Bears chairman George McCaskey celebrates after the team pulls off a comeback victory in Cincinnati
George McCaskey is a divisive figure among Chicago Bears fans. He’s been the team chairman since 2011. During that time, the organization has experienced one of its darkest periods, with only two winning seasons. Hires like Phil Emery, Marc Trestman, Ryan Pace, and Matt Eberflus fall squarely at his feet. You can’t excuse colossal misfires like that. At the same time, none of it was done maliciously. McCaskey means well. His love of the Bears has never been questioned. All he ever wanted to do was build a winner for the fans and for his late mother. It must’ve broken his heart knowing he never quite accomplished the mission before her passing.
Ironically, it seems as if the team has finally turned the page with the new head coach, Ben Johnson. Chicago has now won four of their last five games. Three of them came courtesy of 4th quarter comebacks. The latest and by far most dramatic came on Sunday in Cincinnati. After leading 41-27 with minutes remaining, the Bears watched it all fizzle away as Joe Flacco put up 15 unanswered points to go up 42-41. Then Colston Loveland shocked the world with a 58-yard catch and run for a touchdown to regain the lead 47-42 with 17 seconds left.
Cameras found McCaskey in the tunnel to the visitor locker room as Nahshon Wright snuffed out the Bengals’ last Hail Mary heave. His reaction says it all.
George McCaskey never lied about who he is.
He’s always said he is a fan first and foremost. While he understands his role as the team owner and must conduct himself accordingly, he never tried to mislead people into believing he was a football expert. His goal was always to find the actual experts and let them do their jobs. His great sin is simply being bad at that. Yet the law of averages always said George McCaskey would get it right eventually. It seems luck might finally be on his side. The Bears aren’t perfect. They are still flawed, but it feels like they’re pointed in the right direction for the first time in almost a decade.
Nobody can say where things go from here. The Bears are banged up in several areas and the schedule gets a lot tougher in the next couple of months. They’ll need to play much cleaner football to have a chance. Still, McCaskey can at least say his process led to something good happening with Johnson’s hire. That should be commended.
Nov 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) gestures toward the Cincinnati Bengals defense at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Holy f*ck. If you didn’t see the Bears-Bengals game in Week 9, stop reading, go watch the highlights, and come back. Chicago pulled off a 47-42 win in what can only be described as a football fever dream: eight lead changes, three touchdowns in the final two minutes, and a walk-off 58-yard dagger with 17 seconds left. This wasn’t just a win. It was a statement. And five Bears made damn sure everyone heard it loud and clear.
Let’s break down the five monsters of the Midway who turned Paycor Stadium into their personal playground.
Stat Line: 6 catches, 118 yards, 2 TDs, including a game-winning 58-yard YAC special.
Loveland didn’t just break out. He exploded. When Cole Kmet went down, the rookie said, “Cool, I got this.” And he did. That game-winner? He caught it at the Bengals’ 36, broke tackles from two DBs like they were junior varsity scrubs, and cruised to glory.
The 10th overall pick finally lived up to the hype, becoming the first Bears rookie tight end since 1999 to top 100 receiving yards. That’s a 26-year dry spell snapped like a twig.
Analytics Don’t Lie:
19.7 yards per reception.
118 yards = 54.8% more than his previous best.
The Bengals came into the game leading the league in missed tackles (94). They added 15 more. Loveland’s game-winner was the biggest gut punch of them all.
This wasn’t just good. It was legendary. Rookie tight ends aren’t supposed to do this. But Loveland said hold my beer.
All he did was drop the biggest RB performance of the Bears season in his first career start. No D’Andre Swift? No problem. Monangai looked like a damn bulldozer with vision.
This wasn’t a fluke:
100 yards by halftime.
6.8 YPC against a Bengals defense that KNEW the Bears were going to run.
198 total yards. On a rookie’s first real shot. Are you kidding me?
Dig Into the Dirt:
2.5 yards before contact = elite line play.
1.8 yards after contact = Monangai’s bruiser mentality.
