The Bears put the Jets on their heels from the start, and Ben Johnson made sure of it.
Chicago opened with veteran Case Keenum on the field for the first drive, only to pull him after a single play and go right to Tyson Bagent. That switch didn’t just alter the Bears’ opening script - it forced New York to prepare for more than one possible look, and the Jets spent the week chasing a mystery Johnson never really intended to solve.
Once the game settled in, Chicago controlled it. The Bears owned time of possession by nearly a two-to-one margin and leaned on a ground game that kept New York from ever finding a rhythm.
The Jets, missing Breece Hall, managed just 59 rushing yards. Chicago piled up 232 on the ground, and that gap told the story of the afternoon.
Kyle Monangai was the engine. The running back ripped off 146 yards and scored two touchdowns, giving the Bears the kind of steady, punishing production that turned the game in their favor. He was the clear centerpiece of the win.
Bagent did his part, too. In his start, he threw for 268 yards, no touchdowns and one interception, completing 25 of 34 passes while finding nine different receivers. It was exactly the sort of outing Chicago needed from its third starter of the season: efficient, steady and good enough to keep the offense moving.
After the upset over Philadelphia in Week 3, there was plenty of talk about whether Case Keenum should keep the job. But this performance backed up the bigger picture. The Bears look comfortable handling quarterback uncertainty, and Johnson’s approach kept the Jets guessing long before kickoff.
In Other News...
Bears Let An Ugly NFL Streak End At Soldier Field
A long-running oddity finally disappeared at Soldier Field when the Jets snapped an interception drought that had stretched beyond 1,000 days and more than 600 pass attempts. The takeaway for the Bears was a familiar one in a season full of quarterback turnover: backup Tyson Bagent was in at the time, and the turnover came in the second quarter with New Yorks secondary taking advantage of the situation.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was the one who made it happen, and he did it soon after returning from a groin injury. For a Jets defense that had gone far too long without a pick, the play ended one of the longest active droughts in recent NFL history and offered a small but notable defensive lift in Chicago. [Read more 🡒]
Tyson Bagent Faces One Bears Test That Could Decide Everything
Tyson Bagent is set to make his first start since the 2023 season in Week 4 against the Jets, with Caleb Williams still out because of a hamstring injury. Bagent has been handling most of the first-team reps in practice, and this week has become a real test of how the Bears want to function with a different kind of quarterback in place.
For Chicago, the question is less about asking Bagent to be a hero than about what a workable game plan looks like around him. His style gives the Bears a chance to lean into what he does well, but the bigger issue is whether the offense can stay on schedule and avoid forcing him into spots that dont fit his strengths. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Face A Brutal Week 4 Reality As Key Returns Near
The Bears Week 4 picture got a little clearer, and a little harder to ignore, with the final injury report confirming Caleb Williams and Braxton Jones will not be available. Kyler Gordon was also ruled out, though he is still working through his 21-day practice window, which keeps the door open for a return once he is cleared to ramp back up.
There is some lighter news buried in the roster churn, with Shemar Turner and Noah Sewell moving along on the Physically Unable to Perform list and expected back soon. Cam Lewis is also trending the wrong way and is doubtful for the Jets, leaving Chicago to piece together its next steps while waiting for several key names to come back into view. [Read more 🡒]