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Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears struck last and delivered the knockout blow in a slugfest against Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon, 47-42.
Chicago had to fend off a clawing Cincinnati squad that cobbled together a comeback late in the game.
The Bears were up 41-27 when D.J. Moore took an end around play to the end zone with 4:53 remaining in the game. Chicago nearly sealed the game when Terrell Edmunds picked off Flacco and ran it back for what was thought to be a touchdown. However, officials determined that Edmunds was down by contact and negated the 96-yard return.
Chicago went three-and-out on its next drive. Flacco then led the Bengals on a four-play, 55-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Noah Fant. The Bengals needed the ball to bounce their way on the onside kick attempt, and it did.
Flacco then needed only six plays to find Andrei Iosivas for the go-ahead score. The momentum was firmly on the Bengals’ side.
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Williams got the ball back with less than a minute to play – and it wasn’t looking great. He threw two incompletions before he scampered for 14 yards to extend the drive.
The second-year quarterback threw a dart to rookie tight end Colston Loveland in the middle of the field. Loveland bounced off two defenders and ran for a touchdown. The 58-yard play gave the Bears the lead and eventually the win.
The two teams combined for 1,071 total yards and 89 points on 141 plays.
Williams was 20-of-34 with 280 passing yards, two touchdown passes and a receiving touchdown. Williams actually had two catches in the game.
Bears running back Kyle Monangai, a former Rutgers standout, had 26 carries for 176 yards. Loveland finished with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdown catches.
Flacco had one of the best statistical games of his career. He was 31-of-47 with 470 passing yards, four touchdown passes and two interceptions.
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Tee Higgins led the team with seven catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase had six catches for 111 yards.
Chicago improved to 5-3 and Cincinnati fell to 3-6.
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