What a barn burner.
The Chicago Bears scored the most points in a game since Dec. 27, 2020, when they beat the Jaguars 41-17.
It was just enough. Bears win 47-42.
Here’s how we graded the Bears in their shootout win over Cincinnati.
Bears’ offense
It’s hard to argue Sunday was anything but a good day for the offense.
The Bears’ offense needed to score 40-plus points to win on Sunday. They did that and more.
The run game was working. The passing game had explosives and took the easy play more often than trying to force a big play. The Bears had five drives of 10 or more plays.
That was a good day. The other two phases need to hold their end of the bargain. The defense did, but barely.
The Bears’ offense racked up over 500 yards of offense. It was pretty evenly split between run and pass plays, too.
They had the go-ahead score to win the game.
Grade: A
Bears’ defense
For the second game in a row, the Bears defense went three quarters without a turnover.
The Bears’ defense remedied that in the fourth. A strip-sack on Joe Flacco was pivotal in making a four-point game a seven-point game.
Other than that, the Bengals got whatever they wanted. Flacco was playing lights out, only making one mistake. The Bengals had some insane plays, like Tee Higgins‘ 44-yard touchdown catch.
There were solid individual performances, like Montez Sweat’s big day and Tremaine Edmunds’ late-game interception.
But the defense had a rough day.
They allowed two touchdowns in the final 2:30 of game time. Flacco threw for 457 passing yards.
Grade: D
Bears’ special Teams
In the first half alone, the Bears’ special teams half:
- Allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown,
- Has a long Devin Duvernay kick return negated by penalty,
- Had a field goal blocked.
It got better in the second half, but tanked when the Bears’ allowed the Bengals to recover an onside kick.
Grade: F
Kyle Monangai
Have a day, kid.
The rookie from Rutgers was thrust into the starting role and he feasted. Without D’Andre Swift, Monangai was going to get the start. It was a wonder if he’d get all of the work, or just the majority of it.
It was closer to all the work. Brittain Brown was elevated from the practice squad, but he only got a few snaps. Travis Homer was used in pass protection.
Monangai had 175 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
The kid was a star in Cincinnati.
Grade: A
Caleb Williams
Against one of the league’s worst defenses, the Bears had to have production.
Williams did. He might not have been as accurate as he would have wanted to, but he still had over 200 passing yards, two touchdowns, a receiving touchdown and 39 rushing yards.
The big stat: zero.
Williams did not turn the ball over. He made better decisions. He slung the ball around with ease.
If anything, this game inched closer to showing Williams could be the guy. Marginally, but it was a move in the right direction.
Grade: B
Colston Loveland
The rookie won the game.
His first two touchdown game.
Fifty-eight yards to win the game. Six catches, 118 yards.
Grade: A
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