1991 · Wild Card Round · Game 3

All seasons › 1991 › Wild Card Round › Game 3

Wild Card Round

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears

Sun December 29, 1991 · Soldier Field, kickoff 12:30pm

Pregame

Pregame: Wild Card Round
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild Card Round: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears (Soldier Field), the bracket opens here. Kickoff: Sun December 29, 1991 at 12:30pm. Winner advances to the divisional round. Loser starts the offseason early.[1][2]

Columnist
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild card weekend is the most chaotic football the calendar produces. Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears at Soldier Field is the kind of game that decides whether a season was a long buildup or a quick exit. These are the games where the second-tier playoff teams have to prove they belong. Most don't. The few who do define the rest of January.

Around the league
AI summary based on verified facts

The bracket has narrowed to the teams that survived the regular season. Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears are two of them; the rest of the league is in scouting mode for the offseason. What happens in Soldier Field shifts the rest of the tree: a road favorite winning rearranges seeding expectations; a home upset shows the bracket math underweights heart.

Trend analyst
AI summary based on verified facts

Dallas Cowboys versus Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Round. The teams who reach this round have already proven they survive a long schedule; the stats that matter most now are the ones that compress: scoring differential, red-zone efficiency, turnover margin. At this stage of the year, the simple math is that defenses tighten and the team that protects the ball wins more often than the team that scores the most. Whichever side of Dallas Cowboys-Chicago Bears cleans up the careless plays first usually walks out with the result. Conservative-game expectations should not surprise the reader; both staffs know exactly what worked all season and will lean hard on what travels. The early answer is the kicking game, where any swing of field position compounds.

League standings entering Week 18

Standings as of kickoff, Week 18 (no future-game spoilers)

Around the league

  • Best record league-wide: Washington Redskins (14-2).

AFC

AFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Houston Oilers11-5L1
Pittsburgh Steelers7-9W2
Cleveland Browns6-10L3
Cincinnati Bengals3-13W1

AFC East

TeamRecStrk
Buffalo Bills13-3L1
Miami Dolphins8-8L2
New York Jets8-8W1
New England Patriots6-10L1
Indianapolis Colts1-15L6

AFC West

TeamRecStrk
Denver Broncos12-4W4
Kansas City Chiefs10-6W1
Los Angeles Raiders9-7L3
Seattle Seahawks7-9W1
San Diego Chargers4-12L1

NFC

NFC West

TeamRecStrk
New Orleans Saints11-5W2
Atlanta Falcons10-6L1
San Francisco 49ers10-6W6
Los Angeles Rams3-13L10

NFC Central

TeamRecStrk
Detroit Lions12-4W6
Chicago Bears11-5L1
Minnesota Vikings8-8L1
Green Bay Packers4-12W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers3-13W1

NFC East

TeamRecStrk
Washington Redskins14-2L1
Dallas Cowboys11-5W5
Philadelphia Eagles10-6W1
New York Giants8-8W1
Phoenix Cardinals4-12L8

Game video

▶ Open in YouTube Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears, 1991 Wild Card Playoffs Full Game · channel: Ryan Bush

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More of this game (9):
Cowboys vs Bears 1991 NFC Wild CardCowboys vs Bears 1991 NFC Wild Card1991 Wildcard Game Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears1991 Wildcard Game Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears1991 Wild Card - Cowboys vs Bears1991 Wild Card - Cowboys vs Bears1991 NFL NFC Wildcard Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears Dec 29 1991 Full Game CBS Madden Summerall1991 NFL NFC Wildcard Dallas Cowboys vs Chicago Bears Dec 29 1991 Full Game CBS Madden SummerallDallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears Wild Card December 29, 1991 CBS OpenDallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears Wild Card December 29, 1991 CBS Open1991 NFC Wild Card Dallas v Chicago1991 NFC Wild Card Dallas v ChicagoNFL Today (1991) Promo - CBS - Wild Card - Cowboys BearsNFL Today (1991) Promo - CBS - Wild Card - Cowboys BearsBears vs Cowboys 1991 Playoffs NFL Primetime HighlightsBears vs Cowboys 1991 Playoffs NFL Primetime Highlights1991 Wild Card - Bill Bates finishes off the Bears.....Twice! - 12/29/19911991 Wild Card - Bill Bates finishes off the Bears.....Twice! - 12/29/1991

Game info

Roof
outdoors
Surface
grass
Weather
34°F, 94% humidity, wind 9 mph
Vegas line
Chicago Bears -3
Over/Under
37 (under)

