Cowboys rebound to defeat Bears

CHICAGO - The Dallas Cowboys look like a team that's ready for another first-place showdown.

DeMarco Murray ran for a season-high 179 yards and a touchdown; Tony Romo threw for three scores; and the Cowboys beat the Chicago Bears, 41-28, on Thursday night.

The Cowboys (9-4) made it look easy for most of the night against a struggling team that lost star receiver Brandon Marshall to a rib injury. Dallas clinched its first winning season since 2009, but is looking for more, with an NFC East title and first playoff appearance in five years in sight.

Led by Romo and Murray, Dallas rebounded from a blowout loss to the Eagles on Thanksgiving and pulled within a half-game of them with another meeting in Philadelphia on Dec. 14.

The Cowboys took a 14-7 halftime lead and scored 21 unanswered in the third quarter before the Bears (5-8) rallied in the fourth.

With that, the Cowboys improved to a league-best 6-0 on the road, where they have won seven straight since a blowout loss at Soldier Field on a bone-chilling night last December.

Romo, who has been bothered by a bad back, kept checking down and completed 21 of 26 passes for 205 after struggling against the Eagles.

Murray, the league's leading rusher, carried 32 times. He also had 49 yards receiving. Dez Bryant had six receptions for 82 yards, and Cole Beasley caught two TD passes.

For the Bears, Marshall's injury was another low in a disappointing season that will likely end with their missing the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years.

He was hurt taking a knee to the right side from the Cowboys' Barry Church following a reception in the second quarter. That happened moments after he made a spectacular 42-yard catch, juggling the ball with his right hand, to help set up a touchdown.

He stayed down for several minutes and gingerly walked off the field before heading to the locker room. TV cameras showed him leaving Soldier Field in an ambulance, and Marshall later posted on Twitter: "Thanks for the Prayers. ... I'm Good."

Cowboys 41, Bears 28

Dallas 0 14 21 6 – 41

Chicago 0 7 0 21 – 28

Second quarter

Dal–Murray 1 run (Bailey kick), 10:50.

Chi–Bennett 12 pass from Cutler (Feely kick), 6:13.

Dal–Beasley 13 pass from Romo (Bailey kick), :08.

Third quarter

Dal–Beasley 24 pass from Romo (Bailey kick), 12:32.

Dal–Escobar 6 pass from Romo (Bailey kick), 8:02.

Dal–Randle 17 run (Bailey kick), 2:09.

Fourth quarter

Chi–Jeffery 27 pass from Cutler (kick blocked), 14:52.

Dal–FG Bailey 35, 12:35.

Chi–Forte 1 run (Forte run), 7:17.

Chi–Cutler 10 run (Feely kick), 6:09.

Dal–FG Bailey 27, 3:41.

A: 61,558.

Dal   Chi

First downs 21   23

Total Net Yards 397   376

Rushes-yards 35-194   15-35

Passing 203   341

Punt Returns 1-1   1-4

Kickoff Returns 2-23   6-145

Interceptions Ret. 1-0   0-0

Comp-Att-Int 21-26-0   32-46-1

Sacked-Yards Lost 1-2   0-0

Punts 2-37.5   4-33.5

Fumbles-Lost 0-0   1-1

Penalties-Yards 8-97   9-54

Time of Possession 32:28   27:32

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Dallas, Murray 32-179, Randle 1-17, Romo 2-(minus 2). Chicago, Forte 13-26, Cutler 2-9.

Passing: Dallas, Romo 21-26-0-205. Chicago, Cutler 32-46-1-341.

Receiving: Dallas, Murray 9-49, Bryant 6-82, Beasley 3-42, Witten 2-26, Escobar 1-6. Chicago, Bennett 12-84, Forte 8-74, Jeffery 6-95, Marshall 3-61, Wilson 2-19, Morgan 1-8.

Missed Field Goals: None.