Few words can properly describe what just happened at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati this past Sunday. The Chicago Bears won a shootout over the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 47-42, improving to 5-3 on the season, while the Bengals fell to 3-6.
Let’s paint a picture. There is 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Joe Flacco and the Bengals have the ball at their 45-yard line with no timeouts down 41-27. The offense had been going up and down the field all day, with receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase taking advantage of a woefully injured and outmatched Bears secondary. Despite this, their last drive ended with an interception by Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds in the red zone, the defense’s eighteenth takeaway of the season.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday, November 2, 2025 (Albert Cesare / The Enquirer).
This is nothing for the ageless wonder Joe Flacco. He leads the Bengals to a touchdown in just four plays and 32 seconds, a 23-yard pass up the seam to tight end Noah Fant. A 2-point conversion to Higgins made the score 41-35 with 1:43 to play.
With no timeouts left, Cincinnati is forced to go for an onside kick to keep its hopes alive. On the flip side, the Bears must rely on their special teams. A unit that allowed Charlie Jones to return the opening kickoff 99 yards for a score and had been getting gashed all day. Despite the low probability of the onside kick, the Bengals manage to recover. Their hope is still alive.
And with the state of the Bears’ defense, their hope is thriving. The Bengals need just six plays and 49 seconds to go 57 yards for the go-ahead touchdown to Andrei Iosivas. 42-41, they have the lead. The Chicago Bears, who had a 99.7% chance of winning with 2:15 to go, had just allowed the Cincinnati Bengals to erase their fifteen-point lead in an instant. Commentator Adam Archuleta stated that he had never seen a defensive collapse in two minutes like the one the Bears had. Just about every Bears fan watching the game was likely completely demoralized. They had seemingly just watched their team find a new, creative way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Surely, there was no chance that the Chicago Bears could save this game… right?
Caleb Williams and the Bears offense still had 54 seconds and a timeout at their disposal, and all they needed was a field goal. They had put up 41 points on the day with Williams having over 275 yards and three touchdowns, but they needed a little more. After two scramble drill incomplete passes, though, they were left with just 35 seconds left. On the next play, Williams scrambled again, this time running for fourteen yards as coach Ben Johnson called his final timeout with 25 seconds remaining. Every heart in the stadium was beating through the non-existent roof.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) scrambles and throws a pass in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sunday, November 2, 2025 (Dylan Buell / Getty Images).
Williams dropped back to pass and fired a laser to tight end Colston Loveland, who somehow shook off two defenders as he rumbled for a 58-yard touchdown with seventeen seconds to go. Jaws on the floor. The rookie stepped up to the plate. The Bears had the lead. The Bengals’ awful defense struck again.
This time, Flacco and his team didn’t have enough of it as his Hail Mary was intercepted to seal the win for Chicago. It wasn’t pretty by any means. The defense and special teams looked atrocious and nearly blew the game, but somehow, some way, they found a way to win. The game was nothing short of a roller coaster, but for once, it had a happy ending for the Chicago Bears. They will look to continue their winning ways against the stumbling New York Giants next week. What surprises are in store for next week? Whatever you think the answer may be, it’s probably something else.
