The Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals performed one of the thrilling video games of the NFL season Sunday, a rollercoaster journey that ended with a 47-42 win for the Bears.
Joe Flacco threw for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns within the loss, whereas Caleb Williams threw for 280 yards and three scores. The groups mixed for 31 factors in an exhilarating fourth quarter — together with 28 within the ultimate 5 minutes.
The chaos started with lower than six minutes to go. The Bears have been main 34-27 when the Bengals lined up for a 54-yard discipline purpose, just for Evan McPherson to overlook the kick brief.
Two performs later, Chicago extensive receiver D.J. Moore was dominated out on the 1-yard line on a working play, however Cincinnati challenged to see if Moore fumbled out of the endzone for a touchback. The Bengals technically received the problem, however it backfired: The play was overturned to a landing, giving the Bears a 41-27 lead.
On Cincinnati’s subsequent drive, Flacco introduced the offense all the way in which to the way in which to the 5-yard line earlier than he was picked off by a diving Tremaine Edmunds, who ran the ball all the way in which again for a pick-six. Upon overview nevertheless, Edmunds was dominated down by contact, taking the landing off the board.
Following the interception, the Bears had a two-score lead with two minutes and 42 seconds to go — a 99.6% win chance, per ESPN.
However Chicago went three-and-out in solely 27 seconds, giving the Bengals the ball again shortly. Flacco wanted solely 4 performs to go 55 yards and discover Noah Fant for a 23-yard landing. After the Fant rating, Cincinnati additionally transformed a two-point conversion to chop the result in 41-35.
After the 2-pointer, the Bengals miraculously recovered an onside kick. The ball didn’t journey 10 yards, however it touched the foot of a Bears participant, permitting Cincinnati to pounce on the kick.
This time, Flacco drove down the sector in six performs, discovering Andrei Iosavas for the go-ahead landing with solely 54 seconds to go.
Chicago’s subsequent drive began poorly. Williams threw back-to-back incompletions earlier than lastly scrambling for a primary on Third-and-10, inflicting the Bears to make use of their ultimate timeout.
That arrange a 1st-and-10 for Chicago by itself 42 with 25 seconds to go. On that play, Williams fired a strike to tight finish Colston Loveland over the center of the sector. Loveland by some means escaped the grasp of two Bengals, after which outran the remainder of the protection for a 58-yard landing.
Cincinnati had one final possession, however its magic lastly ran out when Flacco was intercepted on a Hail Mary try on the sport’s ultimate play.
It was a real up-and-down fourth quarter for the Bears. Their win chance peaked at 99.7% and valleyed at 14.1% — an 85.6% swing. Finally, Chicago held on to enhance to 5-3, whereas the Bengals fell to 3-6.
