Bears' dramatic Week 9 victory, fueled by late-game heroics and crucial turnovers, ignites their NFC North playoff hopes.
The Chicago Bears were one of the more fortunate teams in the NFC North on Sunday, as they won over the Cincinnati Bengals 47-42.
The Bears improved to 5-3 and now have the same record as the Detroit Lions. Detroit lost to the Minnesota Vikings 27-24.
The Green Bay Packers struggled against the Carolina Panthers and lost 16-13 on a 49-yard game-winning field goal. The Packers are now 5-2-1 with their loss, as their lead in the NFC North shrinks even more.
It wasn't a pretty win, but it was a win nonetheless, which you definitely shouldn't take for granted in the NFL. The Lions remain in second place in the NFC North, followed by the Bears and Vikings (4-4).
If you were a fan of offense, Sunday's game was for you.
It came down to the wire, after the Bears looked like they had things just about wrapped up. Chicago was leading 41-27 with 4:53 after a 17-yard DJ Moore touchdown run.
Joe Flacco and the Bengals weren't done yet, however. Flacco led the offense down the field and scored with 1:43 left to make it 41-35 following a two-point conversion. Cincinnati then had its prayers answered and recovered an onside kick.
Flacco gave Bears' fans heart attacks, with a touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas with 54 seconds left to retake the lead 42-41.
That was too much time for Caleb Williams and the Bears, who marched down the field. Williams hit tight end Colston Loveland for a 58-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left that ultimately won them the game.
The Bears were able to force Flacco into not one, not two but three turnovers in the game. Flacco threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Going into the game, he had 787 passing yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The unsung hero of the game for Chicago was running back Kyle Monangai. The Bears were dealing with multiple injuries in the backfield, as D'Andre Swift (groin) and Roschon Johnson (back) were both out.
The rookie running back had 176 rushing yards and played a key role in moving the chains for the offense at crucial moments.
The race for the NFC North is getting tighter as the year goes on. Time will tell if the Bears can claw their way back into it.
Chicago must first take care business against the New York Giants in Week 10. The Bears return home as that game kicks off at noon CT on Fox.