Bears survive five turnovers, beat Buccaneers 27-24 on Santos' field goal at the gun
Caleb Williams threw four interceptions, then hit Colston Loveland for 38 yards to set up Cairo Santos' winning kick as the Bears moved to 7-2.
The Chicago Bears turned the ball over five times Sunday night at Soldier Field and still beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24. Cairo Santos made a 38-yard field goal as time expired. The win was Chicago's fourth straight and moved the Bears to 7-2 heading into their bye week.
Caleb Williams set up the kick on the final drive after a rough night. He threw a career-high four interceptions, according to The Associated Press, but with the game tied he found rookie tight end Colston Loveland open for 38 yards. Loveland was pushed out at the Tampa Bay 16 with 40 seconds left. Williams took two knees to run the clock down, and Santos made his second field goal of the night. Williams finished 22 of 37 for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
The tie came from Chicago's fifth giveaway. The Bears led 24-16 when Luther Burden III fumbled with 3:38 to play, and Ifeatu Melifonwu returned it to the Chicago 17. Bucky Irving scored from 6 yards out, and Baker Mayfield scrambled in for the two-point conversion to tie it at 24 with 2:51 left, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Chicago scored touchdowns on its first two possessions. Williams hit Rome Odunze from 9 yards out, and Burden broke tackles on a third-and-8 catch for a 56-yard score to make it 14-0 in the first quarter. Williams then threw interceptions on the next two series, and Tampa Bay came back. The swing play came late in the third quarter. Alex Anzalone caught a deflected Williams pass with Chicago up 17-13, and on the next snap Jaylon Johnson stepped in front of Cade Otton and returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown. It was his first pick of the season and the second pick-six of his career.
Burden had seven catches for 97 yards before he left with a concussion. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson hurt his hand, and Kyler Gordon left briefly before returning. Jeffery Simmons had a sack in his first home game since the trade that brought him from Tennessee. Two of the league's top rushing teams had little room on the ground. Tampa Bay ran for 126 yards and Chicago for 72. Mayfield threw for 243 yards and two interceptions as the Buccaneers fell to 3-6.
What it means for the Saints game
The Bears are off next week and return Sunday, November 22, at home against the New Orleans Saints on Fox. The week off gives Burden time to work through the concussion protocol and Stevenson time to heal his hand.
The season numbers favor Chicago. Over the four-game streak, the Bears have scored 122 points and allowed 88. That includes 34 at Seattle and 31 at Atlanta, according to ESPN's results. Through nine games they have outscored opponents 241-184. They are 4-1 at Soldier Field, and the only home loss was a 9-3 game against Minnesota. Both defeats came against division opponents, with the other a 31-7 loss at Green Bay.
This game shows how thin the margin can be. Chicago gave Tampa Bay five extra possessions and needed a defensive touchdown and a final-play kick to win. Last week's three-point margin matched the closest of the streak; the Patriots and Falcons games were both decided by single digits. Williams' 13 completions after halftime included the one that won it, but holding on to the ball against New Orleans is the clearest thing the Bears can fix.