Bengals’ D-line got graded a 42.5 in run defense. That’s not just bad, it’s hang-your-head embarrassing.
Monangai ran angry. Like he was personally offended to be a seventh-round pick. Keep feeding him Ben Johnson.
Williams became the first player in NFL history to throw multiple TDs, catch multiple passes, AND score a receiving TD in a single game. The man’s a video game glitch in real life.
The Ice in His Veins:
Down 42-41, 50 seconds left, no timeouts.
Scrambles for 14, then lasers a 58-yard TD to Loveland.
Final drive passer rating: 124.0. Clutch gene? Confirmed.
More Nerd Fuel:
Pressure-to-sack rate down from 28.2% to 13.7% year-over-year. That’s massive.
114.8 passer rating = second-best of the season.
Trick play receiving TD? Chef’s kiss. Caught a second pass later. Just for fun.
This was his “I’m HIM” game. And the league better take notice.
Stat Line: 9 tackles (5 solo), 1 INT (red zone killer)
Yeah, the defense gave up 42 points. But Edmunds was the only reason it wasn’t 56. His red zone INT on Joe Flacco was a game-saving moment — read his eyes, jumped the route, boom. Drive dead.
Quiet Killer Stats:
4 INTs this season already — matched his 2024 total.
9 tackles? Just another day for him. He’s hit that mark five of the last six games.
Almost had a 96-yard pick-six, but it got wiped out on a BS “down by contact” call.
He’s not flashy. But he’s consistent, reliable, and always around the ball. That’s leadership.
Activated a day before the game. Scores his first career TD on a 22-yard gallop. Adds 37 rushing yards. That’s how you show up when your number’s called.
Final Verdict
This wasn’t just a game. It was a damn movie. 576 total yards. 283 rushing. 293 passing. Seven scores in nine drives. And two rookies playing like Pro Bowlers.
Ben Johnson is cooking with napalm. The offense is unpredictable, electric, and straight-up dangerous. Williams is evolving into a franchise QB before our eyes. Monangai and Loveland look like Day 1 stars. Moore’s versatility is being fully unleashed. And even when the D gets torched, Edmunds finds a way to make a play.
If you’re a Bears fan? Light a cigar. This is what progress looks like.
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) stiff arms Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill (23) in the second quarter of the NFL football game between Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 2, 2025.
The Chicago Bears‘ 2025 draft class came to the rescue on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tight end Colston Loveland, their prized 1st round pick, was the hero of the day. His 118 yards and two touchdowns, capped by that unforgettable 58-yard score in the final seconds, will be replayed for years to come. However, this win wouldn’t have happened without Kyle Monangai. The 7th round pick was an afterthought to many when he arrived. That isn’t the case anymore after he steamrolled the Bengals for 175 yards on the ground.
It was one of the best rookie performances in Bears history, second-most only behind Anthony Thomas’ 188 yards in 2001. What many didn’t realize is it was also an extra twist of the knife for Bengals fans. Many forget that Chicago traded Khalil Herbert last year at the deadline to Cincinnati in exchange for a 7th round pick in 2025. That pick was spent on Monangai. Herbert had 114 yards in his entire tenure with the Bengals. Monangai eclipsed that in a single game.
Big ouch.
Last season, the Bengals sent a 2025 7th-round draft pick to the Bears in exchange for Khalil Herbert.
The Bears used that pick on Kyle Monangai, who had 176 rushing yards on 26 attempts against the Bengals today.
Kyle Monangai proves again that traits are overrated.
Sometimes, a person who looks like a good football player is a good football player. For two years at Rutgers, Kyle Monangai was an absolute workhorse, eclipsing 1200 yards. Doing that in the Big Ten is no small feat. Yet teams couldn’t look past his average physical ability, such as size and speed. They overlooked his power, contact balance, and vision. The Bears did not. They felt he had a great deal more to offer than people were willing to admit. This game was confirmation of that.
