Cowboys fall to Bears for 3rd consecutive loss, 6-7 record on season

CHICAGO -- Jerry Jones might not be in a position to keep Jason Garrett as Dallas Cowboys head coach anymore.

Thursday's 31-24 loss to the Chicago Bears was the latest disappointment in a Cowboys season that has gone wrong but still has the potential to lead to a playoff appearance.

Based on Jones' postgame comments, change won't come before the Cowboys host the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 15.

"Everybody that is in here [the locker room] that's healthy and everybody that's healthy that's coaching will be coaching," Jones said. "Everybody there is in here that will be playing, and we just gotta play better. That's it."

Jones has made only one in-season coaching change in his tenure as owner and general manager, and at times, Thursday's game was reminiscent of Wade Phillips' final game on Nov. 7, 2010, a 45-7 defeat to the Green Bay Packers.

The day after that loss, Garrett was installed as interim head coach. He has had the job ever since.

Thursday's loss was the Cowboys' third straight and was as disheartening as any they have had because of what was on the line.

"Chicago took it to us. We won't be going anywhere until we win a football game," Jones said. "They played us well enough tonight to deserve to win the football game. We did all the things you can do that cause you to lose football games in the game."

After the Thanksgiving loss to the Buffalo Bills, Jones said he would not make a coaching change and professed faith that Garrett is the right coach to change the team's fortunes. Jones was envisioning the Cowboys running the table, winning the NFC East and becoming a threat to compete for a Super Bowl.

Given the performance Thursday, even Jones' confidence has to be shaken, with his team 6-7 and three games to play.

For the second straight game, the Cowboys' offense opened with a first-possession touchdown. For the second straight game, things went downhill after that.

Like in their loss to the Bills, in which the defense allowed 26 straight points, the Cowboys were scorched, giving up 24 unanswered points to the Bears.

The Cowboys' defense had a first-possession interception, its first takeaway in 263 snaps, but then gave up touchdowns on three of the next four possessions to close out the first half. The defense contributed mightily to the Bears' success as well, with three third-down penalties that kept Chicago's touchdown drives alive.

The offense wasn't much better. After opening with a season-long, 17-play drive that covered 75 yards and ended on an Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run, the offense went six straight possessions without a score and gained just 57 yards.

Jones has remained more patient with Garrett than he has with any other coach. Chan Gailey was fired after making the playoffs in 1998 and 1999. Dave Campo was finally let go after three straight 5-11 finishes in 2002. Phillips made the playoffs in 2007 and 2009 but was doomed by a 1-7 start to the 2010 season.

Garrett is the second-winningest coach in Cowboys history (behind Tom Landry) with an 83-66 record, but he has not gotten past the divisional round of the playoffs in three postseason appearances. He entered this season with a must-win mandate given that he does not have a contract past this season.

Garrett said he didn't know if his job security is becoming a distraction for the players.

"I can't speak to that. The most important thing we have to do is learn from this game and get back to work." Garrett said. "We'll be off this weekend because of the Thursday game, and we'll get back to work on Monday with our players. Our eyes will be forward. Learn from the experience and move on."

A potential issue for Jones is whom to make the interim coach, even if he wants to make a switch. In 2010, Garrett was the clear choice. In 2019, passing game coordinator Kris Richard, who calls the defense, and coordinator Rod Marinelli have presided over a group that has disappointed.

Despite entering Thursday with the top-ranked offense in terms of yards per game, with first-year coordinator Kellen Moore, the offense has bogged down in recent weeks.

If there is any optimistic bent to the Cowboys' playoff chances, which might save Garrett's job, it's this: According to ESPN's FPI, the loss dropped the Cowboys' chances of making it to the postseason to 70%. Had they won, their chances would have improved to 77%.

But it's hard to muster much confidence that the Cowboys can right all their wrongs before they play the Rams, even if Jones makes a change at head coach.