Bengals vs Bears Week 2 2021: Final Score 20

Final2021 Week 2

Soldier Field, Chicago, ILSun, Sep 19, 2021, 1:00 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals vs Chicago Bears, Week 2 2021

Cincinnati Bengals

Away

Chicago Bears

HomeWon

Scoring by quarter
Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Final
Bengals	0	0	3	14	17
Bears	7	0	0	13	20

CIN 17CHI 20 Final

Passing leader
Joe Burrow
CIN · QB
13.3PPR pts
19/30, 207 YDS, 2 TD, 3 INT
Top fantasy scorer
Tee Higgins
CIN · WR
16.0PPR pts
6 REC, 60 YDS, 1 TD
Bengals leader
Tyler Boyd
CIN · WR
14.3PPR pts
7 REC, 73 YDS
Defensive playmaker
Roquan Smith
CHI
1 INT, 1 TD, 1 SACK, 9 TKL

Bears 20, Bengals 17: Chicago holds off Cincinnati

Chicago led 7–0 at halftime and won 20–17, though Cincinnati took the second half 17–13. Cincinnati outgained the Bears 248–206.

Cincinnati didn't get on the board until the third quarter.

The Bengals went 6-for-13 on third down and committed four turnovers.

Key advantages

+3 turnover margin CHI 1 · CIN 4 turnovers
+2:42 time of possession CHI 31:21 · CIN 28:39

Game Highlights

Official NFL highlights · Opens from YouTube

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Why the Bears Won

Chicago won the turnover and time of possession battles.

Team stats comparison, Bengals vs Bears
Bengals	Stat	Bears
4	Turnovers	1

28:39	Time of possession	31:21

Other team stats
248	Total yards	206

4.5	Yards per play	3.4

55	Plays	61

46%	Third-down conversion	40%

Scoring Summary

The Bears scored two touchdowns and two field goals; the Bengals scored two touchdowns and one field goal.

Scoring plays, Bengals vs Bears
Time	Team	Play	CIN	CHI
1st quarter
9:58	CHI	Andy Dalton → Allen Robinson II, 11-yard TD Takes leadCairo Santos XP	0	7
2nd quarter
No scoring
3rd quarter
8:22	CIN	Evan McPherson 53-yard FG	3	7
4th quarter
14:52	CHI	Cairo Santos 28-yard FG Extends lead	3	10
10:55	CHI	Roquan Smith 53-yard interception return TD Extends leadCairo Santos XP	3	17
6:40	CHI	Cairo Santos 22-yard FG Extends lead	3	20
4:39	CIN	Joe Burrow → Ja'Marr Chase, 42-yard TDEvan McPherson XP	10	20
3:39	CIN	Joe Burrow → Tee Higgins, 7-yard TDEvan McPherson XP	17	20

Fantasy Points: Bengals vs Bears, Week 2 2021

Fantasy leaders

Tee HigginsCINWR15.0 PTSWR29
Tyler BoydCINWR14.3 PTSWR34
Ja'Marr ChaseCINWR13.4 PTSWR41
Joe BurrowCINQB13.3 PTSQB25

Player Stats

Quarterbacks

Quarterback statistics
Player	FPTS	FIN	CMP/ATT	Pass YDS	TD	INT	Rush ATT	Rush YDS	Rush TD	Rate	Start/Sit
Joe BurrowCINQB	13.3	QB25	19/30	207	2	3	—	—	—	66.3	Start/Sit →
Justin FieldsCHIQB	3.5	QB34	6/13	60	0	1	10	31	0	27.7	Start/Sit →
Andy DaltonCHIQB	8.7	QB28	9/11	56	1	0	2	25	0	118.2	Start/Sit →

WRs, RBs, & TEs

Receiver, running back and tight end statistics
Player	FPTS	FIN	POS	Rush ATT	Rush YDS	Rush TD	TGT	REC	Rec YDS	Rec TD	Start/Sit
Tee HigginsCINWR	15.0	WR29	WR	—	—	—	10	6	60	1	Start/Sit →
Tyler BoydCINWR	14.3	WR34	WR	—	—	—	9	7	73	0
Ja'Marr ChaseCINWR	13.4	WR41	WR	—	—	—	4	2	54	1	Start/Sit →
Darnell MooneyCHIWR	12.6	WR43	WR	—	—	—	8	6	66	0	Start/Sit →
David MontgomeryCHIRB	10.9	RB22	RB	20	61	0	4	3	18	0	Start/Sit →
Allen RobinsonCHIWR	10.4	WR49	WR	—	—	—	4	2	24	1
Joe MixonCINRB	8.1	RB36	RB	20	69	0	2	1	2	0
Damien WilliamsCHIRB	2.4	RB61	RB	2	6	0	3	2	-2	0
Chris EvansCINRB	2.4	RB64	RB	—	—	—	1	1	14	0
C.J. UzomahCINTE	2.4	TE43	TE	—	—	—	2	2	4	0
Marquise GoodwinCHIWR	2.0	WR98	WR	—	—	—	3	1	10	0
Cole KmetCHITE	1.0	TE59	TE	—	—	—	1	1	0	0	Start/Sit →
Samaje PerineCINRB	0.0	—	RB	—	—	—	1	0	0	0	Start/Sit →

