DALLAS _ Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott showed that the future might be now for the Dallas Cowboys.
Prescott passed for 248 yards and one touchdown and Elliott ran for 140 yards on 30 carries to lead the Cowboys to a 31-17 victory over the winless Chicago Bears Sunday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Prescott threw his first NFL touchdown pass, a 17-yarder to Dez Bryant in the fourth quarter. Elliott also posted the first 100-yard rushing game of his young career.
The Cowboys (2-1) built a 24-3 halftime lead, but the Bears hung around for a while, staying within two scores, before Dallas closed out the game.
Dallas plays at San Francisco next week.
The Bears played without starting quarterback Jay Cutler, who has a sprained thumb. Brian Hoyer replaced Cutler in the lineup.
The Cowboys were missing offensive tackle Tyron Smith (back) and cornerback Orlando Scandrick. (hamstrings).
Dallas opened the game with a 75-yard touchdown drive. Prescott scored on a 1-yard touchdown. Prescott was three of three passing for 34 yards. Bryant and Cole Beasley were both injured during the drive, but returned to the lineup. Bryant injured his right knee and Beasley appeared to get the wind knocked out of him.
After forcing a punt, the Cowboys drove 44 yards to the Bears' 31 where Dan Bailey made a 49-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
Lance Dunbar scored on a 1-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to push the lead to 17-0 at the 11:11 mark. The big play on the drive as a 29-yard catch by Beasley at the 1. Dunbar scored on the next play.
The Bears got a spark on their third possession when Jordan Howard had a 37-yard run as part of a 59-yard drive that ended with Connor Barth's 34-yard field goal that made it 17-3 with 7:47 left in the first half.
The Cowboys followed with another methodical drive, 12 plays over 73 yards, with Alfred Morris running the final 3 yards for a 24-3 halftime lead.
After forcing a three-and-out to start the second half, the Cowboys quickly moved into position for another score.
However, Terrance Williams fumbled after a 50-yard catch and Adrian Amos scooped up the ball and returned it 21 yards to the Bears' 31.
Eleven players later, facing fourth and goal at the 2, Hoyer threw a touchdown to tight end Zach Miller to make it 24-10.
Two plays after punting, the Cowboys got a turnover when J.J. Wilcox crashed into Cameron Meridith, the ball popped free and Tyrone Crawford recovered at the Bears' 36.
However, Bailey missed a 47-yard field to keep the Bears in contention.
But the Cowboys closed the door on the Bears when Prescott threw a 17-yard touchdown to Bryant with 9:02 left in the game to make it 31-10. It was Prescott's first NFL touchdown pass. It was the 60th career receiving touchdown for Bryant.
Hoyer threw a second touchdown to Miller at the 6:28 mark that made it 31-17.
