Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson makes declaration to NFL after win over Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals made a ferocious comeback late in the fourth quarter, but unlike what the Chicago Bears had seen in previous seasons, head coach Ben Johnson’s team fought through adversity and a crushing momentum swing to win 47-42 in front of 66,264 fans at Paycor Stadium.

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With 3:07 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Bears leading 41-27, safety Kevin Byard appeared to have an interception returned to the Cincinnati 9-yard line. However, a pass interference call on cornerback Nick McCloud wiped out a potential game-icing turnover.

Two plays later, six points from what looked like an interception return for a touchdown by Tremaine Edmunds was taken back, as officials ruled the Chicago linebacker down at the Bears 4-yard line. A quick three-and-out allowed Cincinnati to score what felt like an even faster touchdown and two-point conversion.

Chicago’s special teams struggled all day, and the unit allowed Cincinnati to recover an onside kick as the ball hit Daniel Hardy’s leg before going 10 yards. The Bengals quickly took the lead six plays later.

The Chicago Bears showed resilience

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However, the Bears offense had heroics of their own.

Quarterback Caleb Williams hit rookie tight end Colston Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left to earn the win. As elite as quarterback Joe Flacco played with his sprained AC joint, his shoulder didn’t have the strength for a Hail Mary pass to end the game.

During his postgame news conference, Bears head coach Ben Johnson declared that the team had all the makings of being a good team in the league with the way they showed poise in the final minute, as many teams would fold in that situation.

“And so I think that’s the sign of a good football team, is they can recognize it immediately and we’re going to be able to clean it up and get it fixed,” Johnson said. “So, you know, you don’t apologize for winning in this league. It’s too hard week in and week out, especially on the road.”

Ben Johnson’s triumph stands in contrast to previous teams

The Bears suffered heartbreaking defeats numerous times last season, leading to the dismissal of head coach Matt Eberflus. The Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders deflated the season. The decision not to call a timeout against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving was the final straw for Eberflus.

Johnson appreciated the way the locker room reacted after the win, as players weren’t satisfied with the way they finished the fourth quarter.

“They kept the faith and found a way to come out on top,” Johnson said. “And so there’ll be a lot of tape that we can coach off of, and we can clean up. I think the best thing is, you go in the locker room and it’s an exciting win like that, and yet, there’s a number of guys that are pretty disappointed with how they played.”

The Bears will next host the 2-7 New York Giants in Week 10.

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