Fantasy Usage

Cincinnati Bengals

Snap Share

Ja'Marr ChaseWR51 snaps93%
Tee HigginsWR50 snaps91%
Tyler BoydWR48 snaps87%
Joe MixonRB46 snaps84%
C.J. UzomahTE40 snaps73%

Target Share29 targets

Tee Higgins34%, 10 targets
Tyler Boyd31%, 9 targets
Ja'Marr Chase14%, 4 targets
C.J. Uzomah7%, 2 targets
Joe Mixon7%, 2 targets
Other7%, 2 targets

Carry Share20 carries

Joe Mixon100%, 20 carries

Chicago Bears

Snap Share

Darnell MooneyWR58 snaps89%
Allen RobinsonWR52 snaps80%
David MontgomeryRB52 snaps80%
Cole KmetTE47 snaps72%
Marquise GoodwinWR31 snaps48%

Target Share23 targets

Darnell Mooney35%, 8 targets
Allen Robinson17%, 4 targets
David Montgomery17%, 4 targets
Marquise Goodwin13%, 3 targets
Damien Williams13%, 3 targets
Other4%, 1 targets

Carry Share34 carries

David Montgomery59%, 20 carries
Justin Fields29%, 10 carries
Andy Dalton6%, 2 carries
Damien Williams6%, 2 carries

View full usage tableHide full usage table

Offensive snaps and share for the skill positions
Player	SNAPS	SNAP %	TGT	TGT %	CAR
Ja'Marr ChaseCINWR	51	93%	4	14%	0
Tee HigginsCINWR	50	91%	10	34%	0
Darnell MooneyCHIWR	58	89%	8	35%	0
Tyler BoydCINWR	48	87%	9	31%	0
Joe MixonCINRB	46	84%	2	7%	20
Allen RobinsonCHIWR	52	80%	4	17%	0
David MontgomeryCHIRB	52	80%	4	17%	20
C.J. UzomahCINTE	40	73%	2	7%	0
Cole KmetCHITE	47	72%	1	4%	0
Marquise GoodwinCHIWR	31	48%	3	13%	0
Damiere ByrdCHIWR	27	42%	0	0%	0
Drew SampleCINTE	21	38%	0	0%	0
Jimmy GrahamCHITE	22	34%	0	0%	0
Damien WilliamsCHIRB	15	23%	3	13%	2
Jesse JamesCHITE	14	22%	0	0%	0
J.P. HoltzCHITE	7	11%	0	0%	0
Auden TateCINWR	5	9%	0	0%	0
Samaje PerineCINRB	3	5%	1	3%	0
Chris EvansCINRB	2	4%	1	3%	0
Mitchell WilcoxCINTE	1	2%	0	0%	0

Fantasy Points vs Expected

PPRHalf PPRStandard

Expected points (xFP) are what a player's pass attempts, carries and targets are worth at the league's average rates; the difference is what the player made of them.

Biggest overperformer+6.7Ja'Marr Chase13.4 PTS vs 6.7 xFP
Biggest underperformer−8.7David Montgomery10.9 PTS vs 19.6 xFP
Highest expected volume19.6 xFPDavid Montgomery10.9 PTS scored

