Bears tight end Colston Loveland, whose 58-yard touchdown catch-and-run won a wild game against the Bengals on Sunday, was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday. He’s the first rookie tight end to win the award since Jeremy Shockey in 2002.
Loveland finished Sunday’s game with six catches for 118 yards, the latter being the most for a Bears rookie tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961. Nothing, though, was more memorable than his touchdown catch which snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after the Bears gave up 15 points in the game’s final two minutes. Lovleand caught Caleb Williams’ pass with three Bengals surrounding him, bounced off safety Jordan Battle, spun and sprinted toward the end zone.
“I spun around and I’m like, ‘Man I’m still up,'” he said. “So I may as well try to score this thing.”
Loveland, who was drafted 10th overall in April, joins Williams as Bears players to win the conference’s weekly offensive award this season.