The victories seemed to be coming a little too easy for the Chicago Bears in recent weeks, so they made sure to put everyone through an extremely stressful one before heading off for their bye week. The Bears wrapped up their three-game prime-time tour with a home matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football and escaped with a 27-24 victory and improved to 7-2 on the season. Early on, however, it felt as if the game would be a blowout.
Quarterback Caleb Williams quickly led two scoring drives to put the Bears up 14-0, with Tampa seemingly having no answers on either side of the ball. Everything was looking great, but then Williams began turning the ball over, something that is rare for him. Williams threw a career-high four
interceptions on the day, and the Bears had five turnovers on the day. The offense couldn't muster any momentum, putting all the pressure on the Bears defense, which came through multiple times.
The defense couldn't hold their ground forever, though. Eventually, those offensive miscues helped Tampa get back into the game as the Bears blew a 24-13 lead early in the fourth quarter to be tied 24-24 with just under two minutes to play. Fortunately, Williams responded by putting together one last scoring drive, complete with a big 38-yard completion to Colston Loveland to put the Bears in field goal range. Cairo Santos drilled a game-winning kick as everyone collectively exhaled.
This will be one of the more memorable wins for all the wrong reasons, but it's still a win that keeps the Bears near the top of the playoff picture. Here are our takeaways from Sunday's stressful victory:
1. This is the reincarnation of 2006's Miracle in the Desert
20 years ago, Bears fans were treated to one of the most improbable and ugly wins in a special season. That, of course, was the "Miracle in the Desert" comeback win against the Arizona Cardinals, where the Bears committed six turnovers and needed big plays from the defense and special teams to get back in the game. And though this game may not have had the same comeback theatrics, it was every bit as gross and gritty to keep the winning streak alive.
For nearly three full quarters, the offense didn't do much of anything and needed to rely on big plays by the defense to pick up the slack. It was ugly, and everything that could go wrong did go wrong. But the Bears never gave up and dug deep to get this victory. And great teams need to do that every once in a while.
The Miracle in the Desert proved to everyone in the locker room that they have what it takes to win, no matter what happens. And that mindset helped propel them to Super Bowl XLI. Hopefully this will do the same, especially since it's the first time the Bears have won a game with a -3 turnover differential since then. We'll look back on this game with fond memories when the Bears are gunning for a title.
2. Caleb Williams had his worst game in 2 years
This was a game we've quite literally never seen from Williams. For the first quarter, he was as dialed as can be, delivering accurate strikes to different receivers and moving the offense with ease. Then he got too comfortable and made an ill-advised throw for his first interception, and the floodgates opened.
The next two mistakes came as Williams attempted to just get rid of the ball but didn't do enough to put it out of harm's way. And the final interception was a bad ricochet that landed right in the arms of Alex Anzalone. But in between those throws, he had inaccurate passes and seemed rattled by Tampa's pressure.
Williams finished the day completing 22 of 37 passes for 279 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions, easily a career high for him. This is the first time the Bears have won a game with their quarterback throwing four picks since 2010, when Todd Collins did so against the Carolina Panthers.
It's a game you never want to see out of your quarterback, but considering Williams rarely has these types of outings, he deserves grace. And he was able to rally at the end when his team needed him the most to deliver key strikes for the game-winning kick. Even when Williams is down, his confidence is never shot, and he finds a way to bounce back.
3. Devin Bush needed Jeffery Simmons in the worst way
The Bears' defense was everywhere on Sunday, and linebacker Devin Bush was a big reason why. The veteran linebacker who signed with Chicago this offseason was sniffing out sweeps, plugging gaps, bringing down running backs for losses, and stopping crucial fourth-down conversions. And the arrival of Jeffery Simmons is a big reason for his success.
When Bush was playing with the Cleveland Browns the last two years, he excelled as the linebacker who would clean up all of the messes thanks to playing behind All-Pro Myles Garrett and other quality defensive linemen. Bush didn't have that same presence when coming to the Bears, and his play wasn't the same. Now that Simmons is on the line, we're seeing a different Bush that is playing with the utmost confidence.