Usage and expected fantasy points
Player	PTS	xFP	vs xFP	Snap%	Usage	Rte%	Pass att	Car	Car%	Tgt	Tgt%
David MontgomeryCHI · RB	10.9	19.6	−8.7	80%	59% car	—	0	20	59%	4	17%
Tee HigginsCIN · WR	16.0	16.8	−0.8	91%	34% tgt	—	0	0	0%	10	34%
Joe MixonCIN · RB	8.1	16.2	−8.1	84%	100% car	—	0	20	100%	2	7%
Tyler BoydCIN · WR	14.3	15.2	−0.9	87%	31% tgt	—	0	0	0%	9	31%
Darnell MooneyCHI · WR	12.6	13.5	−0.9	89%	35% tgt	—	0	0	0%	8	35%
Joe BurrowCIN · QB	13.3	13.2	+0.1	100%	30 att	—	30	0	0%	0	0%
Justin FieldsCHI · QB	4.5	12.1	−7.6	65%	13 att	—	13	10	29%	0	0%
Allen RobinsonCHI · WR	10.4	6.7	+3.7	80%	17% tgt	—	0	0	0%	4	17%
Ja'Marr ChaseCIN · WR	13.4	6.7	+6.7	93%	14% tgt	—	0	0	0%	4	14%
Damien WilliamsCHI · RB	2.4	6.3	−3.9	23%	13% tgt	—	0	2	6%	3	13%
Andy DaltonCHI · QB	8.7	6.1	+2.6	35%	11 att	—	11	2	6%	0	0%
Marquise GoodwinCHI · WR	2.0	5.1	−3.1	48%	13% tgt	—	0	0	0%	3	13%
C.J. UzomahCIN · TE	2.4	3.4	−1.0	73%	7% tgt	—	0	0	0%	2	7%
Chris EvansCIN · RB	2.4	1.7	+0.7	4%	3% tgt	—	0	0	0%	1	3%
Cole KmetCHI · TE	1.0	1.7	−0.7	72%	4% tgt	—	0	0	0%	1	4%
Samaje PerineCIN · RB	0.0	1.7	−1.7	5%	3% tgt	—	0	0	0%	1	3%

Team totals: Bengals 29 targets and 20 carries; Bears 23 targets and 34 carries. Shares are from the box score. Snap counts are from the weekly player logs (Sleeper), and include plays wiped out by penalties. Route counts, air yards and red-zone touches appear when the tracking feed is connected. League-average rates from the 2021 season: 1.68 PPR points per target (67% catch rate), 0.64 per carry and 0.44 per pass attempt. They don't adjust for field position or target depth.

Fantasy Verdicts

Joe Burrow

CIN · QB · 13.3 pts on 13.2 expected

19 of 30 passing for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 13.2 expected.

Start/Sit: Joe Burrow →

Justin Fields Unlucky

CHI · QB · 4.5 pts on 12.1 expected

6 of 13 passing for 60 yards, 1 interception; 10 carries for 31 yards.

Verdict: The role was there, worth 12.1 points at league-average rates; the production wasn't.

Start/Sit: Justin Fields →

Tee Higgins Volume, no payoff

CIN · WR · 16.0 pts on 16.8 expected

10 targets (34% of the team's), 6 catches for 60 yards and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 16.8 expected.

Trend: Season high in targets (10).

Start/Sit: Tee Higgins →

Joe Mixon Volume, no payoff

CIN · RB · 8.1 pts on 16.2 expected

2 targets (7% of the team's), 1 catch for 2 yards; 20 carries (100% of the team's) for 69 yards.

Verdict: The role was there, worth 16.2 points at league-average rates; the production wasn't.

David Montgomery Unlucky

CHI · RB · 10.9 pts on 19.6 expected

4 targets (17% of the team's), 3 catches for 18 yards; 20 carries (59% of the team's) for 61 yards.

Verdict: The role was there, worth 19.6 points at league-average rates; the production wasn't.

Trend: Season high in carries (20).

Start/Sit: David Montgomery →

Darnell Mooney Volume, no payoff

CHI · WR · 12.6 pts on 13.5 expected

8 targets (35% of the team's), 6 catches for 66 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 13.5 expected.

Trend: Season high in targets (8).

Start/Sit: Darnell Mooney →

Ja'Marr Chase Ran hot

CIN · WR · 13.4 pts on 6.7 expected

4 targets (14% of the team's), 2 catches for 54 yards and 1 touchdown.

Verdict: The opportunities were worth 6.7 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.

Start/Sit: Ja'Marr Chase →

Samaje Perine

CIN · RB · 0.0 pts on 1.7 expected

1 target (3% of the team's), 0 catches for 0 yards.

Verdict: The points matched the role, 1.7 expected.

Start/Sit: Samaje Perine →

Stock Up, Stock Down

Cincinnati Bengals

Stock up: Tee Higgins played 91% of the snaps, up from a 74% season average.
Stock down: Samaje Perine played 5% of the snaps, down from a 22% season average.