Monangai proved he will be a valuable piece in the Bears’ backfield for a long time to come. There is no glaring weakness in his game. He’s unselfish, plays hard, and does everything asked of him. The fact that Chicago got him indirectly from the Bengals and then used him to gash them is just icing on the cake.
Nov 2, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) looks to pass the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Here are my 15 takeaways from the Chicago Bears wild, season-shifting win over the Bengals. From Caleb Williams clutch performance to the emergence of young rookies that look ready to turn the corner, this game offered a little bit of everything—chaos, resilience, and plenty of moments that could define the rest of the year. Let’s break it all down.
1. Caleb Williams thrives under pressure. When trailing the Bengals, Williams delivered a clutch performance—301 total yards, three touchdowns, and a 124.0 passer rating. His game-winning drive, capped with a strike to Colston Loveland, wasn’t just a big-time play. It was a defining moment that showed his growth as a leader. His post-game comments on “finding ways to win for each other” are exactly the mindset Chicago needs from its quarterback.
2. Colston Loveland’s arrival. Six catches, 118 yards, two touchdowns. The second score? A game-winner that introduced him to the rest of the league. The Tyler Warren conversation is officially dead.
3. A Bears team that feels different. The players aren’t just producing—they’re bonding and winning for each other. This feels like another culture changing type win. That’s the Ben Johnson effect.
4. Kyle Monongai keeps rewriting expectations. A monstrous 26 carries for 176 yards, showing an elite blend of vision, balance, and power. His rise has been fun to watch.
Kyle Monongai vs. Cincinnati
26 carries for 176 rushing yards 6.8 yards per carry
5. Ben Johnson’s offense is no longer a theory. Top 10 across the board in yards, points, and rushing production. This side of the ball has become something Chicago hasn’t had in decades: consistently dangerous. Best part: they are just scratching the surface.
7. The win probability chart was pure chaos. The Bears went from cruising to collapsing to climbing all the way back. This was by far one of the craziest Bears games I’ve ever watched.
8. George McCaskey’s reaction said it all. His celebration was genuine and just cool to see. He’s a fan just like the rest of us.
9. The NFC North is wide open. Bears win, Packers and Lions lose. Suddenly, the NFC North isn’t so out of reach for the Bears. Chicago couldn’t have scripted this Sunday better.
10. Trade deadline clarity. This win doesn’t mask the defensive issues. Tuesday should be aggressive. Reinforcements are needed for a real playoff push.
11. Montez Sweat is heating up. Four straight weeks of high-level play, including another sack that set the tone. When he clicks, the whole front feeds off it.
12. Austin Booker made an impact immediately. Pressures, disruption, and effort that jumped off the screen. What he did to Orlando Brown Jr. was unreal. Bears should be very happy to have him back.
13. Brittain Brown earns his snaps. His third-and-1 leap was a Payton-esque effort. Add in a score, and he’s making every touch count. Bears are all of a sudden deep at running back.
Everyone will see that TD run by Brittain Brown but it was this 3rd and 1 leap over the Bengals d-line that won me over.
14. Special teams are on notice. Unless your name is Tory Taylor, you won’t be safe from criticism. Richard Hightower needs to be better. Cairo Santos should likely be benched.
15. That defense needs some work.
Jaquan Brisker said after the win, that the defense will be better. Let’s just hope he’s right because they were brutal on Sunday. Chase and Higgins are monsters but giving up 450+ yards to Joe Flacco is just laughably bad.
The Chicago Bears were one of those teams that felt on the fringe of the trade deadline buzz. Much of it was due to their limited draft capital and a 4-3 record that was not entirely secure. That is why the game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals carried such importance. A win would put them at 5-3 and in serious contention for the NFC playoffs. A loss would cripple those hopes. GM Ryan Poles might make his decision based on the outcome. So when the Bears pulled off their insane 47-42 triumph, it felt like the green light went on for him to pull the trigger on any deal he could find.
