The Chicago Bears are now 7-2 after scraping by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 27-24 win on Monday, November 9, 2026. This game was anything but smooth, despite the Bucs coming into Week 9 at a 3-5 record. It was a sloppy prime-time thriller, but a win is a win when you are building a Super Bowl contender.
From Dominance to Disaster: How the Bears Let It Slip
Coming off two straight weeks against the conference champions, the Bears were expected to have a slightly easier time against a 3-5 Buccaneers squad. But don’t sleep on those Bucs; they’ve been playing much better lately, Baker Mayfield is above average when healthy, and their defense is one of the league’s best. The Bears, playing their third straight prime-time game and with an 11-game losing streak on Sunday Night Football since 2018, couldn’t afford to take them lightly. Chicago started hot, driving down the field on their opening possession with a solid mix of rushing and passing. Caleb Williams found Rome Odunze in the end zone for the first touchdown, setting the tone. They made a quick defensive stand and then Williams connected with Luther Burden on a short pass that Burden took over 50 yards to the house, putting the Bears up 14-0. Easy win, right? Nope. From there, it all went south. Penalties, the offense hitting a wall, defensive mistakes… Chicago let that lead vanish. What looked like a blowout quickly turned into an up-and-down battle for both sides.
Williams’ Worst Night Still Ends in a Win
Things got super tight late in the game when Bucky Irving scored a touchdown for the Bucs, bringing them within two points. Baker Mayfield then made a great play, running in a must-attempt two-point conversion to tie it up. With under three minutes left, the ball was back in Caleb Williams’ hands. Here’s the kicker: this was not Williams’ best game of the season; in fact, the source says it was his worst with the team. But none of that mattered in crunch time. He calmly drove the Bears into field goal range, chewing up the clock, and setting up Cairo Santos for a 38-yard field goal. Santos nailed it for the win. It was a thrilling finish that the Bears won’t love dissecting, but finding a way to win even on an off-night for your star quarterback? That’s the stuff Super Bowl teams are made of.
7-2 and Ready For Anything
Now at a phenomenal 7-2, the Bears are heading into their bye week with a record that screams “Super Bowl aspirations.” This win, despite its ugliness, solidifies their standing as one of the best in the entire NFL before a gauntlet of a schedule after the break. You know, it is never perfect along the way, but with that head coach and that quarterback, there is no team they can’t beat. Their defense is wildly improved, too; they often masked the tough performance the offense had outside of the first quarter. This team found a way to win when it counted, proving that there is no stopping them when the going gets tough. They now have a chance to rest and recoup, getting ready for November 22, when they face off against the New Orleans Saints. Keep an eye on these guys; they are for real.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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