Chicago Bears

Stock up: David Montgomery played 80% of the snaps, up from a 59% season average.
Stock down: Damien Williams played 23% of the snaps, down from a 43% season average.

Fantasy Matchups

Fantasy points allowed per game by position, 2021 through Week 18.

Fantasy points allowed per game by position, Bengals defense and Bears defense
Points allowed to	Bengals D	Bears D
QBs	16.0	17.7
RBs	24.5	21.5
WRs	31.7	34.4
TEs	14.7	8.7

Regular season, summed from each game's box score and scored with this page's rules.

How the Game Swung

Chicago opened at 56% win probability and passed 98% in the fourth quarter on the way to the win.

Bears win probability

Key Swings

+20Dalton → Robinson, 11-yd TD56% → 75%Q1 9:58
−11McPherson 53-yd FG82% → 71%Q3 8:22
+12Santos 28-yd FG75% → 87%Q4 14:52
+9Smith 53-yd pick-six90% → 99%Q4 10:55
−17Burrow → Higgins, 7-yd TD>99% → 83%Q4 3:39

Swing in Bears win probability, in points

Play Calling and Possessions

Play calling, Bengals vs Bears
Cincinnati Bengals	Measure	Chicago Bears
55	Plays	61
64%	Pass rate	44%
5.1	Yds / dropback	3.1
3.5	Yds / carry	3.6
6/13	Third downs	6/15

Efficiency edge Chicago ran 6 more plays than Cincinnati.

Top targets
CIN Higgins 34% · Boyd 31% · Chase 14%
CHI Mooney 35% · Robinson 17% · Montgomery 17%

Possession Results

How each possession ended, Bengals vs Bears
Result	CIN	CHI
Touchdowns	2	1
Field goals	1	2
Punts	2	4
Turnovers	4	1
Turnovers on downs	1	1

CHI turnover edge: +3

The Bears opened the scoring on their first possession, a 9-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.

All 21 possessions, drive by drive

Drive chart
Team	Start	Plays	Yards	Time	Result
CHI	Q1 15:00	9	75	5:02	Touchdown
CIN	Q1 9:58	12	48	6:36	Punt
CHI	Q1 3:22	12	61	5:58	Downs
CIN	Q2 12:24	7	24	4:02	Downs
CHI	Q2 8:22	4	6	2:48	Punt
CIN	Q2 5:34	6	20	3:44	Punt
CHI	Q2 1:50	6	18	1:15	Punt
CIN	Q2 0:35	2	3	0:35	End of half
CIN	Q3 15:00	11	43	6:38	Field goal
CHI	Q3 8:22	6	8	3:21	Punt
CIN	Q3 5:01	1	14	0:13	Fumble
CHI	Q3 4:48	8	29	4:56	Field goal
CIN	Q4 14:52	6	35	3:57	Interception
CIN	Q4 10:55	2	4	0:41	Interception
CHI	Q4 10:14	3	-4	2:00	Punt
CIN	Q4 8:14	1	0	0:08	Interception
CHI	Q4 8:06	4	5	1:26	Field goal
CIN	Q4 6:40	6	75	2:01	Touchdown
CHI	Q4 4:39	3	3	0:56	Interception
CIN	Q4 3:43	1	7	0:04	Touchdown
CHI	Q4 3:39	8	17	3:39	End of game

About these numbers

The Bears' interception touchdown is counted as a Bengals interception, not as a Bears possession. Possessions that ended with the clock running out at the half or the end of the game aren't counted.

Personnel groupings, average depth of target and pass rate over expected appear when the tracking feed is connected.

Bengals vs Bears Head-to-Head

The Bengals and Bears first met in 1972 and have played 13 times since.

All-time series: 7–6Bears lead, 13 meetings since 1972
Postseason: 0No playoff meetings
Largest Bengals win: 45–102009
Largest Bears win: 44–71986

Since 2021

2–0 Bears lead

2 meetings since the 2021 season, regular season and playoffs.

Oldest to newest. CHI = Bears win, CIN = Bengals win, outlined = this game.

Recent Meetings

2025 Wk 9 Bears at Bengals, 2025 Wk 9 recap Sun, Nov 2, 2025 CHI 47 CIN 42 CHI W
2021 Wk 2 Bengals at Bears Sun, Sep 19, 2021 CHI 20 CIN 17 CHI W

Season to Date (Through Week 18)

The 2021 regular season, from each game's box score.

