Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson walked to the podium at Soldier Field late Sunday night with a 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a 7-2 record and a fourth straight victory, and with a list of things his team will have to clean up. The Bears turned the ball over five times, Caleb Williams threw a career-high four interceptions, and the special teams had a touchdown called back. Johnson’s summary was short. “It’s hard to win with five turnovers, and yet we found a way to do it,” he said.
Ben Johnson’s full postgame press conference after the Week 9 win over Tampa Bay. Video: Chicago Bears on YouTube.
“They don’t bat an eye”
Johnson gave the game to his defense. On the four Tampa Bay possessions that followed Williams’ interceptions, the Bears allowed only three points, and on one of them they scored. The Buccaneers converted just 2 of 12 third downs, Baker Mayfield was sacked four times and finished with a 54.6 passer rating, and Cam Lewis and Jaylon Johnson both intercepted him.
“I think that was really the story of the game, was those guys stepping up,” Johnson said. “I thought our defense did an outstanding job rising to the occasion. They don’t bat an eye, they don’t blink. That’s certainly what DA preaches on that side of the ball, but I think those guys take a lot of pride in that as well. And we needed that tonight.” DA is defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
“Great job by the guys, finding a way to get a win,” Johnson said in his opening statement. “It was a good football team that we just played. Defense was outstanding, and I thought that showed throughout that game. We started off hot on offense and then really cooled down in the middle, but our offense did find a way at the very end.”
The pick-six that swung it back
The biggest defensive play came right after Williams’ fourth interception, a deflected pass that gave Tampa Bay the ball at the Chicago 37, down 17-13 late in the third quarter. On the next snap, Jaylon Johnson stepped in front of a Mayfield throw for tight end Cade Otton and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown, with Montez Sweat clearing the way by blocking Mayfield. It was the cornerback’s first interception of the season.
“That was a big play all around,” Ben Johnson said. “You could feel the momentum swing back in our favor after that one. He did a great job. I thought it was a great call by DA, just mixing up some coverages on them, and he was in a great spot.”
Receiver Kalif Raymond said the sideline felt the same way. “We were like, ‘I don’t think there’s anybody we could be happier for to go out there and do that,’ because of how much time he has spent the last eight weeks after practice catching footballs, catching those picks,” Raymond said in the locker room.
Burden has a concussion
Johnson said rookie receiver Luther Burden III has a concussion. Burden was hit by Buccaneers rookie Rueben Bain Jr. on a third-down catch with about three and a half minutes left and fumbled, and Tampa Bay turned the short field into the tying touchdown and two-point conversion. Before he left, Burden had seven catches for 97 yards, including a 56-yard catch-and-run touchdown on which he broke two tackles. He will now go through the league’s concussion protocol.
Rookie Zavion Thomas also had a rough night. His 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty pushed the Bears back from first-and-goal at the 8 to the 21 on the drive that ended in Williams’ first interception, and he did not play another offensive snap. Later, Thomas returned a kickoff for an apparent 92-yard touchdown, but a holding penalty on D’Marco Jackson wiped it out.
Williams: “I’ll never not throw the ball”
Williams went 22 of 37 for 279 yards and two touchdowns, then rebounded on the final drive. With the score tied 24-24, he converted a third-and-4 with an 8-yard throw to Raymond and then found a wide-open Colston Loveland for 38 yards to the Tampa Bay 16, setting up Cairo Santos’ 38-yard field goal as time expired. Williams said the Buccaneers “got confused with the tempo plus the motions” on the Loveland play.
Caleb Williams’ full postgame press conference. Video: Chicago Bears on YouTube.
He said one of the interceptions came from trying to do too much. “Just tried to get the ball out and tried to be the big eraser,” Williams said. “That’s what I’ve been. That’s what I will be. Keep doing that, keep being the big eraser, and today I wasn’t.” He also made clear he would not get more careful. “I’m gonna throw until I can’t throw anymore,” he said. “That’s how I live. I work my tail off to be in this position. I’ll never not throw the ball.”
Before Sunday, Williams had thrown more than one interception in only two career games, both in his rookie season in 2024. He said he had thrown three in a game once in high school and once at USC, and lost both times. “This time, it’s a W,” he said. “So, uncharted territory in that sense.”
“The best is yet to come”
Chicago has now won three straight standalone night games, beating New England on a Thursday and defending champion Seattle on a Monday before Sunday’s win. Johnson said the players already know this one was not their best. “They know that we didn’t play as well as we’re capable of playing,” he said. “But I believe the best is yet to come in terms of our football in the back half of this season. We’ll continue to build that as we go forward.”
For the full game story, read our Buccaneers-Bears recap.
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