The Cincinnati Bengals walked into Week 9 at 3-5, clinging to whatever playoff pulse they had left. A victory over the Chicago Bears would’ve tightened things up in the AFC North and kept hope from flatlining entirely.
Instead, they got heartbreak served cold in the final seconds. Cincinnati clawed back late, even recovered a dramatic onside kick, only to watch their defense give up a jaw-dropping 58-yard touchdown to Colston Loveland. Just like that, the Bears snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
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After the gut-wrenching loss, running back Chase Brown wasn’t in the mood for careful words. Speaking to the reporters, Brown let his frustration fly with a message that needed no translation.
“We’ve just got to play complementary football,” Brown said, per Mike Petraglia of CLNSCincy.com. “Like, we put the ball in the end zone and go up a point at the end. Finish the f***ing game. Just end it. That’s it, that’s what we need to do. Just end the f***ing game. Make them give us the ball back and go to a 22-victory (formation) and let’s end the game. That’s how I feel.”
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What Chase Brown is asking from his defense sounds simple enough on paper. In reality, it’s much tougher to pull off. Still, it’s hard not to feel for the running back and an offensive group that did its job Sunday.
Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor watches from the sidelines during their game against the Bears at Paycor Stadium on Sunday November 2, 2025. The Bears won the game with a final score of 47-42.
Now the Bengals sit at 3-6, staring down questions nobody in Cincinnati wants to answer. Joe Burrow might return by mid-December if his turf toe cooperates, but that only matters if there’s something worth coming back to.
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Losses like this one make believers harder to find. Each Sunday that slips away makes Burrow’s potential return feel less like a rescue mission and more like showing up after the house already burned down.
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