The Chicago Bears outlasted the Cincinnati Bengals in a 47-42 win, where Chicago mounted a last-minute comeback to improve to 5-3 on the season.
The Bears leaned on two offensive rookies in this game as tight end Colston Loveland and running back Kyle Monangai had career days while also directly contributing to the win. Unfortunately, the defense couldn’t contend with Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, who threw for 470 yards and four touchdowns.
But unlike the previous regime, where blowing a fourth-quarter lead became common practice, Ben Johnson’s team was able to overcome a defensive meltdown (where the Bengals scored 15 points in 49 seconds) and the offense stepped up to deliver a game-winning touchdown drive to secure the win.
It was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless. Here’s a look at our studs and duds from Chicago’s thrilling last-minute win over Cincinnati:
Stud: TE Colston Loveland
This is the Colston Loveland that the Bears drafted with the 10th overall pick. Sure, it took eight games to finally get him going, but Loveland proved to be a threat both in the red zone and across the field. Loveland had a career day with a team-best 118 yards on six receptions, as well as his first two NFL touchdowns. But his second was certainly the sweetest as he turned a big completion, that would’ve set up a field goal, into a 58-yard touchdown to give his team the win. Loveland was the hero of this game, and the best is yet to come.
Stud: RB Kyle Monangai
In a day that was reserved for the rookies, running back Kyle Monangai exceeded expectations as he rose to the occasion with starter D’Andre Swift sidelined with a groin injury. Monangai led a rushing attack that totaled 283 yards. He led the team with 26 carries for 176 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, and adding three catches for 22 yards. Monangai is difficult to bring down, and he used that to his advantage against a porous Bengals run defense.
Stud: DE Montez Sweat
Don’t look now, but Montez Sweat is hitting his stride. The Bears pass rush has struggled this season, but Sweat continues to improve and had another strong outing against the Bengals. Sweat totaled two tackles, including one tackle for loss, one sack and two pass breakups. He also should’ve had a strip sack on Joe Flacco, which Andrew Billings recovered, but it was overturned and ruled an incomplete pass, one of several questionable calls by the officials. Sweat now has three sacks in his last three games.
Stud: QB Caleb Williams
Caleb Williams didn’t have the prettiest start to this game, but he came alive in the second half and found ways to lead the offense in a shootout. Williams completed 20-of-34 passes for 280 yards with three touchdowns and a 114.8 passer rating. He used his legs to extend plays with five rushes for 53 yards. Williams also proved to be quite effective as a receiver on a couple of trick plays with two receptions for 22 yards and one touchdown from DJ Moore. Williams’ biggest play came with less than a minute to go, where he led Chicago on a game-winning touchdown drive, including a 58-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Colston Loveland.
Stud: WR DJ Moore
DJ Moore proved to be reliable as a wide receiver, running back and, at one point, quarterback. Moore totaled four catches for 72 yards, including a 23-yard completion. He also had an impressive 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Chicago a two-touchdown win. But Moore shined during one of Ben Johnson’s trick plays, where Rome Odunze took a pitch from Williams, who then pitched it to Moore, who threw it to Williams for the 2-yard touchdown.
Stud: DE Austin Booker
Welcome back, Austin Booker. In his season debut, Chicago’s pass rush got a boost from the second-year pro, who stepped up especially when Dayo Odeyingbo went down with an ankle injury. Booker totaled two tackles, including one for a loss, the first sack of his season. Booker came up with a huge play right when the Bears needed it early in the fourth quarter, bull rushing Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and recording a strip-sack on Joe Flacco, which was recovered by defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Chicago’s offense went on to score a field goal to take a touchdown lead.
Stud: HC Ben Johnson
We’re seeing the Ben Johnson effect in real time this season. When the defense had a collapse in the fourth quarter, allowing 15 points in 49 seconds, it felt like a slew of games we’d seen during the Matt Eberflus era. But, unlike Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears were able to finish the job against a bad Bengals team. Johnson’s biggest contributions came as an offensive playcaller, where we finally caught a glimpse of his bag of trick plays, which produced mixed results. But it finally felt like we were catching a glimpse of what this Ben Johnson offense can do.
Dud: Bears passing defense
The Bears won, but it was in spite of their passing defense. Not only did Chicago give up 42 points — which wasn’t even their most this season — but they gave up 470 yards and four touchdowns to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson, who returned from a shoulder injury, and Nahshon Wright and safety Jaquan Brisker had especially rough outings against the Bengals trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas, who scored a combined three touchdowns. It’s hard not to be concerned, especially with some top receiving weapons still on the schedule.
Dud: K Cairo Santos
Don’t get me wrong, I’m forever grateful to Cairo Santos for bringing consistency to a Bears kicking game that struggled after Robbie Gould’s departure. But the Santos experiment appears to have run its course, and there are big questions about his future in Chicago. Santos connected on two field goals and all five extra points, but he had an egregious miss on a 47-yarder before halftime that showcased his biggest weakness: leg strength. It might be time to turn to Jake Moody.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Studs and duds from Bears’ shootout win vs. Bengals
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
