Dec 4, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball during the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Dallas won 41-28. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — Tony Romo threw three touchdown passes and the Dallas Cowboys, after a sputtering start, scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions while converting six straight third down plays to defeat the Chicago Bears 41-28 on Thursday night.
With Romo completing 21 of 26 passes for 205 yards and NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray gaining 179 yards on 32 carries, Dallas, the NFL’s only undefeated road team, improved its record to 9-4 — including 6-0 on the road. Chicago fell to 5-8 and saw its already-slim playoff hopes virtually extinguished.
In a scoreless first quarter, the Cowboys’ first two drives ended on a third down sack and a third down overthrow by Romo when tight end Jason Witten was wide open down the middle.
But that was the extent of Dallas’ misplays while the game still was competitive.
Aided by a partially blocked punt and a fumble recovery, the Cowboys drove 51, 72, 31, 56 and 68 yards for touchdowns on consecutive possessions in the second and third quarters to turn the game into a 35-7 rout.
Leading 14-7 at the half, Dallas began to put the game out of reach with its next score, set up when defensive end Anthony Spencer knocked the ball out of running back Matt Forte’s grasp after a Chicago screen pass near midfield. Cornerback Sterling Moore picked up the loose ball and returned it 16 yards to the Chicago 31-yard line.
On third down from the 24, Romo scrambled away from pressure toward the right sideline and threw a perfect pass to Cole Beasley, who got behind safety Chris Conte, for his second touchdown of the game and a 21-7 lead.
Chicago’s ensuing possession was a 3-and-out and, even after a Dwayne Harris punt return for an apparent touchdown was nullified by penalty, the Cowboys struck quickly. Romo threw to Dez Bryant for 43 yards on the first play and then, on third down, Romo threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to backup tight end Gavin Escobar.
Before the third quarter ended, Dallas scored again on a 17-yard run by Joseph Randle to make the score 35-7 — and the game was never in doubt even though Chicago scored three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter. The comeback attempts too little and too late, ending with an end zone interception by Orlando Scandrick with 1:29 remaining.
Dallas, which converted only one of its first five third-down plays in the game, converted four in a row — all on passes by Romo — on a six-minute drive to 14-7 lead at the end of the first half.
Romo threw to wide receiver Dez Bryant for seven yards in third-and-5, hit Murray for five yards on third-and-3, Witten for 19 yards on third-and-15 and Witten again for seven yards on third-and-2 before finally throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Beasley with eight seconds remaining before halftime.
The drive, which covered 72 yards, took 5:58.
Near the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys began a 51-yard touchdown drive after Bruce Carter partially blocked a Chicago punt. Dallas converted two short fourth-down plays on the drive, the last a touchdown run by Murray from inside the 1-yard line.
The Bears came right back with a touchdown drive of their own, keyed when Brandon Marshall made an acrobatic catch of a Jay Cutler pass for a 42-yard gain. Marshall reached out with his right hand to deflect the ball and then cradled it with both hands.
Chicago converted a fourth down of its own when Cutler hit Marshall for 15 yards on fourth-and-7 from the Dallas 30, but it was costly. Marshall, who leads the Bears with eight receiving touchdowns, was kneed in the back while being tackled and knocked out of the game with a rib injury. Two plays later, Cutler threw 12 yards to Martellus Bennett for the tying touchdown.
NOTES: PK Robbie Gould’s attempt to pass Kevin Butler as the Bears’ all-time leading scorer took a hit this week due to a quadriceps injury. Gould, unable to practice this week, was inactive against the Cowboys and replaced by Jay Feely, his sixth team in what is now a 14-season career. Gould, who has scored 1,080 points, trails Butler by 36. They share the team record for field goals made (243). … Dallas DT Josh Brent played in a game for the first time in two years. Brent was convicted on an intoxication manslaughter charge following a 2012 car crash that killed teammate Jerry Brown. … While the Bears had to play without Jeremiah Ratliff, a former Dallas Pro Bowl defensive tackle who missed a second straight game (knee), Dallas had former Bears DT Henry Melton in the lineup. Melton leads the Cowboys in sacks (5) and both players have been among league leaders in sacks by interior linemen.
