CHICAGO — Cairo Santos drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired to propel the Chicago Bears to a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, overcoming five giveaways at Soldier Field.
Quarterback Caleb Williams endured the first four-interception performance of his football career, including college, but came through on the game’s final possession. Following a game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion from Tampa Bay late in the fourth quarter, Williams connected with tight end Colston Loveland for a 38-yard strike down the sideline. Williams took two kneel-downs to drain the clock before Santos converted the winning kick in front of an announced crowd of 60,470, the New York Post reported.
Defense cushions early giveaways
Chicago looked dominant out of the gate, taking a 14-0 lead during the opening quarter. Williams found wide receiver Rome Odunze on a nine-yard score on the first drive, and wideout Luther Burden III followed soon after by breaking tackles on a 56-yard touchdown catch. However, the Bears’ attack suddenly ground to a halt as Williams began tossing interceptions.
Despite giving the ball away on four separate Williams throws, Chicago’s defense prevented Tampa Bay from turning the miscues into touchdowns. The Buccaneers managed only a single field goal across the four picks thrown by Williams. Chicago recorded four sacks on the night, including one by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in his first home game since arriving via trade from Tennessee, according to the New York Post.
The Bears’ biggest play of the second half also came on defense. Shortly after Williams was intercepted for the fourth time by linebacker Alex Anzalone, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson stepped in front of a Baker Mayfield pass intended for tight end Cade Otton. Johnson returned the interception 67 yards for a touchdown, pushing Chicago ahead 24-13 with under four minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Late Tampa Bay rally falls short
Tampa Bay steadily chipped away at the deficit behind running back Bucky Irving, who rushed for 97 yards on 20 attempts. Kicker Chase McLaughlin hit three field goals on the night, trimming Chicago’s lead to 24-16 in the final frame.
With 3:38 remaining, Tampa Bay defender Rueben Bain Jr. jarred the ball loose from Burden on a screen pass, and Ifeatu Melifonwu recovered the fumble at the Chicago 17-yard line. Irving capitalized on the short field by punching in a touchdown from six yards out, his second score of the contest. Mayfield then scrambled into the end zone for a successful two-point conversion to knot the score at 24-24 with 2:51 left, USA TODAY Sports reported.
Williams responded by guiding an eight-play, 49-yard march that culminated in the Santos kick. Williams finished 22-of-37 passing for 279 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions, while Mayfield went 18-for-32 for 243 yards and two interceptions. The two quarterbacks combined for six interceptions, marking the third-highest total in a single game over the past decade, according to ESPN statistics cited by USA TODAY Sports.
“I’m going to throw until I can’t throw anymore,” Williams told reporters after the game, as reported by Fox News.
Injuries mount as bye weeks approach
The victory came with a physical toll for Chicago. Bears head coach Ben Johnson announced that Burden suffered a concussion on the late fumble and will enter the league’s concussion protocol. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson sustained a hand injury, and nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon exited the contest with an arm injury, USA TODAY Sports reported. Tampa Bay safety Antoine Winfield Jr. left during the game with an ankle injury.
With the win, Chicago improved to 7-2 on the season, remaining in contention for the NFC North lead. Tampa Bay fell to 3-6. Both squads enter their scheduled bye weeks before resuming regular season action.
