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The Chicago Bears (1-2) defeated the Dallas Cowboys (1-2) in a 31-14 win, which marked Chicago’s first victory of the season and first for head coach Ben Johnson. While it was a dominant offensive showing, it was the defense that set the early tone for the game.
Following a three-and-out from Chicago’s offense, the Bears defense came away with an early takeaway on the Cowboys’ first possession when cornerback Tyrique Stevenson ripped the ball away from running back Javonte Williams for a fumble recovery.
The Bears offense then drove 76 yards in five plays for their first of four touchdowns on the afternoon — a 35-yard score from quarterback Caleb Williams to wide receiver Rome Odunze. It was the perfect example of complementary football that helped Chicago win the game.
“I thought it was huge,” head coach Ben Johnson said of Stevenson’s takeaway. “That early in the game — they were able to run the ball a little bit on our defense. We knew that. We knew that they were going to be able to move the ball. It’s a very explosive offense. They’ve got playmakers all over the place. Their offensive line is really good. They’ve got three first-rounders up there. And I thought we came through with timely plays when we needed it. That’s a good example of it.”
Stevenson has had a rough start to his 2025 season, where he was allowing a near-perfect passer rating to opposing quarterbacks through the first two games. With Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon sidelined by injury, the onus is on Stevenson as the team’s next top cornerback. And he answered the call immediately, which didn’t go unnoticed by his head coach.
“I thought Tyrique in general had a really nice bounce-back game,” Johnson said. “He’s one of those guys, like a lot of us, we haven’t started the season the way we wanted to yet. He’s capable of being a big-time player in this league, and I thought he played that way today.”
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