Season to date, Bengals vs Bears
Bengals	Stat	Bears
10-7	Record	6-11

27.1	Points per game	18.3

361.5	Yards per game	307.4

5.9	Yards per play	4.9

22.1	Points allowed per game	23.9

350.8	Yards allowed per game	316.7

Bengals vs Bears Odds and Results

How this game finished against the betting lines.

Spread: CHI −2Bears covered by 1
Total: 44.5Under: 37 points scored (by 7.5)

Expected vs Actual Scoring

Implied team totals against the actual score
Team	Implied	Actual	Difference
Bears	23.3	20	−3.3
Bengals	21.3	17	−4.3

Both offenses finished under the market's expectation, which matches the low fantasy output in the Fantasy tab.

Betting Trends

Each team's 2021 season through this game. Over/under is overs first.

Cincinnati Bengals

Against the spread: 1–1
Over/under: 1–1
ATS as underdog: 1–1
ATS on the road: 0–1

Chicago Bears

Against the spread: 1–1
Over/under: 1–1
ATS as favorite: 1–0
ATS as underdog: 0–1
ATS at home: 1–0

Lines: ESPN's consensus, captured at kickoff. Individual sportsbooks varied.

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Betting availability depends on your state.

Bengals and Bears in Fantasy

The two teams don't meet again this season. If you roster a Bengal or a Bear, these answer the week-to-week question.

Keep Exploring

2021 Game Logs for Players in This Game

Bengals vs Bears Game FAQ

Who won the 2021 Bengals vs Bears Week 2 game?

The Chicago Bears beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20–17 in Week 2 of the 2021 season. The game was played at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL, on September 19, 2021. See the Bears' 2021 schedule.

What was the final score of Bengals vs Bears?

The final score was Bears 20, Bengals 17. The Bears led 7–0 at halftime, and the second half went Bengals 17, Bears 13.

What happened in the Bengals vs Bears game?

Chicago led 7–0 at halftime and won 20–17, though Cincinnati took the second half 17–13. Cincinnati outgained the Bears 248–206. Tee Higgins led all players with 6 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals committed 4 turnovers, the Bears 1.

Who scored the most fantasy points in Bengals vs Bears?

Tee Higgins led the game with 15.0 PPR fantasy points, the WR29 of Week 2, on 6 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Boyd was next with 14.3 (WR34). See Tee Higgins's 2021 game log.

Who led Bengals vs Bears in passing, rushing and receiving?

Joe Burrow (CIN) led all passers with 19 of 30 for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Joe Mixon (CIN) led in rushing with 20 carries for 69 yards. Tyler Boyd (CIN) led in receiving with 7 catches for 73 yards.

Who outperformed and underperformed expected fantasy points in Bengals vs Bears?

Ja'Marr Chase outperformed his expected fantasy points the most, scoring 13.4 PPR points on 6.7 xFP (+6.7). David Montgomery fell furthest short, with 10.9 points on 19.6 xFP (−8.7). A gap either way reflects efficiency and touchdowns in one game; it is not a forecast. For matchups ahead, see fantasy points allowed by position.

Who had the highest expected fantasy points in Bengals vs Bears?

David Montgomery had the most fantasy opportunity in the game, worth 19.6 expected PPR points (xFP) at league-average rates, and scored 10.9. Expected points measure the volume of a player's pass attempts, carries and targets, not how well he used them.

How did the Bears beat the Bengals?

The Bears beat the Bengals 20–17 because they won the turnover battle 4–1.

Which team won the turnover battle in Bengals vs Bears?

The Bears won the turnover battle 4–1: the Bengals gave the ball away 4 times and the Bears 1 time. The Bears won the game.

What is the all-time Bengals vs Bears record?

The Bears lead the all-time series 7–6 across 13 meetings since 1972.

When did the Bengals and Bears last play before this game?

Before Week 2 of 2021, they last met in the 2017 season on December 10, 2017, when the Bears beat the Bengals 33–7.

What is the Bengals vs Bears record since 2021?

The Bears lead 2–0 across 2 meetings since the 2021 season, including this game.

What was the closing spread for Bengals vs Bears?

The consensus closing spread at kickoff was Bears −2, making the Chicago Bears 2-point favorites, with a closing total of 44.5. That implied about 23.3 points for the Bears and 21.3 for the Bengals.

Did Bengals vs Bears go over or under the total?

The game went under. The consensus closing total was 44.5, and the teams combined for 37 points, 7.5 under the number.

Who covered the spread in Bengals vs Bears?

The Bears covered by 1 against the closing line of Bears −2. The final margin was 3 points.