CHICAGO, Ill. — Fans back home in Tampa, Florida, watched the Buccaneers claw back late on Sunday night, only to see the Chicago Bears steal a 27-24 win at Soldier Field when Cairo Santos split the uprights from 38 yards with no time left.
Tampa Bay came into the prime-time matchup at 3-5 and leaves it at 3-6. Chicago, which started the night at 6-2, improved to 7-2 despite a messy performance on offense.
The Bears handed the ball over five times. Their quarterback, Caleb Williams, threw four interceptions, a new personal worst, and the Buccaneers still could not build enough of a cushion to hold on.
Baker Mayfield led Tampa Bay back in the closing minutes to pull even at 24. Chicago answered right away. Williams found tight end Colston Loveland on a 38-yard strike, and the rookie was shoved out along the sideline at the Buccaneers 16-yard line with only 40 seconds remaining.
From there the Bears took no chances. Williams took a knee on two straight snaps to drain the clock, setting up Santos for his second successful kick of the game. A crowd of 60,470 roared as the ball went through.
The loss leaves Tampa Bay three games under .500 as the season moves past its midpoint, with the margin for error shrinking for a club that needs wins to stay in the playoff picture.
For Tampa Bay, the takeaway is a familiar one: a defense that kept forcing mistakes and an offense that found life late, but too many empty chances in between. Four interceptions and a fifth giveaway against a 6-2 opponent on the road is the kind of gift a contender usually turns into a win, and the Buccaneers could not cash enough of them in.
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