The Chicago Bears bounced back in the best way with a season-high in points as they took down the Cincinnati Bengals 47-42 in Week 9.
Chicago's offense exploded with 576 total yards, with 269 of those yards on the ground. The Bears' defense created three turnovers to hold on for the win.
There were some performances that could have been better, but plenty of standouts. Some of the top performers were rookies making their mark on the NFL.
Winner: Kyle Monangai, RB
The rookie seventh-round game replaced D'Andre Swift against the Bengals and proved himself worthy as he had a game to remember after rushing for 99 yards in the first half alone. Monangai finished with 26 carries for 176 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, as well as two catches for 22 yards. Chicago's running back situation just got more interesting as Monangai proved he can be a three-down back, but his tough running and Swift's quickness make them a good one-two punch.
Losers: Bears' Kickoff Coverage
How ugly a game it was for Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower and his team. They allowed an opening kickoff touchdown, and then the Bengals got to their own 45-yard line in the second half. Devin Duvernay had a 52-yard return into Cincinnati territory before a Jahdae Walker holding penalty erased it. That all happened in the first half, so yeah, not a great day.
Winner: C.J. Gardner-Johnson, CB
For someone who has been with the team less than a week, Gardner-Johnson deserves some credit for making some plays on defense for Chicago. He finished the game with six tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, and one sack. Bears fans should expect him to get better and better each week, but once he reaches his full potential, he's going to be dangerous.
Loser: Tyrique Stevenson, CB
The Bears needed Stevenson to step up on the outside against two of the best receivers in the NFL, but he failed to do so. He got torched multiple times by Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins throughout the contest. To be fair, Nahshon Wright wasn't much better, but Stevenson is more important and now leaves Chicago with some more concerns in the secondary.
Read more: Bears officially have a massive Theo Benedet problem on their hands
Winner: Colston Loveland, TE
Bears fans can finally say it: welcome to the NFL, Loveland! He caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns, all career-highs for the rookie. The most important one was the game-winning 58-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left. Loveland stepped up in a big way after Cole Kmet got knocked out with a concussion and played as well as he has in his young NFL career.