However, that wasn’t the only thing that may determine what the Bears GM does. Jay Glazer of Fox Sports said the team was being aggressive on the market, looking for help. He later clarified that their focus is on the defensive side of the ball, particularly pass rush. That was hammered home during the game when Dayo Odeyingbo, their big free agent addition, exited with an ankle injury and didn’t return. If he misses time, he will be the Bears’ third defensive end in such a situation, along with Shemar Turner (ACL) and Dominique Robinson (high ankle sprain).
Ryan Poles should have some viable options to pursue.
Several names have floated around the rumor mill ahead of the deadline on Tuesday. Most prominent among them are Jaelan Phillips (Dolphins), Bradley Chubb (Dolphins), Jermaine Johnson (Jets), Arden Key (Titans), Boye Mafe (Seahawks), Kayvon Thibodeaux (Giants), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals), and Arnold Ebiketie (Falcons). There are plenty of intriguing names. For Ryan Poles, it will likely come down to two factors: how much draft currency it costs and the size of their current contract.
Chicago doesn’t have much salary cap space. They could create more, but the likelier outcome is they’ll seek somebody with a reasonable contract number this year. That rules out Hendrickson and Chubb. Based on history, Poles usually targets younger players. Phillips, Johnson, Thibodeaux, and Mafe check that box. Thibodeaux is unlikely because New York will want a high draft pick. That leaves the other three. Don’t be surprised if one of them ends up in a Bears uniform over the next 48 hours.
The Chicago Bears somehow completed one of the wildest games in franchise history on Sunday in Cincinnati. A game that was 14-13 at halftime turned into an epic shootout in the second half. It looked like the Bears were ready to close it out 41-27 after a Tremaine Edmunds interception. Then the Bengals went crazy, scoring 15 points in under four minutes to take a 42-41 lead. Everybody thought it was over. Another demoralizing Bears collapse. Then Caleb Williams made magic happen, finding Colston Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown to go ahead 47-42. Nahshon Wright snuffered out Cincinnati’s Hail Mary attempt and Chicago pulled it out. Nobody summed up the moment better than Ja’Marr Chase.
The superstar wide receiver was predictably great in this game, going for 111 yards at 18.5 per catch. Cincinnati had 470 yards through the air and 42 points. It wasn’t enough. Walking back to the locker room, cameras caught the receiver mumble three words.
“One fucking stop.”
“One f**king stop.”
– Ja’Marr Chase heading to the locker room after the loss today
His frustration with the Bengals’ defense is understandable. Cincinnati has now allowed 27 or more points in seven of its eight games this season. The previous two saw them lose 39-38 and now 47-42. Just one stop at the end of either game keeps their playoff hopes alive. Chase wasn’t the only one livid about it. Running back Chase Brown let loose during his own post-game presser.
Ja’Marr Chase has every right to be upset.
Here is a player who was just moments away from a Super Bowl championship as a rookie in 2021. Since then, he’s watched that Bengals team disintegrate, particularly on the defensive side. They are now on pace to give up 637 points, which would shatter the NFL record of 534. Ja’Marr Chase must feel like this organization is wasting his prime by not doing a better job building a more balanced football team. Much of this stems from some highly questionable decisions over the past few years.
Meanwhile, the Bears just won their first game in franchise history when they gave up 40+ points. This was never a team built to win a shootout. For them to survive that late collapse and pull it out anyway is a sign of their newfound resilience, as well as the growing confidence they have in Williams and head coach Ben Johnson.
Everything about Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals reeked of a classic Chicago Bears Special. They get a stupendous performance out of one of their phases, only to see the other two completely implode. This results in them blowing what looks like a comfortable lead in the final minutes. Fans had already seen it too many times. Chicago was up 41-27 with less than four minutes to go. Tremaine Edmunds intercepted Joe Flacco in the red zone on what felt like the decisive play of the game. A few moments later, the Bengals had scored 15 unanswered points to go ahead 42-41.
It was over. Fans knew it. Every time this had happened in years past, the team failed to respond. Not this time. Caleb Williams got the ball with 54 seconds left and drove to midfield. Staring down a long field goal from the erratic Cairo Santos, he decided to take a chance at a chunk play. Lucky for him, head coach Ben Johnson had the perfect play dialed up. Williams found rookie tight end Colston Loveland over the middle, who broke two tackles and rumbled 58 yards for the improbable score.
