The Cincinnati Bengals were handed a consecutive close loss when the Chicago Bears defeated them 47-42 at Paycor Stadium in Ohio. It came after a wild finish that featured three touchdowns in the final two minutes and a game-winning 58-yard strike from Caleb Williams to rookie Colston Loveland with 17 seconds left.
Additionally, the win also snapped two major droughts. The Bears had never won a game after allowing 42 or more points (0–40), and hadn’t won any game giving up 30 or more points in their last 50 tries, a streak that stretched back to 2013, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain.
Chicago rallied from a four-touchdown swing in the fourth quarter and improved to 5-3 with the victory. Caleb Williams finished 20 of 34 for 280 yards, three touchdowns and a 114.8 passer rating while also rushing for 53 yards.
Colston Loveland broke out with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in which he bounced off defenders and outran coverage to the end zone. Rookie running back Kyle Monangai shouldered the load in D’Andre Swift’s absence, rushing 26 times for 176 yards.
Chicago piled up 576 total yards and 30 first downs. Their defense created three fourth-quarter takeaways, including a strip-sack by Austin Booker on his season debut that led to a Cairo Santos field goal.
The game’s final play sealed the result when Nahshon Wright intercepted Joe Flacco’s desperation pass at the Chicago 20 with four seconds remaining. Joe Flacco produced a career night in yardage, throwing for a career-high 470 yards.
Cincinnati engineered a furious comeback, scoring and converting a two-point try with 1:43 left, recovering the onside kick, and then taking a 42-41 lead with :54 remaining before Chicago’s final drive. Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase gave the Bengals frequent big-play shots, with Higgins hauling in seven catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns and Chase adding 111 yards on six catches.
The Bengals’ offense totaled 1,071 combined yards with Chicago in a shootout that featured nine touchdowns and seven lead changes.
