Sunday night's Bears-Buccaneers game at Soldier Field was filled with more dramatic highs and lows than the world's best roller coaster.
The Bears led 14-0 after the first quarter and 24-13 entering the final period before the Buccaneers staged a furious late comeback, tying the score 24-24 with 2:51 to play.
Caleb Williams, who had uncharacteristically thrown four interceptions in the second and third quarters, rebounded to set up Cairo Santos' 38-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Bears a 27-24 win. Williams put the Bears in position to win with a 38-yard pass to Colston Loveland to the Tampa Bay 16.
Williams staked the Bears to an early 14-0 lead, throwing touchdown passes on their first two possessions of nine yards to Rome Odunze and 56 yards to Luther Burden III.
After Zavion Thomas returned the opening kickoff 40 yards, Odunze capped a 10-play, 53-yard drive with his first TD of the season, shaking off a defender to create separation in the right corner of the end zone. It came two plays after Odunze had dropped a Williams pass in the end zone.
After the defense forced a three-and-out, Odunze and Burden both demonstrated their excellent run-after-catch ability. First, Odunze turned a short pass into a 23-yard gain along the right sideline. Three plays later, Williams beat a blitz, hitting Burden over the middle. He then turned upfield, broke two tackles and raced to the end zone.
The Buccaneers followed by reaching the Bears' 3, but the defense stiffened and Tampa Bay settled for Chase McLaughlin's 27-yard field goal, closing the gap to 14-3.
The Bears were in position to increase their lead with a first-and-goal at the 8. But after D'Andre Swift's 2-yard run, Thomas drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, pushing the ball back to the 21. On the next play, Williams' pass intended for Odunze was intercepted by safety Tykee Scott, who returned it 23 yards to the Buccaneers' 26.
The Bears defense got the ball back when Devin Bush and James Lynch stopped Mayfield for no gain on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak from the Tampa Bay 35.
Williams was then picked off for the second straight offensive play, this time by cornerback Zyon McCollum on a pass intended for Burden.
The Bears defense responded again, forcing a punt after allowing one first down.
Cairo Santos' 25-yard field goal then widened the margin to 17-3. It was set up by Williams' 26-yard completion to Burden.
Cam Lewis followed with the Bears' first takeaway, making an excellent break and intercepting a Mayfield pass at the Chicago 26.
But Williams then threw his third interception in seven passes, this time via a diving catch by McCollum at the Chicago 43. The Bears caught a break because McCollum had room to run, but the play was initially ruled an incomplete pass before being overturned following a replay review.
The Buccaneers capitalized on the takeaway, cutting the deficit to 17-6 on McLaughlin's 21-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
Last week Williams had set an NFL record with his 36th straight game with at least 20 pass attempts and fewer than two interceptions. Before Sunday night, he had not thrown three picks in a game, let alone in one quarter. He had only thrown multiple interceptions twice — in his second and third career starts as a rookie in 2024.
Tampa Bay entered Week 8 leading the NFL with 16 takeaways and 12 interceptions.
The Buccaneers opened the second half by closing the gap to 17-13 on Bucky Irving's 2-yard TD run with 11:37 left in the third quarter. The TD was set up by Mayfield's 57-yard pass to receiver Tez Johnson to the 2.
Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff for an apparent 92-yard TD, but it was nullified by a holding penalty on D'Marco Jackson.
Williams then threw his fourth interception of the game when cornerback Ayden Garnes broke up a pass that was intended for Burden and linebacker Alex Anzalone picked it off, returning it six yards to the Chicago 37.
Two plays later, Jaylon Johnson produced the play of the game, intercepting a Mayfield pass and racing untouched down the left sideline for a 67-yard touchdown, increasing the Bears' lead to 24-13 with 4:32 left in the third quarter.
The Buccaneers climbed to within 24-16 on McLaughlin's 35-yard field goal with 11:24 remaining in the fourth period.
The Bears committed their fifth turnover with 3:38 to play in regulation when Scott forced a Burden fumble that safety Ifeatu Melifonwu scooped up and returned four yards to the Chicago 17.
Tampa Bay capitalized on the takeaway, tying the score 24-24 on Irving's 6-yard TD run coupled with Mayfield's two-point conversion run with 2:51 to play before the Bears' responded on their final drive.
The Bears (7-2) extended their winning streak to four heading into their bye week. They will be back in action Sunday, Nov. 22 against the Saints at Soldier Field.
