JUST CHILL: Cowboys earn high grades after dominating Chicago

Grading the Cowboys vs. Bears

RUSH OFFENSE: A This is who the Cowboys want to be on the offense. Run the ball and control the clock. They did that against the Bears, rushing 41 times for 199 yards. Ezekiel Elliott led the way with 30 carries for 140 yards. Quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Alfred Morris and running Lance Dunbar each scored rushing touchdowns.

PASS OFFENSE: A What more can you say about the play of rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. He looks like a veteran with his poise, command and error-free play. He had no turnovers for the third consecutive game. He had his best game passing, completing 19 of 24 passes for 248 yards and one touchdown. He had the highest quarterback rating ever by a Cowboys rookie at 123.6. Cole Beasely continues to lead the way outside with seven catches for 73 yards. Terrance Williams had four catches for 88 yards, but he had a crucial fumble and a drop.

RUN DEFENSE: B The Bears got behind 24-3 and had to abandon the run. Give the Cowboys credit of being able to stop the run and force early three and outs. The new defensive line lineup with Tyrone Crawford and Jack Crawford at end and Maliek Collins and Terrell McClain at tackle seemed to work well. The only nitpick was the leaky success the Bears had a times running. Chicago’s 15 carries for 73 yards, included runs of 36 and 23 yards.

PASS DEFENSE: C The Bears trailed for much of the game so they were pass happy in the second half. Brian Hoyer completed 30 of 49 passes for 317 yards with two touchdowns. He had 244 yards passing in the second half, including 193 yards in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys were good in the red zone again with some timely stops. But they failed to get a sack or force an interception when they knew the team was in throwing mode.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B Dan Bailey shocked everyone with a missed field goal. Yes, he is human. Chris Jones averaged 41.0 on three punts. The Cowboys got nothing in the return game on minimal chances from Lucky Whitehead.

COACHING: A Is this the new normal after last season’s abyss? The Cowboys opened the game without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant was slowed for much of the game with injuries. Yet, the Cowboys had their most complete and dominating win since 2014. What was a crutch during last season’s 4-12 campaign was not even a bother against the Bears. Dak Prescott has already won more games in 2016 than the three quarterbacks who replaced Romo last year combined.

This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "JUST CHILL: Cowboys earn high grades after dominating Chicago."