Inside the numbers: How the Bears beat the Bengals
The Bears found another way to win in dramatic fashion Sunday.
Quarterback Caleb Williams capped a game-winning drive against the Cincinnati Bengals when he completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Colston Loveland in the final minute to secure a 47-42 win. Sunday was the third time Williams led a game-winning drive in the final minutes this season.
While there’s been a lot of attention paid to the final minutes, Sunday’s game featured plenty of historical performances. A look at the numbers shows how special Loveland and rookie running back Kyle Monangai were when asked to step up. Williams also had impressive numbers as he took another step under head coach Ben Johnson.
Monangai’s dominant effort
Monangai made the most of his opportunity Sunday. With starter D’Andre Swift out with a groin injury, the seventh-round running back rushed for 176 rushing yards. The rushing total was the second-most by a Bears rookie in a game in franchise history.
He lived up to the tough style of runner he was known for coming out of Rutgers. Monangai had a burst almost every time he came out of the backfield. When a play seemed stalled, Monangai continued to push the huddle and added a few yards.
The numbers from Sunday reflect that tough running. Monangai finished with 59 more rushing yards than expected according to Next Gen Stats, which was the most in the NFL in Week 9. He also had the highest rushing yards over expected per attempt (2.47) and a fourth-highest rush percentage over expected (54.2%). A higher percentage signifies that a rusher ran over expectations more often.
Monangai also took advantage of a strong showing from the offensive line with a fairly balanced split of where he chose to run. He rushed wide right nine times for 69 yards and inside right seven times for 44 yards. Monangai went wide left six times for 39 yards and inside left for 24 yards.
The numbers are encouraging for both the Bears and Monangai. They show the Bears can and should trust Monangai moving forward. He can be a suitable starter while Swift recovers from his injury or be an important part of a dynamic duo when Swift returns.
Loveland’s career day
For much of the season, Bears fans waited for Loveland to make an impact in a game after the team selected him No. 10 overall this year. Loveland finally got a chance to live up to the preseason hype.
Loveland finished with career-highs in receiving yards (118), catches (six), targets (seven) and touchdowns (two). He became the first Bears rookie tight end to catch more than 100 yards and multiple touchdowns since Mike Ditka did it in 1961, per the Bears.
Williams used Loveland both as a midfield threat and a safety net Sunday after Cole Kmet left the game with a concussion. Loveland caught four passes within 15 air yards according to Next Gen Stats and two passes beyond 15 air yards. He also created more yards after the catch, tying for the most in Week 9 with 10 yards after reception per reception, though the average likely went up because of the 58-yard touchdown.
Loveland put up impressive numbers despite not creating much separation from his defender. He proved he can make tough catches in tight spaces when he averaged 3.26 yards of separation per reception Sunday. That’s slightly higher than the 2.98 league average.
Williams makes history
Johnson brought out the trick bag Sunday with a few trick plays. Some of them showed off Williams’ athleticism.
Williams caught his first career pass for a touchdown Sunday when the Bears ran the “hot potato” play. The play included Williams tossing the ball to wide receiver Rome Odunze, who then tossed it to DJ Moore, who then found a wide-open Williams in the end zone for a 2-yard pass. Williams was also part of a trick play where he caught a pass from backup quarterback Tyson Bagent and took it 20 yards.
The trick plays etched Williams into NFL history. He became the first player in league history to have 275 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards in a game. Williams threw for 280 yards, rushed for 53 yards and finished with 22 receiving yards.
Running to the top
The Bears matched the most yards they rushed for in a game when they had 283 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 30, 1984.
It’s been an impressive turnaround after the Bears had a slow rushing start to the season. Chicago is now second in the league with 144.4 rushing yards per game.
Sunday was a special day for running back Brittain Brown. The Bears elevated Brown from the practice squad with injuries to running backs D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. Brown earned his first career carries since the Las Vegas Raiders drafted him in the seventh round in 2022, including his first career touchdown.
Sweat, Booker make impact
Sunday wasn’t a perfect performance by the Bears defense. But there were bright spots for the unit.
Defensive end Montez Sweat continued his impressive stretch when he had his third straight game with a sack. It also appeared Sweat forced his third fumble in the last four games when he knocked the ball out of Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco’s hand. But a review changed the call to an incomplete pass.
Booker also made an impact in his first game of the season after he was activated off injured reserve last week. The defensive end forced his first career fumble and also had a sack.