For the third time in five games, the Bears rallied in the final second to pull off a victory.
Ben Johnson has proven he has a tight grip on this team.
It hasn’t been perfect. There are still so many issues to clean up from an execution standpoint. However, the first-year coach has already solved one of the core problems with this team: their sense of resilience. Every time they faced adversity under Matt Eberflus, they crumbled. Ben Johnson understood the first order of business when he arrived was instilling the locker room with a renewed sense of self-confidence and belief. That big victory against Las Vegas in September was the first step. Then they exacted some revenge against Washington the next week. You could see the players responding to him.
Better still, his offense was starting to click. They had 145 rushing yards in Washington, 222 against New Orleans, and just trampled Cincinnati for 283. Williams has also shown flashes of improved efficiency, now with 12 touchdown passes and four interceptions on the season. Keep in mind, they’re doing this despite a litany of injuries on both sides of the ball.
This is what good head coaches do. They motivate, adjust, and push their players to perform when it matters most. It’s been a long time since the Bears had somebody like that.
The Chicago Bears had the game won. Then Joe Flacco, as he did to them a few years ago in Cleveland, worked his old magic to bring the Cincinnati Bengals back. In an all-time collapse, the Bears coughed up a 41-27 lead in a matter of minutes to trail 42-41 with 54 seconds left. They needed a miracle to not only win but save their season. Caleb Williams got them near midfield with 23 seconds left. Cairo Santos had already missed a field goal that afternoon. The team really didn’t want to put this game on his leg from a long distance. Thankfully, it didn’t matter. Colston Loveland came to the rescue.
Bears fans had been giving the 1st round pick loads of grief for his quiet start to the season, wondering why he wasn’t producing as much as Tyler Warren in Indianapolis. Analysts argued it wasn’t about him. It was about the lack of targets. We found out what they meant on Sunday. With the game and season in the balance, Williams hit Loveland over the middle, where he proceeded to break two tackles and outrun everybody for an incredible 58-yard touchdown to give the Bears their most improbable win in years.
2025 - Bears GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson discuss players during training camp
Plenty of teams have been mentioned regarding the trade deadline on November 4th. Curiously, the Chicago Bears haven’t been one of them, at least on a national level. Most insiders haven’t brought them up once, unless it was pure speculation. That changed in a big way on Sunday when Jay Glazer, the top insider for Fox Sports, revealed that Chicago is one of the more aggressive teams on the market, exploring several possibilities. No names were mentioned, but it certainly sounds like GM Ryan Poles has kept his intentions hidden.
Remember, he and Glazer seem to have a strong relationship. It makes sense that the Fox analyst would be the one to break this news. The big question is what positions the Bears might be targeting. Based on the team’s current situation, three areas seem like possibilities: running back, edge rusher, and cornerback. Injuries have decimated all three. It makes sense the Bears would try bringing in some help. The reason it hasn’t happened yet is likely because the asking prices are too high.
That should change as the deadline nears in 48 hours.
The Chicago Bears have no shortage of options.
Breece Hall (Jets) and Devon Achane (Dolphins) stand out as obvious targets at running back. Both would be excellent fits in Ben Johnson’s offense and have no trouble being productive. Tariq Woolen in Seattle is the type of cornerback Dennis Allen and Al Harris would love. He’s tall, fast, and athletic. As for pass rushers, Jermaine Johnson and Jaelan Phillips feel like the two best options. Don’t forget the Chicago Bears are limited on cap space. They would need to acquire someone with a manageable contract. The issue with those two is that both need new deals after this year. Would the Bears pay either of them if traded for? They’ve already sunk a ton of money into the defensive line.
In this situation, we must remember Johnson has the final say on personnel decisions. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Bears are hunting for running back help first, especially with how uncertain the coach seems about Caleb Williams‘ current progress
