The Dallas Cowboys entered the game with injury concerns, and added more to the bonfire as the game went along. While next man up is really just something coaches tell players to get the most out of their backups, when a team has a roster as deep as Dallas does, it actually can come to fruition. Getting the rare opportunity to be the lead back, fourth-year pro Tony Pollard turned in the best performance of his career.
The pending free agent ran the rock 14 times for a gaudy 131 yards and three touchdowns, including a 51-yarder to cement the victory. Combined with another surreal play by Micah Parsons, a fumble return for a touchdown, Dallas was able to overcome three passing touchdowns by Bears QB Justin Fields and a rushing attack that gained over 200 yards.
The Cowboys scored touchdowns on their first four possessions of the game, something they hadn’t done since late in the 2014 season. They almost gave up the bag though, allowing the Bears to score 10 points in less than a minute before halftime, then close within 5 early in the third quarter. Order was restored however with a sack on the two-point play leading to Dallas going back-to-back with Pollard’s second score followed by the Parsons return.
The Cowboys would add the Pollard score after the Bears stayed competitive to finally put the nail in the coffin with Pollard’s third score. It was the first time a Dallas RB scored three times in a game since Joseph Randle in 2015.
The victory moved Dallas to 6-2 on the year, heading into their bye week. They could not gain ground on the division-leading Eagles who improved to 7-0 with their win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.