Bears look to build on breakthrough win and even their record after a rough start

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears got the sort of breakthrough performance they needed. Now, they have a chance to get to .500.

The Bears will look to build on a promising victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday when they visit Las Vegas this week. A win over the Raiders would even their record, no small feat given how the season started.

The Bears (1-2) went from blowing an 11-point lead in the season opener against Minnesota to getting blown out at Detroit in Week 2. They were breathing a little easier following a 31-14 victory over Dallas.

Caleb Williams matched a career high with four touchdown passes and the Bears gave Ben Johnson his first victory as a head coach.

Johnson called out his team’s practice habits during the week, and the message seemed to get through.

“Every leader of a specific group hit the group chat,” cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said on Monday. “If we have to come in an hour early, sacrifice an hour of sleep, then get up and come in. It ain’t nothing to it but to do it. That’s where the trust is, and making sure that we prepare to go out here and be the Monster of the Midway.”

What’s working

Takeaways. The Bears forced four turnovers against Dallas, starting with a highlight-reel forced fumble by Stevenson in the opening minutes. He chased down Cowboys running back Javonte Williams on a 22-yard run and ripped the ball out of his hands, securing it just before he fell out of bounds. The Bears also had three interceptions — two by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

What needs hel

p

The secondary. With two-time Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson (groin) potentially out for the remainder of the season and Kyler Gordon (hamstring) missing the first three games, the Bears probably need to bring in outside help at cornerback. Losing Johnson in Week 2 at Detroit was obviously a huge blow. Against Dallas, the pass defense was fine. The Bears held Dak Prescott to 251 yards and a touchdown while intercepting him twice. The bigger issue was the run defense, with the Cowboys going for 121 yards and averaging 6.1 per attempt.

Stock up

Williams. The No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, Williams shrugged off two shaky performances to start the season. After starting strong and fading in the first two games, Williams completed 19 of 28 passes for 298 yards without an interception. He wasn’t sacked in a game for the first time in his career, and his 142.6 passer rating was a personal best.

Stock down

Backup QB Tyson Bagent. If Williams continues to perform the way he did against Dallas, Bears fans won’t be calling for the backup QB the way they did after the first two games.

Injuries

Ben Johnson confirmed Jaylon Johnson will have surgery and said there’s a chance the two-time Pro Bowler returns this year. … He also said TE Colston Loveland (hip) was still being evaluated after he was hurt in the first half, though he didn’t think the injury was “super serious.”

Key number

6 — After committing 20 penalties through the first two games, the Bears were flagged a more palatable six times against Dallas. They had only one pre-snap penalty — an offsides on defensive end Daniel Hardy.

Next steps

The Bears visit Las Vegas on Sunday. The Raiders lost 41-24 at Washington even though Commanders QB Jayden Daniels sat out with a knee injury.

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