CHICAGO (104.3 The Score) – The scene inside the victorious home locker room at Soldier Field was reserved after the Bears earned an uneven 27-24 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday night.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson was far more eager to watch the tape from his team’s sloppy performance than celebrate the result with his players, but he also understood the significance of emerging with a victory in this fashion.
"Despite the displeasure I might be presenting right now, there's a lot of good in terms of building this team that comes from a win like this," Johnson said.
The Bears committed five turnovers, including quarterback Caleb Williams throwing a career-worst four interceptions. They squandered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, allowing the Buccaneers to tie the game at 24-24 with 2:51 remaining.
Despite that, kicker Cairo Santos booted a 38-yard field goal as time expired to give Chicago a collective exhale as the Bears improved to 7-2.
"Just kind of an ugly game," Santos said. "They made great plays, and we gave the ball away too many times. It just turned into a close game.
"We just have to deliver for what kind of game it was turning into.”
Williams has said previously that a team victory is what matters, not his individual performance. On Sunday, his Bears teammates picked him up. Williams was 22-of-37 for 279 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. Before their final drive, the Bears had compiled one first down, four punts and two turnovers in the second half.
Then Williams came through in the clutch, driving the Bears to the Buccaneers’ 16-yard line before taking two knees to set up Santos from 38 yards out.
The key play was a 38-yard strike from Williams to tight end Colston Loveland that got the Bears in the red zone.
For Williams, it was a familiar finish to an otherwise uncharacteristic performance.
"I'm going to throw until I can't throw anymore," Williams said. "That's how I live. I work my tail off to be in this position. I'll never not throw the ball. I mean, I can throw 100 picks in a game. If it comes down to it, I'm going to throw that pass I threw to Colston, or if it's a tighter window I'm going to rip it in there. That's how I grew up. That's what I am. I don't get gun-shy. That's not me, that's not my identity, that's not who I am."
As Williams and the Bears struggled on offense, their defense stepped up. The Bears held the Buccaneers to just three points off those four interceptions. They got contributions all across their defense, none more important than a third-quarter interception by veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson that was returned 67 yards for a touchdown.
"We're a team full of fighters," Johnson said with a measured tone while discussing his big play.
Throughout the locker room, there weren't any Bears who seemed particularly thrilled by this game. Williams rushed to the podium ahead of Ben Johnson to meet with reporters, eager to take the blame for his poor showing. Johnson stood outside the door waiting for Williams to finish, then had little to offer for praise.
After his team’s impressive win over the Seahawks last Monday, Johnson told the Bears that they were just getting started. He reiterated that again after this underwhelming showing, still confident that his team is building toward better.
"They know that we didn't play as well as we're capable of playing," Johnson said. "But I believe the best is yet to come in terms of our football in the back half of this season.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
