Bears' defense holds players-only meeting after brutal performance against Lions, bounces back vs. Cowboys

Disgusted by the ugly start to the season, Bears safety Jaquan Brisker said he and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett called a players-only meeting for the defense Wednesday. It helped rally them to a 31-14 win over the Cowboys on Sunday.

The majority of that conversation was about refocusing the group on playing to its standards after blowing a 17-6 lead in the fourth quarter against the Vikings and getting battered 52-21 by the Lions.

“We’re talking about being the best defense in Bears’ history and in the league top-five — you can’t give up 50 points,” Brisker said. “We had to get everything off our chest and be on the same page.”

That same day, Ben Johnson scolded the Bears because the Lions “played a little bit harder than us” and said, “Our practice habits are yet to reflect a championship-caliber team.”

The Bears held the Cowboys to 3-for-11 on third downs, 1-for-4 converting touchdowns in the red zone and got four takeaways: Stevenson’s strip, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds’ two interceptions and safety Kevin Byard’s interception.

Prescott completed 31 of 40 passes for 251 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception for an 80.3 passer rating. Montez Sweat and Dominique Robinson each sacked him.