ESPN pundits harsh on Cowboys after ugly Week 3 loss to Bears

ESPN pundits Damien Woody and Rex Ryan did not mince words Monday after the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, a setback that dropped Dallas to 1-2 early in the season and exposed what they called a troubling defensive collapse.

Woody used a blunt tone on Get Up, telling viewers that a Dallas defense capable of being run down the opposition’s throat this season should prompt some serious reflection. He said the unit needed to show more gumption and heart after Chicago carved out a winnable game with a plan that looked efficient and physical at the point of attack. "They don’t have any respect for the coach or the players on that side of the ball," Woody said, framing the conversation around accountability and urgency in Dallas’s locker room. "If you’re the Dallas Cowboys this morning, you should feel embarrassed by the way in which the Chicago Bears chose the play selection in which they chose to come at you. You showed no gumption, you showed no heart, and listen, kudos to the Chicago Bears, they made a statement: this is how we’re going to play football."

Woody’s comments were echoed by Rex Ryan, who described the defensive performance as a nadir for a unit already shorthanded by personnel changes. Ryan linked the struggles to a broader trend of inconsistency and questioned how a defense could be carved up by a Bears offense that was methodical and physical from start to finish, particularly on the ground.

The turning point, according to Woody, came early in the second half when Chicago turned to the running game, converting a pivotal 19-play drive into a DJ Moore touchdown that widened the Bears’ lead to 17 points. The sequence featured 11 consecutive rushing plays and underscored the Cowboys’ difficulties slowing Chicago’s front. The play-caller’s approach appeared to expose gaps in Dallas’s scheme and play-to-play discipline, a concern that has intensified after an opening-weekend stumble and a road loss in Week 2.

The Cowboys’ defensive struggles have been underscored by a broader season-long trend. Through three games, Dallas had allowed 92 points, the fourth-highest total for a start to a season in franchise history, per ESPN. The numbers have piled up despite the presence of a talent pool that, on paper, is built to be disruptive. In the aftermath, the club’s leadership and fan base faced a blunt reality: the unit has to perform at a level compatible with the expectations that come with playing on a nationally televised stage.

The absence of star edge rusher Micah Parsons, who was traded to the Green Bay Packers in August after a lengthy contract standoff, has added another layer of complexity to Dallas’s defense. Parsons’s departure left a void at the edge and shifted more responsibility to a front that has alternated between flashes of potential and persistent vulnerability. The result is a defense that will need to demonstrate growth quickly if Dallas is to compete with a Packers squad that is also chasing momentum after a Week 3 setback.

Dallas now turns their attention to a high-profile Week 4 matchup that features their old teammate against them on Sunday Night Football: a home date with the Packers. Green Bay also enters the week looking to rebound from a 13-10 affair that left the team frustrated after a hard-fought loss to the Browns. The game offers a potentially defining early-season benchmark for both teams as they try to regain traction after imperfect starts.

Chicago’s own trajectory remains instructive in the wake of the loss. Under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears turned a 0-2 start into a confidence-building victory that suggested the franchise is in a transitional phase—one that could either accelerate with more balanced execution or regress if consistency wavers. The win environment in Chicago reflected a team that could lean on a strong running game and a patient, deliberate approach to offense, a contrast to the urgency and variance seen in Dallas through the first three weeks.

As the Cowboys navigate the remainder of September, the pressure to defend their reputation will be intense. The next few days will focus on how much change, if any, is warranted on defense, how the Cowboys handle the absence of Parsons, and whether the coaching staff can extract a sharper, more cohesive effort against a Packers squad that is equally eager to prove its mettle.

Ultimately, the narrative surrounding Dallas in the immediate aftermath centers on accountability, preparation, and execution under pressure. The Bears provided a blunt template for the kinds of adjustments the Cowboys must make if they hope to salvage a season that has started far from the expectations that accompanied the franchise’s recent runs of elite play, and a national audience will be watching closely as the schedule moves toward October.