The Chicago Bears notched an incredibly sloppy 27-24 win against the Buccaneers, a victory sealed by Cairo Santos’ 38-yard field goal as time expired. This game was a wild ride, and not in a good way for most of it, with the Bears turning the ball over five times and still managing to pull out the W. Nobody said it had to be pretty, right? Because this one was downright ugly.
Caleb Williams’ Four Picks and a Rough Ride
Quarterback Caleb Williams had a night he’d probably rather forget, throwing four interceptions. It was the first time in his regular season career he’d tossed more than two picks in a single game. He finished 22-for-37 passing for 279 yards, two touchdowns, and that brutal four-interception stat, giving him a 61.5 passer rating. Yikes. Luther Burden III led all receivers with 97 yards on seven receptions, but even he had a tough moment, exiting the game in the fourth quarter after taking a blow to the head that resulted in a fumble. Trainers had to help him off the field. This team was giving away the ball left and right, and it felt like they were actively trying to lose at times.
Defense Answers the Call in a Big Way
Despite the offense’s struggles, the Bears defense was absolutely clutch. The biggest highlight, outside of Santos’ game-winner, came in the third quarter when cornerback Jaylon Johnson picked off Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and took it 67 yards to the house for a touchdown. That was a momentum shifter, for sure! Adam Jahns from CHGO said it best: it was “ugly, very, very ugly,” but it was a win. He totally gives the entire defense a game ball for what they did, basically bailing out Williams’ four interceptions and Burden’s lost fumble. Patrick Norton echoed that, saying an ugly win is still a win, even if the Bears didn’t look like the better team for a good chunk of the game after the first quarter. Two touchdowns early, plus Johnson’s pick-six, were just enough to hold off a “scrappy Buccaneers team that simply wouldn’t go away.” Joey Christopoulos called Caleb’s performance “lukewarm” before Santos became “Iceman Cometh.” Seriously, the defense deserves all the praise here. The Buccaneers had five turnovers gift-wrapped for them, and the defense still found a way to win.
The Bears head into their bye week sitting at a solid 7-2. This bye week couldn’t come at a better time after such an exhausting, emotional win on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions last week, not to mention this messy performance. They’ve got a lot to clean up, especially on offense, but a win is a win, no matter how it looks. They’ll be back in action after the break, and you know they’ll be looking to tighten things up.
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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