38-yard field goal ends Bucs' comeback as Bears win 27-24
Tampa Bay forced five turnovers but converted only two of 12 third downs, falling to Chicago on a final-second kick.
By Meera Fletcher ·
A 38-yard field goal by Cairo Santos gave the Chicago Bears a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night, capping a game defined by defensive dominance and offensive inefficiency for the visitors.
The Bucs forced five turnovers against Chicago, including a career-high four interceptions thrown by Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Despite these defensive stops, Tampa Bay converted just two of 12 third-down attempts. The team settled for three field goals by Chase McLaughlin and totaled 352 yards of offense.
Baker Mayfield rallied the Bucs from a 14-0 deficit to tie the game at 24 with 2:51 remaining. The sequence began when rookie Rueben Bain forced a fumble by Bears running back Luther Burden with 3:38 left. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu returned the ball to the Bears' 17-yard line. Bucky Irving then carried the ball 11 yards before scoring from the six-yard line. Mayfield completed a two-point conversion to equalize the score.
The decisive play occurred on the final possession of the game. The Bears faced second-and-nine from their own 46-yard line. Williams found Colston Loveland uncovered at the Bucs' 35-yard line. Loveland ran 10 yards after the catch and was pushed out of bounds at the Tampa Bay 16 with 40 seconds remaining. This play set up Santos' successful 38-yard field goal as time expired.
Head coach Todd Bowles acknowledged the defensive lapse on the final drive. "We busted. Shouldn't happen," Bowles said. The Bucs' defense had been strong earlier, but the blown coverage allowed Chicago to secure the winning kick.
The four interceptions of Williams resulted in only three points for Tampa Bay. One led to Chicago giving the ball back on downs, another resulted in a punt, and a third led to a McLaughlin field goal to close the first half. The final interception was thrown by Mayfield to Jaylon Johnson, who returned it 67 yards for a touchdown.
Mayfield completed 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards and two interceptions. He noted that the final interception was "obviously the difference in the game." Bucky Irving finished with 97 rushing yards on 20 carries. Williams completed 22 of 37 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns for Chicago.
The Bears took an early 14-0 lead. Williams connected with Rome Odunze for a 9-yard touchdown on the first drive. Burden then scored a 56-yard touchdown after breaking tackles on a third-down reception. Tampa Bay responded by scoring on the final play of the first half and early in the third quarter.
The Bucs enter their bye week with a 3-6 record. They are a half-game behind division leaders Carolina and New Orleans, who are both 3-5. Tampa Bay will play at Detroit on November 22. Jeffery Simmons recorded a sack in his first home game since being acquired from Tennessee.
Chicago improved to 7-2 with its fourth consecutive win. The crowd at Soldier Field numbered 60,470. Burden finished with seven catches for 97 yards before leaving with a concussion. The Bucs rushed for 126 yards, while the Bears gained 72 yards on the ground.
