The Bears came away with a 27-24 win, though five turnovers made it a much rougher night than Chicago would have wanted.
Caleb Williams had a wildly uneven outing against Tampa Bay. He threw four interceptions for the first time in his career, and after the Bears jumped out to a 14-0 lead, their offense stalled and allowed the Buccaneers back into the game. Noah Eagle called the broadcast after Mike Tirico was sidelined by an undisclosed health issue.
Chicago looked stuck late in the third quarter, but cornerback Jaylon Johnson changed the momentum by intercepting Baker Mayfield and returning it 67 yards for a touchdown.
Tampa Bay rallied again, tying the score at 24. With 2:51 remaining, Williams led an eight-play, 49-yard drive, including a 38-yard completion to Colston Loveland. Cairo Santos finished it with a 38-yard field goal as time expired.
Williams didn’t seem especially bothered by the turnovers afterward. “I’m going to throw until I can’t throw anymore,” he said. He finished with 279 passing yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Mayfield, meanwhile, was sacked four times and threw for 243 yards without a touchdown. The 7-2 Bears now have a bye week, giving them a little time to move on from a win that was far closer than it needed to be.