Score

Reveal through:

Dallas Cowboys None, Chicago Bears None

1234T
Dallas Cowboys100701010171717
Chicago Bears03370361313

Scoring plays

Q1

TeamPlayScore
CowboysKen Willis 27 yard field goal3-0
CowboysEmmitt Smith 1 yard rush ( Ken Willis kick)10-0

Q2

TeamPlayScore
BearsKevin Butler 19 yard field goal10-3

Q3

TeamPlayScore
BearsKevin Butler 43 yard field goal10-6
CowboysJay Novacek 3 yard pass from Steve Beuerlein ( Ken Willis kick)17-6

Q4

TeamPlayScore
BearsTom Waddle 6 yard pass from Jim Harbaugh ( Kevin Butler kick)17-13

Recap

Recap
AI summary based on verified facts

Dallas Cowboys defeated Chicago Bears 17-13 at Soldier Field in the Wild Card Round. The final scoring play was Bears: Tom Waddle 6 yard pass from Jim Harbaugh ( Kevin Butler kick). Top line of the day: Jim Harbaugh: 218 pass yards on 22-of-44, 1 TD, 2 INT. Dallas Cowboys advance to the divisional round.[1][2]

Columnist recap
AI summary based on verified facts

Dallas Cowboys walked out of Soldier Field as the team that survived a Wild Card Round Chicago Bears will replay in its head for the entire offseason. The scoreboard says 17-13. A one-score game throughout. The decisive points came on the fewest possible margin, which is how these matchups usually resolve. The final scoring play came from Bears: Tom Waddle 6 yard pass from Jim Harbaugh ( Kevin Butler kick). Whether it was the game-decider or just the period at the end of the sentence depends on what the camera caught earlier. Dallas Cowboys advance to the divisional round.

By the numbers
AI summary based on verified facts

Dallas Cowboys 17, Chicago Bears 13. Round: Wild Card Round. Q1: 2 scoring plays. Q2: 1 scoring play. Q3: 2 scoring plays. Q4: 1 scoring play. Top performers:
- Jim Harbaugh: 218 pass yards on 22-of-44, 1 TD, 2 INT
- Emmitt Smith: 105 rush yards on 26 carries
- Tom Waddle: 9 catches for 104 yards

Film room
AI summary based on verified facts

Wild Card Round, played at Soldier Field. Final: Dallas Cowboys 17, Chicago Bears 13, with Dallas Cowboys taking the result by 4. **First quarter**

- Cowboys: Ken Willis 27 yard field goal
- Cowboys: Emmitt Smith 1 yard rush ( Ken Willis kick)

Second quarter

- Bears: Kevin Butler 19 yard field goal

Third quarter

- Bears: Kevin Butler 43 yard field goal
- Cowboys: Jay Novacek 3 yard pass from Steve Beuerlein ( Ken Willis kick)

Fourth quarter

- Bears: Tom Waddle 6 yard pass from Jim Harbaugh ( Kevin Butler kick)

Top performers

- Jim Harbaugh: 218 pass yards on 22-of-44, 1 TD, 2 INT
- Emmitt Smith: 105 rush yards on 26 carries
- Tom Waddle: 9 catches for 104 yards

Box score

CowboysBears
Team totals
First Downs1526
Total Yards288372
Turnovers03
Passing
Comp/Att9/1823/45
Pass yards180233
Pass TD11
Interceptions02
Sacks taken03
Sack yards lost011
Net pass yards180222
Rushing
Rushes3034
Rush yards108150
Rush TD10
Discipline
Fumbles21
Fumbles lost01
Penalties24
Penalty yards1616

Passing

PlayerC/AYdsTDIntRate
DAL
Steve Beuerlein9/1818010
CHI
Jim Harbaugh22/4421812
Maury Buford1/11500

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsTDLong
DAL
Emmitt Smith26105118
Steve Beuerlein4305
CHI
Darren Lewis965011
Neal Anderson1334015
Jim Harbaugh72609
Brad Muster52509

Receiving

PlayerRecYdsTDLong
DAL
Alvin Harper388045
Michael Irvin483025
Daryl Johnston1606
Jay Novacek1313
CHI
Tom Waddle9104119
Wendell Davis779017
Darren Lewis218011
Ron Rivera115015
James Thornton112012
Neal Anderson3508

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Canonical title: [Rewatch Party] 1991 Wild Card Round - Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears - Game Thread