The Chicago Bears overwhelmed the New York Jets 23-12 on October 4, 2026, at Soldier Field, controlling the ball for nearly 43 minutes while their defense held New York to just 157 total yards and seven first downs.
Quarter-by-Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NYJ | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| CHI | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
**Bears Bully Jets in the Trenches, Run Away With 23-12 Win**
Chicago didn’t just beat New York — it practically lived on the field. With Caleb Williams still out with a hamstring injury, Ben Johnson gave Case Keenum a ceremonial first snap after his Monday-night performance, then turned the offense over to Tyson Bagent. Bagent rewarded the call, completing 25-of-34 for 268 yards as Chicago rolled up 492 total yards, 34 first downs and 42:45 of possession without punting once. Kyle Monangai was the star, pounding out 146 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, while D’Andre Swift added 58 rushing yards. Rome Odunze finally looked like the featured receiver Chicago has been waiting on with six catches for 94 yards, Luther Burden III added 63, and Colston Loveland caught six for 57. Bagent did throw an interception to Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Swift lost a fumble, but moving back to Bagent still looked like the right call: he was Chicago’s actual No. 2 before concussion protocol forced Keenum into the lineup against Philadelphia, and the Bears offense barely slowed down Sunday.
The Jets defense deserves better than the final numbers make it look. Fitzpatrick finished with 16 tackles and New York’s first interception in 21 games, Demario Davis had 10 tackles and a sack, Dane Belton had 14 tackles, Jamien Sherwood had 13 and forced Swift’s fumble, and the unit produced two early red-zone stands. But asking any defense to survive 89 plays while its offense produces seven first downs is cruel. Geno Smith was brutal: 8-of-15 for 119 yards, and 58 of those came on one touchdown to Isaiah Williams, who finished with 73 yards on two catches. Braelon Allen gave New York 59 yards on 14 carries with Breece Hall sidelined, Garrett Wilson managed just three catches for 27 yards, and rookie Kenyon Sadiq went catchless on four targets one week after going for 105 yards. At some point you have to feel for Wilson since entering the league he’s caught passes through a carousel of quarterbacks, and another ugly Geno afternoon left him starving for opportunities. Chicago’s defense deserves plenty of credit too: Devin Bush, Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo each recorded a sack, the Bears held New York to 157 yards and 0-for-7 on third down, and Cairo Santos quietly buried three field goals. Jason Sanders made two for New York but missed the extra point after its lone touchdown. The Jets defense is still good. Chicago was simply better everywhere else.
Postgame Statistical Breakdown
Team Stats
| Stat | New York Jets | Chicago Bears |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 12 | 23 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 157 | 492 |
| Passing Yards | 98 | 260 |
| Rushing Yards | 59 | 232 |
| Total Plays | 32 | 89 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.9 | 5.5 |
| First Downs | 7 | 34 |
| Third Downs | 0-7 | 7-15 |
| Third-Down % | 0.0% | 46.7% |
| Fourth Downs | 0-0 | 2-3 |
| Passing TDs | 1 | 0 |
| Rushing TDs | 0 | 2 |
| Total Offensive TDs | 1 | 2 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 1 |
| Sacks Allowed | 3 | 1 |
| Penalties | 12 | 4 |
| Penalty Yards | 76 | 29 |
| Time of Possession | 17:15 | 42:45 |
Passing
New York Jets
