CINCINNATI -- Back in early August as the Chicago Bears began their preseason games, coach Ben Johnson was asked about the trust he had in the team's rookies.
At this point of training camp, players such as tight end Colston Loveland and running back Kyle Monangai were learning to juggle all that comes with life in the NFL. Loveland, the 10th overall pick, had only been on the field for a few weeks after missing spring workouts while recovering from shoulder surgery. Monangai, a seventh-rounder, was trying to prove himself worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster.
Johnson was honest. There were other players, namely veterans with years of experience and skins on the wall, who he'd expect to lean on in big moments. Trust wasn't something the first-year Bears coach would hand out sight unseen.
"Trust is a strong word," Johnson said on Aug. 10. "I don't know that I can say that yet for those guys. ... I'm happy with all three of these guys [including rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III] and where they're headed, but trust will take a little time."
Three months later and nine weeks into their rookie seasons, Loveland and Monanga have earned a level of trust.
Nothing demonstrated that more than the 58-yard touchdown reception Loveland caught as the Bears frantically put together a game-winning drive in the final minute of the fourth quarter of Sunday's 47-42 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Johnson had been "hunting" a specific coverage in the two-minute drill since before halftime. He sat on three or four playcalls that he didn't have the opportunity to dial up until about 25 seconds remained in the game.
After the Bengals scored two touchdowns in a 49-second span late in the fourth quarter and erased Chicago's 14-point lead, the Bears began their final drive from their own 28-yard line.
After Caleb Williams scrambled 14 yards on third-and-10 to move the Bears near midfield, Johnson used Chicago's final timeout to draw up the game winner.
Loveland was Williams' No. 1 read. When the Bears finally saw the coverage Johnson had been looking for, the quarterback zipped a pass over the middle, which Loveland caught between two defenders. The 6-foot-6 tight end absorbed two hits simultaneously from Bengals safeties Jordan Battle and Geno Stone before taking off and sprinting the rest of the way to the end zone.
"Caleb did a great job seeing it and delivered a good ball," Johnson said. "I figured it was going to be explosive. I wasn't expecting it to be a touchdown, though, and I think that was Colston's speed just taking off and going for it. So, it was good to see."
On the Bears sideline, dejected defensive players rose to their feet and exploded with excitement. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was still learning the names of his teammates after signing with Chicago last Wednesday, marveled in amazement at Loveland's speed. "He was like a NASCAR," he said.
On the field, Loveland's teammates thought the same as they sprinted to catch up with him in the end zone.
"I'm glad I wasn't miked up," Monangai said. "I probably sounded like a little girl running down the field. I was screaming. There was a lot of emotion, but games like that ... that's what you play at this level for, is moments like that."
Loveland became Williams' most trusted target on an afternoon when fellow tight end Cole Kmet exited the game in the second quarter with a concussion. The first-rounder led the Bears with seven targets and broke out with six receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
He is the first Bears rookie tight end with 100 receiving yards in a game since Mike Ditka did it in 1961.
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For Monangai, the groin injury that sidelined running back D'Andre Swift in Week 9 paved the way for the Rutgers product to earn his first start. A thin backfield meant more reps and responsibility for the player who led the Big Ten in rushing attempts (256) last season.
Monangai recorded a season-high 26 carries for 176 yards (6.8 yards/carry) and three catches for 22 yards. He sparked a ground game that looked its most powerful and potent all season with the Bears totaling 283 rushing yards, their most in a game since Walter Payton was leading the way for Chicago in Week 5 of the 1984 season.
Leaning on Monangai and the run game allowed the Bears to get back on track in the red zone, where they came away with four touchdowns on six trips inside the Bengals' 20-yard line. The player the Bears became enamored with during the draft process for his durability and reliability (Monangai had zero fumbles over five seasons at Rutgers) delivered in his first opportunity as RB1.
"I'm not surprised," Johnson said. "That's kind of who he's been since he's been here. Very reliable. He's going to do what you're coaching. I think he's hard to bring down. I think that showed up. What he was at Rutgers was the bell cow for that team, and he proved today that he can carry that load if called upon."
For a Bears running game that got off to a slow start in the first month of the season, the contributions Monangai made in Cincinnati are proof of concept, both to a Bears offense that uncovered his every-down prowess and to himself.
"The work I put in, I expect the results I get, but it doesn't mean I'm satisfied or anything like that," Monangai said. "It just means I've got to keep going. This is more of just letting myself know I'm on the right track. Now it's time to keep going, put the foot on the gas and continue to keep this trend going."