Chicago Bears 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24: Santos at the gun after five giveaways
Cairo Santos hit a 38-yard field goal as time expired and the Bears survived five turnovers to beat Tampa Bay 27-24 at Soldier Field.
The Chicago Bears turned the ball over five times and still beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24 at Soldier Field on Sunday. Cairo Santos settled it with a 38-yard field goal as the clock hit zero, after Tampa Bay had erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Two things carried Chicago through a messy afternoon: a defense that held the Buccaneers to 2-of-12 on third down, and a Jaylon Johnson pick-six that ended up being the margin.
How it was won
The start looked like a rout. Caleb Williams found Rome Odunze for a 9-yard touchdown at 9:38 of the first quarter, then hit Luther Burden III for 56 yards at 6:00. It was 14-0 before Tampa Bay had settled in.
The Buccaneers chipped back with field goals. Chase McLaughlin kicked from 27 yards early in the second quarter, Santos answered from 25 at 3:02, and McLaughlin made it 17-6 at halftime with a 21-yarder as the half ended.
Bucky Irving's 2-yard run at 11:37 of the third pulled Tampa Bay within 17-13. Then came the play of the game: Johnson stepped in front of a Baker Mayfield throw and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown at 3:39, making it 24-13.
Tampa Bay kept coming. McLaughlin's 35-yard field goal at 11:24 of the fourth cut it to 24-16, and Irving scored again from 6 yards at 2:51. Mayfield ran in the two-point conversion himself to tie it at 24. Chicago took the ball back and worked into range for Santos, who finished it at 0:00.
The box score explains why it was close. Williams threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-37 passing, but also threw four interceptions, part of five Chicago turnovers. Burden led all receivers with 7 catches for 97 yards and a score; Odunze had 4 for 60 and a touchdown. The run game produced 72 yards, with D'Andre Swift at 12 carries for 31.
Tampa Bay outgained Chicago 352 to 349 and held the ball for 32:52. Irving ran 20 times for 97 yards and both touchdowns. Mayfield went 18-of-32 for 243 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Tez Johnson caught two passes for 76 yards, and Kenny Gainwell added three for 60.
The difference was conversion. Chicago went 7-of-13 on third down; Tampa Bay went 2-of-12 and settled for four field goals.
Against the number
The Bears closed as 6.5-point favorites and won by three, so Tampa Bay covered. Anyone holding Chicago on the moneyline at -305 still got paid, though it took the final snap. Tampa Bay's price closed at +245.
The total closed at 47.5 and the game finished with 51, an over. It stayed under for most of the afternoon: the score sat at 24-16, 40 points, with under three minutes left. Irving's touchdown made it 46, Mayfield's two-point run pushed it to 48 and past the number, and Santos's kick added the last three.
Full pricing history is on the game page.
What's next
Chicago is 7-2 with four straight wins, following victories at Atlanta, over New England and at Seattle. The Bears are next in action on Sunday, November 22, at home against the New Orleans Saints, on Fox. Cleaning up the turnovers will be the focus; five giveaways against a better opponent is a loss.
Tampa Bay falls to 3-6. The Buccaneers' next game is listed on their team page.