cloud reality. This game could, and perhaps will, be a close battle between two hungry teams working through some kinks.
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