The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went to Soldier Field on Sunday night, intercepted Caleb Williams four times, outrushed the Chicago Bears by 54 yards, and still lost 27-24 when Cairo Santos split the uprights as time expired.
That one game explains the Bucs at the midseason mark. They are good enough to hang with one of the NFL’s best teams and sloppy enough to lose anyway, which is how a team that started 0-4 now sits just a half-game behind the NFC South leaders, and somehow in with a shout at this year’s playoffs.
A frustrating night for Buccaneers at Soldier Field
Williams had set an NFL record the week before with 36 straight games of 20-plus attempts and fewer than two interceptions. The Buccaneers erased that aura fast. Tykee Smith, Zyon McCollum (twice) and Alex Anzalone each came down with a pick, and three arrived in the second quarter alone. However, the Bucs turned them into only three points.
Their own mistakes did the rest. Eight penalties, including five false starts, kept stalling drives, and the offense converted just two of 12 third downs. Then, Jaylon Johnson jumped a Baker Mayfield throw and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-13. Mayfield called that play the difference in the game afterward.
Bucky Irving kept the comeback alive, carrying 20 times for 97 yards and two scores. His second touchdown came from six yards out after Rueben Bain forced a Luther Burden fumble, and Mayfield scrambled in the two-point try to tie it at 24 with 2:51 left.
The Buccaneers never touched the ball again. Williams found Colston Loveland for 38 yards, the Bears bled the clock, and Santos finished it.
Chicago went in as the favourite on prediction markets, which is why the Bucs nearly flipping it is the kind of result traders notice. For readers new to how a game market settles, the Kalshi promo code page explains that each contract pays $1 if the chosen team wins, and which states can access it.
What the bye week has to fix in Tampa Bay
Zoom out and the pattern repeats. Every one of The Buccaneers’ six losses came by one score, from a 33-27 opener in Cincinnati to a 26-19 overtime defeat to Pittsburgh after leading 16-3 in the fourth quarter. The Bucs lead the league with 16 interceptions and ran for a franchise-record 324 yards against Atlanta last week, so the talent is not the issue.
Discipline is. Fewer false starts, better third-down offense and converting takeaways into touchdowns top the list. There are encouraging signs on the passing side for the Buccaneers, too. Mayfield threw for a season-high 243 yards in his third game back from a dislocated thumb, and Emeka Egbuka returned from a foot injury.
Ultimately, the division gives them room to recover. Carolina and New Orleans lead at 3-5, Tampa Bay and Atlanta sit at 3-6, and the Bucs are 2-0 in NFC South play with wins over the Panthers and Falcons. Carolina visits Tampa on Monday night, Nov. 30, and the Saints follow on Dec. 20, so the division can still be decided in December.
Buccaneers’ Frustrating Loss to Bears Tells The Story of Their Season