Bush finished the game with nine total tackles (one for loss) and two pass breakups. He may not have the stats that jump off the box score, but his impact was evident all night long. With Simmons continuing to eat up double teams, Bush can tee off on opposing offenses the rest of the way.
4. Jaylon Johnson clapped back at his critics
Jaylon Johnson may have gotten the last laugh, and I'm sure Bears fans are more than fine with that. Johnson has been under the microscope all season long for his lackluster play, especially in recent weeks. His teammates told the media he has to get better, and fans haven't been shy about sharing their displeasure with the former Pro Bowler. Johnson himself even teased an Instagram story saying how nobody loves him like they used to when he was terrorizing receivers.
But Sunday night belonged to No. 1, as his pick-six saved the game for the Bears. Johnson stepped in front of a Mayfield pass to tight end Cade Otten and took it all the way back 67 yards for the score. It was Johnson's second pick-six of his career (the first since 2023), and it came at the perfect time. The pick may not have been the best part, though.
According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Johnson allowed just one reception for six yards on five targets. Prior to Sunday's game, he was allowing 12.2 yards per target. Having Johnson improve in that area would be a huge lift for this defense, especially as they struggle with injuries in the secondary.
Johnson didn't have much to say when speaking with reporters after the game, nor did he offer up a speech when getting the game ball in the locker room. That's alright because his play spoke volumes, and everyone heard it.
5. The run game needs to get back on track
I won't go as far as to say the running game is broken right now, but it's not far off. This was the Bears' worst rushing output of the season, and it came when their quarterback began turning over the ball at an alarming pace. When neither facet of the offense is working, it's difficult to win games.
D'Andre Swift averaged 2.6 yards per carry for the second game in a row, only this time he didn't barrel into the end zone three times. His longest run of the day was just six yards. It seems clear Swift isn't fully healthy, but then why not lean more on Roschon Johnson, who had filled in well as of late for the injured Kyle Monangai? Johnson didn't get a carry, and instead, Salvon Ahmed was the one who spelled Swift, who had 25 yards on five carries.
Head coach Ben Johnson preaches that the offense is built on the run game, but he seemed to have zero confidence in it on Sunday night. Or it could be that Williams checked out of those plays as well. Regardless, they need to get back on track with establishing the run to keep things moving. Hopefully the impending return of Monangai helps fix a few of these issues.
6. Todd Bowles saved this game for the Bears
Thank goodness for Todd Bowles. The Buccaneers head coach did what he usually does and played things safe for much of the night, which likely led to the Bears win.
Bowles isn't one to take risks, like his decisions to kick short field goals in the first half instead of going for touchdowns. Those six points could have easily turned into 14, and we're having a different conversation this week. Instead, Tampa was never able to take the lead, and the Bears remained in the driver's seat. It wasn't Johnson's best day, either, but you can see the difference in coaching and how impactful it can be.
7. Zavion Thomas' penalty changed everything
I feel bad piling on rookie Zavion Thomas for one mistake, but it really did change the course of the game. The Bears had first and goal at the Tampa eight-yard line, and Thomas was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the other side of the field. Instead of having a second and goal at the six-yard line, the Bears were pushed all the way back to the 21, and Williams immediately threw an interception.
At worst, Chicago was going to be up 17-3, and at best, it would have been 21-3. The offense seemingly never recovered, and Thomas didn't play another snap on offense. Ultimately, the Bears were able to overcome the mental gaffe with the win in the end, but it wasn't easy.
It's a shame too because Thomas looked great on special teams and had a nice catch on offense prior to the penalty. He would have redeemed himself with a kick return touchdown had a holding penalty not wiped it off the board. But that error was the catalyst for the offense melting down.
8. Thank goodness the fake punt failed
I'll keep this short and sweet. The fake punt at the Bears' 34-yard line was dumb in the moment, and they're lucky a false start ruined it. Tampa had that play covered immediately and would have given the Buccaneers the ball with prime field position. And even though Tampa did score a field goal on the ensuing possession, they likely would have had more with a shorter field to work with.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 8 takeaways from the Bears' stressful win over the Buccaneers
