CHICAGO, Ill. - The Dallas Cowboys held off the Chicago Bears 41-28 at Soldier Field Thursday night.
Not that it came easily.
Trailing 35-7, Chicago (5-8) would rally in the second half, adding three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Jay Cutler found Alshon Jeffery for a 27 yard touchdown 8 seconds into the final session to end an inspired two minute drive begun in the third.
Matt Forte would add a 1 yard touchdown and two-point conversion to bring the Bears within 38-21. He finished with 26 yards on 13 rushes and a lost fumble.
Cutler would rush himself for a third, from 9 yards, after the Bears recovered an onside kick, bringing the home side within 38-28.
After a Cowboys field goal that followed a failed second Bears onside kick, Jay Cutler darted a 14 yard pass to Alshon Jeffery to the Cowboys 45.
But Cutler's throw into the end zone for Josh Morgan with 1:30 left was intercepted by Orlando Scandrick to secure the decision for the Cowboys.
It would be an early deficit that condemned the Bears to defeat.
A deficit that came off a three-touchdown third quarter from the Cowboys.
Tony Romo finished 21-of-26 for 205 yards passing and three touchdowns for Dallas (9-4), who now enjoy a 6-0 record on the road this season, the only team in football yet to lose away from home on the year.
A stretch in which they have a nearly 10-point differential in victory.
"Any time you win, it solves a lot of problems," Romo said afterwards.
Dallas outgained Chicago 82-20 in a slow-moving first quarter against the Bears' 30th-ranked scoring defense, holding Matt Forte to -2 rushing yards.
Chicago gained 84 yards in the first half, 80 of which came on their single scoring drive.
DeMarco Murray rushed 32 times for 179 yards and a touchdown, adding 49 yards on 9 receptions.
He gained 100 yards on the ground for the 11th time in 13 appearances for the Cowboys in their 2014 campaign, and is 219 yards away from finishing the season with 2,000 yards rushing.
"Just being patient," Murray said afterwards of his success. "The offensive line did a great job blocking."
Dallas outrushed Chicago 194-35, courtesy of that front line.
"For him to be able to continue and go produce, it's really special," Tony Romo said of Murray. "This is a special season he's having."
Murray's 1 yard score gave Dallas the early 7-0 lead, touching the ball on the first 9 plays of the 12 play drive, including a 4th-and-1 conversion to the Bears 9.
He finished with the 4th-and-inches score, his 9th touchdown this season.
Cole Beasley caught two touchdowns for Dallas in a span of 3:36, his first a 13 yard catch-and-run over two defensive backs with 8 seconds left in the first half.
Jason Witten featured on that drive, converting a 3rd-and-15 for a 19 yard gain, and again for 7 on a 3rd-and-2.
Beasley scored again at 12:32 in the third, hauling in a wobbly 3rd-and-3 pass from Romo in traffic and diving for the pylon.
"He's been really fantastic," Romo said of Beasley. "He's a tough guy to cover."
Beasley would also recover a failed Bears onside kick in the fourth quarter after the second score of Chicago's comeback bid.
The undrafted receiver finished with 3 receptions, two touchdowns and 42 yards.
Dez Bryant added 82 yards on 6 catches, including a 43 yard reception to the Bears 13 that led to a touchdown.
A touchdown snagged by Gavin Escobar, ending that drive on a 6 yard score and a 28-7 Cowboys lead.
Joseph Randle featured on a 17 yard rush at 2:09 in the third, scampering through traffic and cutting into the secondary, cutting left again and powering for the end zone.
It was Murray again, however, who made that score possible. His 9 yard catch and 27 yard rush through the right guard brought the Cowboys to the Bears 23 before then.
Bears receiver Brandon Marshall left the field in the second quarter and later taken to the hospital in an ambulance with a rib injury.
He was inadvertently kneed in the back and side by safety Barry Church on his 4th-and-7 converting reception to the Cowboys 15.
Marshall tweeted from the hospital, "Thanks for the prayers. . . I'm good."
Jay Cutler would soon after find Martellus Bennett open in the end zone to put the Bears on the board for the first time.
Cutler finished 32-for-46 on 341 yards, two touchdowns and the late interception.
Alshon Jeffery caught 6 passes for 95 yards and Martellus Bennett another 84 yards on 12 receptions and a touchdown.
Dallas has ten days off before visiting the Philadelphia Eagles, to whom they lost 33-10 seven days ago in a much-anticipated Thanksgiving meeting.
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