The Tampa Bay Buccaneers left Soldier Field late Sunday night with a 3-6 record after the Chicago Bears snuffed out a valiant 11-point comeback with a walk-off field goal. Throughout the contest, the Buccaneers' defense gave the Bears fits, forcing five turnovers and limiting Chicago to just 72 yards on the ground. One of those turnovers came from reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week Alex Anzalone, whose fourth interception of the season doubled his career total to eight.
Late in the third quarter with the Bears leading 17-13, Caleb Williams surveyed the pocket on second-and-three and quickly looked to his left and fired a dart intended for Luther Burden III. Jacob Parrish, the NFL's leader in passes defensed (14), had the receiver in a straitjacket and forced the ball up into the sky. Anzalone, trailing right behind the play, snagged it out of midair to deliver Williams' fourth interception of the night. The linebacker's four picks are the most by a front-seven player in the NFL this season and the Bucs are now the only team in the league to roster two players with four or more interceptions (Anzalone and Zyon McCollum).
Even with the positive turnover margin, Tampa still lost 27-24 in another close battle that came down to the final drive. It is hard to pull out positives in the midst of defeat, but the Buccaneers were in striking distance of knocking off a Super Bowl favorite at their home stadium on the national stage. Anzalone recognized this and knows the Bucs can build off their Sunday night experience.
"That's a really great team," explained Anzalone. "They are allegedly top in the league. We can take something from that."
Anzalone only needed one offseason to establish himself as a leader in the locker room, earning the green dot and captain's patch in his first season in Tampa Bay. Under his leadership, the Buccaneers rank in the top five in yards allowed per game (292.2) and lead the league in takeaways (21). Despite the defensive success, Anzalone expects more from the unit, emphasizing the importance of doing whatever it takes to win.
"We have to capitalize as a defense," said Anzalone. "Whether it's scoring when we got the ball in our hands or just playing complimentary football. It is what it is."
The Bucs record may not accurately reflect the talent of this football team and Anzalone believes that. With the Bye Week coming up, Tampa Bay's goals are still right in front of them, ready for the taking.
"We have a lot to fight for," emphasized Anzalone. "The division is still at reach. We got to go on a run after the Bye Week."
