CHICAGO (104.3 The Score) — The Bears can win ugly too, as evidenced by their 27-24 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday night at Soldier Field despite committing five turnovers.
As sloppy as it was for the Bears, there were also positives to take away from a victory that lifted Chicago to 7-2 as it enters its bye week. Here are the observations of the evening.
Bears lean on defense
"Shoutout to the defense," Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said after the worst performance of his NFL career.
The 24-year-old Williams threw four interceptions for the first time in his NFL career. He was sloppy with decisions throughout the game, and that would've proved costly if not for the Bears' strong defense.
The Buccaneers were held to just three points off Williams' four interceptions. Those three points came off a field goal as time expired in the first half following a stop by the Bears as Tampa Bay was at Chicago's 3-yard line. The Buccaneers finished those other three series with a turnover on downs, a punt and an interception.
With Williams and the offense scuffling for most of the evening, the Bears were picked up by their defense. It wasn't a dominant performance by any means – the Buccaneers posted 352 yards and rallied from down 11 in the fourth quarter to tie the game – but it was a gutsy effort.
The Bears' league-best third-down defense held the Buccaneers to 2-of-12 on the money down, as well as 2-of-5 inside the red zone. That all mattered considerably in a close game.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been confident, if not arrogant, in sharing his goal of having a record-breaking offense. That certainly wasn't the reason for the victory Sunday, but the mark of a great team is finding a way to win amid adversity.
"We obviously want to be clicking all three (phases)," Williams said. "But when one side of the ball isn't clicking, we're going to step up, we're going to stand up for each other."
After the Bears' 59-37 win over the Panthers in their season opener, a prevailing sentiment was that Chicago's offense would need to post eye-popping numbers to bail out a weak defense.
Instead, the Bears defense has largely been a strength this season. The Bears are ninth in the NFL in total defense and ninth in scoring defense as of Monday morning. Adding All-Pro defensive tackle like Jeffery Simmons certainly changed the complexion for the group, and the potential return of safety Coby Bryant, perhaps in December, would add to that promise as well.
On Sunday, Bears veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson delivered the game-changing play with a pick-six of Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the third quarter.
Later, with the game tied at 24 in the final minutes, Williams led the game-winning drive, a the trademark of his as the Bears won a series of tight contests in 2025. He connected with tight end Colston Loveland for a 38-yard gain that moved Bears inside the red zone, and kicker Cairo Santos soon followed with the game-winning 38-yard field goal as time expired.
Ultimately, Williams needed all the help he could get to lead the Bears a victory. That came on the back of his defense.
'Displeasure'
Ben Johnson spoke after the game as if the Bears had lost. He was somber, his words were short, his frustration was clear.
It wasn't until Johnson was pointed toward the resilience shown late in the game that he changed his tone.
“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.
Johnson demands near perfection from his Bears. That's the standard he sets. Johnson has two goals in particular on his mind at this point of the season – he wants to keep stacking victories and have his Bears playing their best football in December, January and into February.
This victory can be a stepping stone toward that. Johnson was eager to watch the tape and make corrections from all that went wrong in the game.
The Bears understood their performance was underwhelming, and they certainly recognized Johnson's displeasure.
Running on empty
The Bears rushed 22 times for just 72 yards against the stout Buccaneers defense. Lead running back D'Andre Swift had 12 carries for 31 yards. The Bears' running game has been sorely lacking recently, averaging 103.0 yards per game and just 3.4 yards per carry across the past four games, all wins.
The Bears will struggle to achieve their lofty goals without a more efficient running game.
The expectation is that running back Kyle Monangai (thumb/toe) will return to action after the bye week. That would give the Bears and their rushing attack a much-needed boost.
Extra points
--- Odunze had a pair of drops in this one, both which would've been touchdowns. That remains a problem for him, though he's having a strong season and also made plays in this one. That included a nine-yard touchdown reception to cap the Bears' opening drive.
--- Johnson continues to have the Bears dialed in on their opening script. They marched 53 yards in 10 plays to score a touchdown to open the game Sunday.
--- Veteran defensive back Cam Lewis has been a great signing for the for Bears. His versatility has helped so much with injuries in the secondary. Lewis hauled in his first interception of the season Sunday.
--- Put a star next to a pair of tackles by Simmons on the Buccaneers' final drive of the first half. He got downfield for two touchdown-saving tackles, and Tampa Bay eventually settled for a field goal. That proved to be a big difference in the game.
--- Bears rookie Zavion Thomas figures to return a kickoff for a touchdown at some point this season. It almost happened in the third quarter. He was pushed out a yard shy of the end zone, only to have a questionable holding call on linebacker D'Marco Jackson negate the long return.
--- Williams beat Johnson to the postgame press conference podium, which hasn't happened in recent memory. He was eager to address his poor performance after the game.
--- That was the first time in my life that I was surprised by a Bears quarterback throwing four interceptions in a game.
--- This is a good time for the bye week.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