- Geno Smith — 8/15, 53.3%, 119 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT, 7.9 YPA, 3 SACK, 101.8 RTG, 28.5 QBR
Chicago Bears
- Tyson Bagent — 25/34, 73.5%, 268 YDS, 0 TD, 1 INT, 7.9 YPA, 1 SACK, 83.9 RTG, 77.2 QBR
Rushing
New York Jets
- Braelon Allen — 14 CAR, 59 YDS, 4.2 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 10
Chicago Bears
- Kyle Monangai — 30 CAR, 146 YDS, 4.9 AVG, 2 TD, LONG 26
- D’Andre Swift — 15 CAR, 58 YDS, 3.9 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 13, 1 FUM
Receiving
New York Jets
- Isaiah Williams — 2 REC, 3 TGT, 73 YDS, 36.5 AVG, 1 TD, LONG 58
- Garrett Wilson — 3 REC, 4 TGT, 27 YDS, 9.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 14
- Jelani Woods — 1 REC, 1 TGT, 11 YDS, 11.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 11
- Braelon Allen — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 8 YDS, 4.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 5
- Kenyon Sadiq — 0 REC, 4 TGT, 0 YDS, 0.0 AVG, 0 TD
Chicago Bears
- Rome Odunze — 6 REC, 7 TGT, 94 YDS, 15.7 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 37
- Luther Burden III — 4 REC, 6 TGT, 63 YDS, 15.8 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 22
- Colston Loveland — 6 REC, 9 TGT, 57 YDS, 9.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 18
- D’Andre Swift — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 16 YDS, 8.0 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 12
- Cole Kmet — 2 REC, 2 TGT, 13 YDS, 6.5 AVG, 0 TD, LONG 7
Scoring Plays
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 0:23 | Chicago Bears | Kyle Monangai 1-yard run (Cairo Santos kick) | NYJ 0, CHI 7 |
| Q2 | 8:15 | New York Jets | Jason Sanders 36-yard field goal | NYJ 3, CHI 7 |
| Q2 | 2:29 | Chicago Bears | Cairo Santos 30-yard field goal | NYJ 3, CHI 10 |
| Q2 | 0:00 | Chicago Bears | Cairo Santos 30-yard field goal | NYJ 3, CHI 13 |
| Q3 | 7:00 | New York Jets | Jason Sanders 30-yard field goal | NYJ 6, CHI 13 |
| Q3 | 2:26 | Chicago Bears | Kyle Monangai 5-yard run (Cairo Santos kick) | NYJ 6, CHI 20 |
| Q4 | 10:01 | Chicago Bears | Cairo Santos 21-yard field goal | NYJ 6, CHI 23 |
| Q4 | 9:16 | New York Jets | Isaiah Williams 58-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Sanders PAT Failed) | NYJ 12, CHI 23 |
Defense
New York Jets
- Minkah Fitzpatrick — 16 TOT, 8 SOLO, 1 INT, 27 INT YDS, 1 PD
- Demario Davis — 10 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Dane Belton — 14 TOT, 6 SOLO, 1 PD
- Jamien Sherwood — 13 TOT, 5 SOLO, 1 PD
- Brandon Stephens — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 PD, 1 FR
- Harrison Phillips — 7 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 QBH
- David Bailey — 6 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 PD
- Joseph Ossai — 7 TOT, 5 SOLO
- Azareye’h Thomas — 5 TOT, 4 SOLO, 1 PD
- Jowon Briggs — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL
Chicago Bears
- Devin Bush — 4 TOT, 2 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 QBH
- Austin Booker — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 2 QBH
- Dayo Odeyingbo — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 TFL, 1 SACK, 1 PD
- Tyrique Stevenson Sr. — 4 TOT, 3 SOLO, 1 TFL
- Dillon Thieneman — 7 TOT
- T.J. Edwards — 4 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 QBH
- Malik Muhammad II — 2 TOT, 1 SOLO, 1 PD
- Xavier Woods — 3 TOT, 1 SOLO
- D’Marco Jackson — 3 TOT
- Grady Jarrett — 3 TOT
Kick Returns
New York Jets
- Kene Nwangwu — 2 KR, 55 YDS, 27.5 AVG, LONG 28, 0 TD
Chicago Bears
- Zavion Thomas — 4 KR, 70 YDS, 17.5 AVG, LONG 27, 0 TD
Punt Returns
New York Jets
Not available.
Chicago Bears
- Kalif Raymond — 2 PR, 16 YDS, 8.0 AVG, LONG 8, 0 TD
