Caleb Williams, Bears outlast Buccaneers 27-24 on Sunday Night Football

Chicago Bears Caleb Williams, Bears outlast Buccaneers 27-24 on Sunday Night Football Chicago is now 7-2 entering its bye week, while questions still surround Baker Mayfield and Co. despite the effort. By James Neveau • Published 2 hours ago • Updated 2 hours ago The Chicago Bears ' defense and Cairo Santos were able to bail out Caleb Williams after one of the worst games in his career in a 27-24 victory Sunday. The win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gives the Bears a 7-2 record as they head into their bye week, but it wasn't easy as Williams threw a career-high four interceptions and the Bears struggled to move the ball throughout the second half. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are WATCH HERE Fortunately for Chicago, they were able to get a big play late in the fourth quarter on a long reception by Colston Loveland, and Cairo Santos booted through a 38-yard field goal to earn the victory. Williams ended the game throwing for 279 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions, but it was Loveland’s 38-yard catch that helped seal the game for Chicago. The Bears’ defense came up huge when it mattered most, including a pick-six from Jaylon Johnson, Jeffery Simmons’ first sack as a member of the Bears, and four sacks by the team’s defensive line in the victory. For the Bears, the first quarter could have hardly gone better, as they put together two strong scoring drives. Williams found Rome Odunze for a touchdown to cap off the first drive, and then Luther Burden put on an absolute clinic on a short pass over the middle on the next drive, as he evaded a multitude of Tampa Bay defenders on his way to the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown catch to put Chicago ahead 14-0 after one quarter. Things started to unravel a bit for the Bears in the second quarter, and it all started as it looked like they were about to extend their lead even more. Rookie receiver Zavion Thomas was flagged for unnecessary roughness at the 4-yard line, then Williams was intercepted on a deep pass to Odunze, giving Tampa back the ball. NFL NFL 6 hours ago Giants finally end 13-year drought in Philadelphia NFL 6 hours ago Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase join legendary company in Madrid After the Buccaneers turned the ball over on downs Williams tried to throw his next pass out of bounds, but it was picked off again, making it the first game since Week 3 of the 2024 season that the Bears’ quarterback has been intercepted twice in a regular season game. The Bears did get a field goal to take a 17-3 lead, then looked like they were going to have a golden opportunity to perhaps extend that lead late in the first half after Cam Lewis picked off Mayfield, but Williams threw another interception, his third of the half, and the Buccaneers were able to get a field goal before the end of the half to cut Chicago’s lead to 17-6. Things went from bad to worse for the Bears to start the second half as a Tez Johnson reception set up Tampa Bay with a golden scoring opportunity. The play also knocked Kyler Gordon out of the game, as he went to the locker room holding his arm, further depleting the Bears’ secondary. Bucky Irving then punched in the ball for a touchdown for Tampa, and they trimmed Chicago’s lead to 17-13. As the second half unfolded, the game settled into the type of defensive struggle many expected started to unfold, as both teams exchanged unsuccessful drives, with Mayfield taking a few hits and Williams continuing to struggle as he threw a fourth interception, giving Tampa the ball back with a chance to perhaps take the lead. That hope for the Buccaneers was short-lived, as Jaylon Johnson jumped a route and pulled off a 70-yard pick-six touchdown that sent the Soldier Field crowd into a frenzy, giving Chicago some breathing room with a 24-13 lead. The Bears’ offense still couldn’t get anything going in the third quarter, and the Buccaneers got a third Chase McLaughlin field goal to cut Chicago’s advantage to 24-16 with 11:24 remaining in the contest. After another Bears punt, Tampa's ensuring drive was extended when Austin Booker was flagged for a facemask, but the Bears got back-to-back sacks on Mayfield, including Jeffery Simmons' first sack as a Chicago Bear, and they were able to force a punt with five minutes remaining. Disaster struck the Bears again on the ensuing drive, as Burden was drilled in the head on a third-down screen pass and fumbled the ball back to the Buccaneers. Tampa was able to score quickly, as Irving scampered in for his second rushing touchdown of the night, and Mayfield rushed in the two-point conversion to tie the game with 2:51 remaining. With 50 seconds remaining, a jolt of life went through the Bears' offense, as Loveland was able to get wide open down the field, and he scampered down to easy field goal range for Chicago, with Tampa unable to stop the clock as they only had one timeout remaining. This article tagged under: Chicago Bears NFL