Cairo Santos kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired to give the Chicago Bears a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, at Soldier Field.
Williams Throws Four Interceptions
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams endured a four-interception game, handing the Buccaneers five total giveaways alongside a fumble by Luther Burden III. Tykee Smith, Zyon McCollum, and Alex Anzalone intercepted Williams during the game.
ZYON WITH THE INT & THE TOE DRAG SWAG 😤 📺: #TBvsCHI on NBC pic.twitter.com/ioBhHODLxb
Williams said after the game, They know we didn’t play as well as we’re capable of playing, but I believe the best is yet to come in terms of our football in the back half of this season.
The turnovers allowed Tampa Bay to erase an early 14-0 deficit built on touchdown passes from Williams to Rome Odunze and Burden. Chase McLaughlin kicked field goals for the Buccaneers, and Bucky Irving rushed for two touchdowns, including a 6-yard score with 2:51 remaining that tied the game at 24 following a two-point conversion scramble by Baker Mayfield, according to Nbcsports.
Williams ➡️ Loveland to put the Bears into field goal range! TBvsCHI on NBC/Peacock Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XK7UEUdLop
Jaylon Johnson Interception
The Buccaneers took over at the Chicago 37-yard line late in the third quarter after Anzalone intercepted a deflected pass from Williams. On the very next play, Jaylon Johnson intercepted Mayfield and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown to push the Bears ahead 24-13.
That obviously was the difference in the game,
Mayfield said. Defense, after they settled in, played amazing. So, you got to make the throws, you got to be more accurate.
Late Drive Sets Up Santos
After Tampa Bay tied the score in the final minutes, Williams connected with Colston Loveland for a 38-yard gain down to the 16-yard line. Two kneel-downs set up Santos for the winning kick as the fourth quarter expired.
It’s hard to win with five turnovers and yet we found a way to do it,
Bears coach, Ben Johnson said. They know that we didn’t play as well as we’re capable of playing, but I believe the best is yet to come in terms of our football in the back half of the season.
Back-to-back sacks by the Bears defense 🐻 TBvsCHI on NBC/Peacock Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/5pQAfM4Wre
The victory moved the Bears to 7-2 heading into their Week 10 bye. Tampa Bay fell to 3-6 and will also enter a bye week before playing the Lions in Week 11.
Before a crowd of 60,470 at Soldier Field, the Sunday night matchup featured a prime-time broadcast called by emergency replacement Noah Eagle after Mike Tirico was sidelined by an undisclosed health issue.
WHAT A THROW 🎯 WHAT A CATCH 🙌 📺: #TBvsCHI on NBC pic.twitter.com/38wDLkgsn6
The contest proved historic by shattering two long-standing NFL streaks: the Bears secured their first victory when committing five or more turnovers since a 23-13 win against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 3, 2006. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers suffered their first loss when forcing five or more takeaways since 1985, ending a 22-game winning streak in games with that statistical milestone.
The evening began with Chicago firing on all cylinders. Williams completed four of his first five passes, opening the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown strike to Odunze on the game’s initial possession. On the ensuing drive, Williams launched a 56-yard touchdown pass to Burden, marking the longest offensive score for the Bears all year and building a quick 14-0 advantage.
However, the momentum shifted as Williams began accumulating interceptions. Smith picked off a pass in the second quarter and returned it from the 3-yard line out to the 26. McLaughlin added a 21-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to cut Chicago’s lead to 17-6.
Tampa Bay carried that momentum directly into the second half. Irving capped the opening drive of the third quarter by punching in a 2-yard touchdown run following a 58-yard reception by Tez Johnson, narrowing the margin to 17-13.
CHICAGO 27, TAMPA BAY 24 SANTOS BAILS OUT THE BEARS AT THE GUN AFTER FOUR CALEB WILLIAMS PICKS Cairo Santos kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired Sunday night in Chicago, and the Bears beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24 despite four interceptions by Caleb Williams. Tampa…
The turnover parade continued when a deflected pass from Williams was hauled in by Anzalone, setting up the Buccaneers at the Chicago 37-yard line with 4:32 left in the third stanza. Yet Jaylon Johnson immediately answered for the Chicago defense by baiting Mayfield on an intended throw to tight end Cade Otton, intercepting the pass and racing 67 yards for the game’s lone defensive score.
The Buccaneers continued to chip away in the final frame. McLaughlin connected on a 21-yard field goal to end the first half, and later in the quarter, Burden fumbled after absorbing a helmet-to-helmet hit from rookie Rueben Bain Jr., and Ifeatu Melifonwu recovered the loose ball, returning it to the Chicago 17-yard line.
Four plays later, Irving scored on a 6-yard run, and Mayfield scrambled for a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 24 with 2:51 remaining on the clock. That set the stage for Williams’ game-winning heroics, finding Loveland down the sideline for a 38-yard gain that placed Santos in position for the 38-yard walk-off field goal.
Statistically, Williams finished the night 22-of-37 passing for 279 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, earning a quarterback rating of 61.5. On the other side, Mayfield completed 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards with two interceptions.
Irving spearheaded the Tampa Bay ground attack with 97 yards and two scores on 20 carries, adding four catches for 28 yards. Despite gaining 126 yards on the ground compared to Chicago’s 72 rushing yards, the Buccaneers converted 2 of 12 third-down attempts, whereas the Bears converted 7 of 13.
Defensively, Devin Bush delivered a performance that earned him a game ball. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles expressed frustration over his team’s inability to fully capitalize on the opponent’s mistakes. Following the conclusion of Week 9, the Bears sit at 7-2, while the Buccaneers drop to 3-6.