CINCINNATI (670 The Score) — What a game.
The Bears earned a thrilling 47-42 win over the Bengals on Sunday at Paycor Stadium in a wild contest that had unlikely heroes, trick plays, eight lead changes and one last game-changing play. Here are the observations from Chicago's victory in the Queen City.
What did we just watch?
The theme of this weekly observations column is to draw specific takeaways from a game and to explore underlying themes, but that just wouldn’t seem right for this one.
There was just so much in this game – 89 points, 1,071 yards of offense, countless pivotal moments – that it feels impossible to pinpoint anything in particular. So don’t get caught up in semantics or search for deeper meaning. This was a roller-coaster ride of a game and a memorable win for the Bears.
Just enjoy it. The Bears are finding ways to win despite playing an inconsistent brand of football. Chicago is 5-3 and firmly in the NFC playoff picture at the midway point of the regular season.
What matters the most from this victory is that the Bears have a head coach in Ben Johnson who's reshaping their culture. The Bears punched back against the Bengals and landed the last blow on quarterback Caleb Williams' game-winning 58-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland with 17 seconds left. In years past, there would be no late, stunning rally for the Bears.
Chicago is accustomed to heartbreaking losses and being on the wrong end of routs, so as Johnson noted, there's no need for the Bears to apologize for this type of win.
The Bears are still a long way from playing their best football. The Bengals amassed 495 yards of total offense, with 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco throwing for a career-high 470 yards. Somehow, the Bears' special teams were significantly worse than their defense, and Chicago's penalty issues persisted.
If the Bears want to beat good teams in the second half of the regular season and reach the playoffs, they won’t win many games playing like they did Sunday. But this is a well-coached team that's developing on the fly and winning games while doing so.
Monangai breaks out
Bears rookie Kyle Monangai isn’t the first running back selected in the seventh round out of Rutgers to run with anger and purpose.
Three years ago, the Chiefs selected running back Isiah Pacheco from the Scarlet Knights’ program and have since leaned on his relentless rushing style. With that in mind, the comparison for Monangai was natural.
Like Pacheco, Monangai is a determined running back who carries the football with anger. With Bears lead running back D'Andre Swift sidelined by a groin injury Sunday, Monangai made the most of his chance in rushing 26 times for 176 yards.
Monangai averaged 6.8 yards before contact on the day – hitting the hole with purpose – and then kept driving his legs.
“The work I put in, I expect the results that I get,” Monangai said. “But that doesn't mean that I'm satisfied or anything like that. I got to keep going. It's more just letting myself know I'm on the right track, but now I got to keep going, put my foot on the gas and continue to keep this train going."
Swift's health status remains unclear for the Bears' game against the Giants next Sunday. If he's out, the Bears can feel good about Monangai in their backfield. And if Swift returns, Chicago now seems to have a tandem in place.
Monangai might be quite a find in the last round of the NFL Draft.
Hail Mary denied
In October 2024, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels lined his team up against the Bears from his own 48-yard line and then delivered a game-winning 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass on the final play. That’s the same spot on the field where Flacco and the Bengals were with four seconds remaining Sunday.
The difference this time around was how the Bears elected to defend the play. Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, the play-caller on defense, rushed three defenders on Daniels. That gave him the time to extend the play and get his heave into the end zone.
This Bears coaching staff rushed six on Flacco, who didn’t have the needed window to uncork a throw to the end zone. Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright intercepted a pass that descended just past the 20-yard line.
With six rushers against six blockers, such a play has to be blocked seamlessly for the quarterback to get off a good heave. Bears defensive end Montez Sweat beat his man off the edge and didn't let that happen. The rush complemented the secondary, which had five defenders tracking four receivers.
Rushing three decreases the chance of getting pressure on the quarterback. It leaves eight defenders against five potential receivers — but also creates the opportunity for disaster, as the Bears discovered against the Commanders in 2024.
Credit to Johnson’s staff for doing it the right way.
Extra points
--- A brutal day for the Bears’ special teams started on the opening kickoff with poor coverage against Bengals returner Charlie Jones, who took it 98 yards the other way for a touchdown.
--- Before becoming an NFL tight end, Cole Kmet was a left-hander at Notre Dame who had 66 strikeouts in 65 innings. He delivered a strike early to receiver Rome Odunze on a trick play, but Odunze dropped it.
--- Odunze has a bad case of the drops. It’s a problem.
--- New nickelback C.J. Gardner-Johnson brought juice to the defense in his first game with Chicago.
--- Among the aspects that were lost in the crazy game: Bears punter Tory Taylor had a 71-yard boot in the second quarter.
--- The Bears need to re-evaluate their kicker position and whether Cairo Santos should lose his job to Jake Moody, who's on the practice squad after performing well when Santos was sidelined by injury.
--- Bears reserve running back Brittain Brown had never recorded a regular-season carry prior to Sunday. His third ever rush in the NFL went 22 yards for a touchdown. It came while Monangai was having his ankle taped on the sideline. Elevated from the practice squad Saturday, Brown made the most of his moment.
--- Williams had two receptions while receiver DJ Moore had a passing and rushing touchdown on a wild day.
--- Johnson was in his bag of tricks all afternoon.
--- The knock on Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was once that of a good player who didn't make enough great, game-changing plays. He now has four interceptions in eight games and is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.