Jets @ Bears
Final Score: Bears 23, Jets 12
Writer: Christian Otteman (@COttemanPL on Twitter)
It was a matchup of former Detroit Lions coordinators as Aaron Glenn and the Jets traveled to Chicago to take on Ben Johnson and the Bears. With Caleb Williams still on the mend, Tyson Bagent assumed lead QB duties for the home team. The Bears ended up dominating time of possession all afternoon and gave the Jets very little room to work when they did have the ball. New York did not convert a single third down all day and mustered just 157 yards of offense. The Bears rode their run game to victory and are now 2-0 without their starting QB.
Three Up
- Kyle Monangai — Punched in two touchdowns and was the drumbeat of the Bears’ offense all afternoon. You have to figure he’s earned a larger role moving forward.
- Colston Loveland — You could put any of Loveland, Rome Odunze, or Luther Burden III here, as they all had solid days, but I’ll give Loveland some love for leading the team in targets with nine and having his best day of the season thus far. I still think a huge game is brewing.
- Bears Defense — Yes, it’s the Jets, but that’s two straight solid performances for Chicago’s defense. I wouldn’t call them a must-add, but they’ve at least entered streamer territory.
Two Down
- D’Andre Swift — Swift scored a touchdown as well, but did not see the field after losing a fumble in the third quarter. He’s not in danger of losing his job completely, but Monangai certainly earned more chances today.
- Jets’ passing offense — The Jets only had the ball for about a quarter’s worth of football, so it was difficult for them to get anything going at all. Most disappointing was seeing Kenyon Sadiq put up a goose egg after breaking out against the Lions. A matchup against the Browns should help them get back on track, but Garrett Wilson is the only member of this offense I’m starting confidently.
New York Jets
Quarterback
Geno Smith: 8/15, 119 Yards, TD
The Bears absolutely smothered Geno Smith and the Jets in the first half, holding them to just 34 total yards. Geno was finally able to make something happen in the fourth quarter when he found Isaiah Williams for a long score, but it was too little too late for the Jets. The Bears dominated time of possession and gave Smith little opportunity to mount a comeback. Next week’s matchup against Cleveland should give Geno a chance to return superflex value, as the Browns just allowed Aaron Rodgers to put up a solid performance.
Running Back
Braelon Allen: 14 Carries, 59 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 8 Yards
The Bears’ run defense has been exploitable in 2026, but Braelon Allen is not Breece Hall, and he was unable to fully capitalize as the lead back in Hall’s absence. Allen was still arguably the most productive player for the Jets on the day and had a good drive to start off the second half with several powerful runs. He was also the only player to notch a carry for the Jets, meaning he still has a high-value role as Hall’s handcuff.
Wide Receiver-Tight End
Garrett Wilson: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards
There’s not much to fault Garrett Wilson for when Smith only attempted 15 passes and the Jets had the ball for 17 minutes. At least you can still say he tied for the team lead in targets? Wilson has been a solid WR2 up to this point and deserves to be trusted next week against the Browns’ beatable secondary.
Isaiah Williams: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 73 Yards, TD
The only highlight of the day for the Jets on offense came on Isaiah Williams‘ long touchdown, where he hauled in a Geno bomb and broke a tackle before trotting into the end zone. He shouldn’t be rostered in any leagues, especially with Adonai Mitchell returning soon.
Isaiah Williams 58-yard TD!
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Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TRgGogeLyP— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
Jelani Woods: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Sterling Shepard: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Kenyon Sadiq: 4 Targets, 0 Receptions
A disappointing day for Kenyon Sadiq after his breakout performance against the Lions. As with Wilson, next
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Tyson Bagent: 23/34, 268 Yards, 0 TD, INT | 4 Carries, 1 Yard
As the third starting QB for the Bears in as many weeks, Tyson Bagent performed admirably against the Jets. He does unfortunately hold the distinction of being the man to end the Jets’ interceptionless streak (first since 2024), but he otherwise managed the game well and let the run game take them to victory. Depending on how Caleb Williams progresses through his injury, Bagent may earn another start or two, but he shouldn’t be considered much more than a superflex flier if he does.
Running Back
Kyle Monangai: 30 Carries, 146 Yards, 2 TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
THIRTY carries! Kyle Monangai had one of the best games of his career and was simply a monster on Sunday afternoon. Much like D’Andre Swift, Monangai was later stuffed on a third-and-goal mere inches from the goal line, but he was able to punch it in on a second attempt. He followed up his first score with a powerful 5-yard run in the third. Monangai may have earned himself more goal-line opportunities, and possibly more if the coaching staff decides to knock Swift for his fumbling. He’s inching closer to becoming a weekly RB2 thanks to his solid role in a dynamic offense. After the game, it was revealed that Monangai is tending to a thumb injury, but it’s hard to imagine it bothered him that much during his 30 carries. Still worth monitoring ahead of next week’s matchup against the Packers.
Not many are running it better than Kyle Monangai today 😤
NYJvsCHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aOzQXt1CM5— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
D’Andre Swift: 15 Carries, 58 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
D’Andre Swift was stopped not once, but twice on the Bears’ opening drive on second and fourth down right at the goal line. Swift still had several strong runs on the opening drive and was trusted on short-yardage situations later on, so it doesn’t feel like he’s lost any sort of short-yardage role yet. However, Swift also lost a fumble in Bears territory to give the Jets a great scoring chance, and he did not see another touch the entire rest of the game. At the time of writing, there wasn’t any news of an injury to Swift, so it appears to be a mix of a benching, Monangai cooking, and the game being largely out of hand. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this backfield move towards a more even split after today’s game.
Roschon Johnson: 4 Carries, 16 Yards
Wide Receiver-Tight End
Rome Odunze: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 94 Yards
Rome Odunze was the top receiver for Chicago on Sunday, and the third-year pro made several key grabs to lead the Bears to victory. His snag near the end of the first half gave the Bears a red-zone opportunity with just a few seconds left, leading to a field goal. He made a few other nice catches throughout the afternoon and produced the kind of performance fantasy managers were expecting in this offense. He can be rolled out in all formats against the Packers next week regardless of who is under center.
Rome Odunze picks up 37!
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Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/pupC7cnmpB— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
Luther Burden III: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 63 Yards
Luther Burden III seems to be settling in after a few rough weeks to begin the season. While Odunze led the team in most receiving categories, Burden at times looked like the best receiver on the field thanks to his shiftiness. He nearly broke off a huge catch-and-run that could have been a touchdown if he didn’t just step out of bounds when turning upfield. That’s two solid performances in a row for Burden, who should profile as a solid WR3 moving forward.
Colston Loveland: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 57 Yards
Every week seems like another “close but no cigar” performance for Colston Loveland, who continues to earn targets in the red zone but can’t quite find paydirt. Loveland’s biggest catch came on third-and-5 in the fourth quarter when he broke in and corralled a pass to seal the game for Chicago. We’re making incremental steps in the right direction, and it feels like that big game should be coming soon.
A Colston Loveland first down moves the Bears closer to a win
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Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qHjNPVZ7ur— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
Kalif Raymond: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 6 Yards
Just when it looked like Kalif Raymond had a consistent presence in the Bears’ offense, he was shut down in what was his worst performance of the season. He’ll be difficult to trust in your lineup next week, but I wouldn’t drop him just yet.
Cole Kmet: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards
Sam Roush: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards