By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Cairo Santos drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired Sunday night to give the Chicago Bears a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field, extending the team’s winning streak to four games.
The win improved Chicago’s record to 7-2 and marked the franchise’s hottest stretch of the 2026 season. It came despite a rocky outing from third-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw four interceptions before engineering the game-winning drive.
“Great job by the guys, finding a way to get a win,” coach Ben Johnson said after the game, according to the team’s website. “It was a good football team that we just played. Defense was outstanding, and I thought that that showed throughout that game.”
The Bears raced to a 14-0 first-quarter lead on Williams touchdown passes of nine yards to Rome Odunze and 56 yards to Luther Burden III. Odunze’s score capped a 10-play, 53-yard opening drive after Zavion Thomas returned the kickoff 40 yards. Burden’s touchdown showcased his run-after-catch ability as he broke two tackles and sprinted to the end zone.
Tampa Bay clawed back steadily. Chase McLaughlin’s 27-yard field goal cut the lead to 14-3, and Bucky Irving’s 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter pulled the Buccaneers within 17-13.
Williams’ uncharacteristic turnover spree threatened to undo the Bears’ fast start. Before Sunday, he had thrown multiple interceptions in just two career games, both during his 2024 rookie season. The Buccaneers took advantage of the miscues to close the gap.
The Bears defense, however, refused to buckle. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson intercepted Baker Mayfield and returned the ball 67 yards for a touchdown, pushing the lead to 24-13. Defensive end Montez Sweat threw a key block on Mayfield to clear Johnson’s path to the end zone.
“You could feel the momentum swing back in our favor after that one,” Johnson said, according to the team’s recap.
Tampa Bay still managed to tie the game at 24-24 with 2:51 remaining. Irving scored on a 6-yard run, and Mayfield converted the two-point attempt to cap a comeback fueled by a Bears fumble.
Williams then steadied himself for the decisive possession. He moved the Bears 49 yards in eight plays, connecting with tight end Colston Loveland on a 38-yard strike down the left sideline to the Tampa Bay 16 with 38 seconds left. An 8-yard completion to Kalif Raymond on third-and-4 sustained the drive earlier in the sequence.
“They got confused with the tempo plus the motions and then from there, he ran a great route, protected the football and got down,” Williams said of Loveland’s catch, according to the team’s website.
Santos then stepped up and split the uprights to end it.
Williams finished 22 of 37 for 279 yards with two touchdowns against four interceptions. Burden hauled in seven catches for 97 yards and a score. The Bears’ ground game struggled against Tampa Bay’s top-ranked run defense, managing just 72 yards on 22 carries. D’Andre Swift was limited to 31 yards on 12 attempts.
Chicago’s defense registered two interceptions and four sacks, held Mayfield to a 54.6 passer rating and allowed just 2-of-12 third-down conversions.
“It’s hard to win with five turnovers, and yet we found a way to do it,” Johnson said, according to the game recap. “I believe the best is yet to come in terms of our football in the back half of this season.”
The Bears have now won four consecutive games after victories over the Falcons, Patriots and Seahawks in preceding weeks. Chicago entered the season as reigning NFC North champions.
The team next prepares for a Week 10 matchup as it aims to strengthen its position in the NFC playoff race.
