Generating a consistent pass rush remains a top priority for the Bears defense heading into Sunday's home game against the Cowboys.

After recording three sacks in the season opener against the Vikings, the Bears did not register a sack last Sunday versus the Lions.

"The most important way and the quickest way to affect the offense is to be able to affect the quarterback and being able to do that through rush and coverage," said defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. "There's a lot of different ways that you can do that. Maybe there's some ways that we can create a little bit more time for the rush to get there."

In preparing to face the Cowboys, the defense is determined to rebound from last Sunday's performance against the Lions.

"If you're in this league long enough, you've been in one of those type of games," Allen said. "And so you make the corrections that you need to make and you come back in and you go to work and that's what you do. I mean, you get back up on the horse, let's go ride again, and so that's what our guys are doing."

Some defensive players may not be able to get back up on the horse: Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson (groin), Kyler Gordon (hamstring) and Jaylon Jones (hamstring) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) all missed practice Thursday for the second straight day.

"We all embrace the challenge," Allen said. "There's no question about it. When you have significant players that are missing time, it's challenging. And yet, that's why we do what we do and that's why we're at the highest level of this profession is to figure out solutions and figure out ways to get the job done.

"We just come in every night, we go to work, try to put a good plan together, try to utilize our guys the best we can and put them in good positions to make plays. Hopefully we'll go out and do that this weekend."

With Johnson not expected to play, cornerback Nahshon Wright likely will start opposite Tyrique Stevenson. Wright signed with the Bears this year after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Cowboys (2021-23) and Vikings (2024). In the season opener against Minnesota, he intercepted a J.J. McCarthy pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown.

"The guy comes to work every day," Allen said. "He's smart. He works extremely hard, and I think he's improved. We're going to continue to work with him and continue to try to get him to get better."