Bears win 27-24 despite five turnovers
Caleb Williams threw four interceptions and a game-winning pass to Colston Loveland against the Buccaneers.
By Vincent Parker ·
The Chicago Bears beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24 on Sunday night in a game defined by mistakes. Chicago committed five turnovers, including a career-high four interceptions by quarterback Caleb Williams. Despite those errors, the Bears secured their fourth consecutive victory.
Williams finished with 22 completions on 37 attempts for 279 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. The Bears held a 24-16 lead in the fourth quarter before Tampa Bay tied the game. Rookie Rueben Bain Jr. forced a fumble from Luther Burden, who had been playing through a concussion. Ifeatu Melifonwu returned the ball to the Chicago 17-yard line. Bucky Irving ran for 11 yards to the goal line and then from the six-yard line to tie the score at 24 with 2:51 remaining. Baker Mayfield converted the two-point play to keep the Buccaneers alive.
With second and nine from their own 46-yard line and less than a minute left, Williams threw to Colston Loveland. Loveland caught the ball at the Tampa Bay 35-yard line and ran to the 16-yard line before going out of bounds. After two kneel-downs, Cairo Santos kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired. The crowd of 60,470 at Soldier Field watched Chicago secure its first win with at least five turnovers since December 3, 2006.
"I don’t get gun shy. That’s not me. That’s not my identity," Williams said. "And with that, I’m going to keep ripping it and keep ripping it."
Mayfield completed 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards and two interceptions. Irving carried the ball 20 times for 97 yards. The Buccaneers had rushed for a franchise-record 324 yards in their previous win over Atlanta. In this game, both teams struggled to run the ball effectively. Tampa Bay finished with 126 rushing yards, while Chicago managed only 72.
Chicago scored on its first two possessions. Williams threw a nine-yard touchdown to Rome Odunze. Burden then caught a third-and-eight pass and broke tackles for a 56-yard score. The Bears led 14-0 with six minutes left in the first quarter. Jaylon Johnson returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown after Williams threw a fourth interception of the night. Johnson’s pick-six gave Chicago a 17-13 lead. Coach Ben Johnson said the team knew it did not play to its full potential. He added that the best football from the team is yet to come in the second half of the season.
Tampa Bay defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. left in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson suffered a thumb injury. Both teams have a bye week this week. Tampa Bay will play at Detroit on November 22. Chicago will host New Orleans on November 22.
