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CHICAGO — Caleb Williams threw four interceptions on Sunday night at Soldier Field, yet the Chicago Bears still managed to come away with a win.
The Bears turned the ball over five times in total, with the last one being a Luther Burden III fumble late in the fourth quarter that gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers possession deep in Chicago territory. The Buccaneers capitalized with a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 24.
With just under three minutes remaining, Williams and the offense took the field and delivered a crucial play: a 38-yard strike to tight end Colston Loveland that moved the Bears into field-goal range. Kicker Cairo Santos then drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired, sealing a 27-24 victory.
The Bears, now 7-2 heading into their bye week, had not won a game in which their quarterback threw four interceptions since October 10, 2010, when they defeated the Carolina Panthers despite Todd Collins throwing four picks. According to Stathead, Chicago had been 5-43-1 in regular-season games when their quarterback threw four or more interceptions prior to Sunday.
Chicago jumped out to a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter after Williams connected with Rome Odunze and Burden for touchdowns. Odunze scored on the opening drive, and on the next possession, Burden caught a short pass over the middle and sprinted away for a 56-yard score. It appeared the Bears might cruise to an easy win, but that was not the case.
In the second quarter, Williams threw interceptions on back-to-back passes. The first came when he targeted Odunze near the goal line as the Bears were attempting to take a three-score lead; Buccaneers safety Tykee Smith made the pick. A few minutes later, the Bears defense made a big fourth-down stop to give the offense the ball at the Tampa Bay 35-yard line, but Williams threw his second interception on the very next play.
Williams had never thrown four interceptions in a game as a pro or during his three seasons of college football. He had not thrown two interceptions in an NFL game since Week 3 of his rookie season in 2024, and the last time he threw three was for USC in a loss at Notre Dame in 2023. He entered Sunday with just one interception this season and had completed 73.8% of his passes in his first three games since returning from a hamstring injury. He finished 22 of 37 (59.5%) for 279 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Yet the Bears are 4-0 since Williams returned from injury. On a night when the offense struggled with turnovers, the defense came up with clutch points in the second half. In the third quarter, cornerback Jaylon Johnson intercepted Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown. Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense could not get anything going against the Chicago defense, going 2 for 12 on third-down attempts. Safety Cam Lewis also recorded an interception in the second quarter.
However, the Buccaneers took advantage of Burden's late fumble, which gave them the ball at the Bears 17-yard line. Running back Bucky Irving scored on a 6-yard run, and Mayfield ran in the two-point try to tie the score at 24. That set the stage for Santos' game-winning field goal.
Key Analysis
This game underscored the Bears' resilience and ability to win despite significant adversity. Williams' four-interception performance was uncharacteristic, but the defense's ability to create turnovers and score proved decisive. The victory also highlighted the team's depth and composure in critical moments, as they executed when it mattered most. Moving forward, the Bears will need to address the turnover issues to sustain their success, but for now, they can enjoy a hard-fought win heading into the bye week.
Originally reported by yahoo.