The Dallas Cowboys were hoping to be able to give their defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, an ego boost.
Eberflus may currently be with the Cowboys, but he previously served as the head coach for the Chicago Bears from 2022 to 2024. He was fired back in November 2024, which made him become the first Bears head coach to be dismissed mid-season. Week 3 of the NFL season saw these Eberflus’ past and present merge, with the Cowboys and the Bears facing off.
Caleb Williams Reveals How the Chicago Bears Felt About Playing Against Matt Eberflus
But the ego boost that was hoped for didn’t come. The Cowboys fell to Chicago, 31-14.
The Ben Johnson-coached Bears scored 31 points as quarterback Caleb Williams played his best game of the year. Williams concluded Sunday night by throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns across 19 completions.
If you’re an NFL follower, odds are you thought the Bears felt more pressure going up against their old coach.
In fact, Williams said that in his mind, it’s not about who you play but instead about how effective you are on the field.
“I don’t think it really necessarily matters who when you’re able to have a game as effective as we were able to have on offense,” Williams said on playing against Eberflus. “It feels great to be honest, whether it was Matt or any other defensive coordinator that we’ve played or anybody else that we’re going to play.”
Caleb Williams on beating his former head coach Matt Eberflus ⬇️
(via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/xAcDDAsOIQ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 22, 2025
Williams and Eberflus’s successor, the previously mentioned Johnson, clearly got the last laugh as they earned their first win of 2025 while simultaneously handing the Cowboys their second loss. Williams simply shredded Eberflus’ zone-heavy scheme, tying his career high for passing touchdowns.
Defensive issues plagued Dallas, which could be seen through Chicago’s first offensive possession of the second half. The Bears drove down the field on a 19-play, 76-yard drive that ate up nearly 10 minutes in the third quarter, and they capped the drive with Williams’ fourth touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal.
“Those big plays, on either side, will eventually take the heart out of you when you get a bunch of them,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said postgame, according to CBS Sports.
“I will tell you I thought a lot of our team really hung in there getting hit on the end of the nose with some pretty big haymakers there. Those are what we call dominant plays over 20 yards. Those will take it out of you.”
Chicago now improves to a 1-2 overall record and turns their attention to taking on the Las Vegas Raiders on September 28.
