With a possible embarrassment staring them in the face, the Chicago Bears dug deep in the final minute and escaped the Cincinnati Bengals in a pulsating shootout, 47-41, at Paycor Stadium on Sunday.
Caleb Williams threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland with only 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter for the go-ahead score. Nahshon Wright then intercepted the pass of Joe Flacco in the Bengals' final drive to seal the comeback win.
The Bears, who improved to 5-3, almost blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. But despite the pressure after the Bengals scored back-to-back touchdowns to take the driver's seat, they remained poised.
Kevin Byard III couldn't help but feel existential after being part of a memorable game.
“It's like taking years off my life. It's super special. This is the greatest game, the greatest sport in the world, just the emotions up and down,” said Byard in a report from ESPN's Courtney Cronin and Ben Baby.
“For the fans that stayed, they definitely got their money's worth.”
The 32-year-old safety has been a part of numerous battles in his 10-year career. It's great to hear him still feeling appreciative of the opportunity to do what he loves to do, while getting paid for it. How many people can actually say that?
Byard had a stellar showing versus the Bengals, logging five solo tackles, including one for loss.
While some might say that it was an ugly win for Chicago, Byard stressed that the only important thing is the result.
“We'll never apologize for winning in this league. It's very hard to do,” added Byard.
The two-time All-Pro First Team member has been an instrumental part of the Bears since signing a two-year, $15 million contract last season. He started in all 17 games and tallied career-highs of 130 total tackles and two sacks.
In eight games this season, Byard already has 47 total tackles and four interceptions.
