After starting the season off 1-0, the Bengals flew to Chicago to take on old friend, Andy Dalton, and the Bears.
Things started off poorly for the Bengals. The Bears received the opening kickoff and Dalton got to work. Gains of 10 and 17 yards helped get them up the field. Later in the drive, Eli Apple was called for pass interference on 3rd & 12, a play that ended up costing the Bengals 32 yards. A few plays later, Dalton hit Allen Robinson for an 11 yard TD.
Following the Bears TD, the next seven combined drives failed to put any points on the board, leaving the Bears with a 7-0 lead at the half.
The Bengals got the ball to start the second half. On 3rd & 16 from their own 29, Burrow was forced out of bounds for no gain, but a late hit allowed the Bengals to continue their drive. Facing a 3rd & long situation once again, a 14 yard completion to rookie Chris Evans got the Bengals into field goal range. Evan McPherson’s 53 yard attempt was good, making it 7-3 for the Bears.
After making the score 10-3, the Bears defence took over the game. They were able to force not one, not two, but three straight interceptions. That being three straight passes that were intercepted, not just drives. One of those INT’s also went for a TD, as Roquan Smith was able to power his way into the end zone. The Bears, in total, gained 10 points off of these turnovers, and the score was 20-3.
The Bengals didn’t quit, however. Now taking more shots down the field, Burrow eventually hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 42 yard TD. Soon after, a Logan Wilson interception on 3rd down set the Bengals up deep in the Bears territory, allowing Burrow to hit Higgins for a 7 yard TD on the next play.
With the defence back out there, Field and the Bears were stopped on 1st and 2nd down, setting up a crucial 3rd down. Unfortunately, Fields was able to slip away from Trey Hendrickson, who would have had a sack, and ran for a 1st down. This essentially sealed the game, with Cincinnati’s comeback effort falling just short.
The Bengals now sit at 1-1 and will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers next week in a divisional matchup.