The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied late on Sunday night Soldier Field in an upset bid over the Chicago Bears but eventually fell, 27-24, on Cairo Santos' walk-off 38-yard field goal. Tampa Bay had tied the game three minutes earlier on a six-yard Bucky Irving touchdown run following a forced fumble by rookie OLB Rueben Bain on WR Luther Burden. QB Baker Mayfield ran the ball in on a two-point conversion to make it 24-24 with 2:51 remaining but the Bucs' offense never touched the ball again.

"The team fought, fought to stay in it, against one of the top teams if not the top team in the league," said Mayfield. "We're right there, so if we play clean football we can be proud of that. We need to get it fixed."

The Buccaneers fought back multiple times after falling behind 14-0 on Chicago's first two possessions. Mayfield threw for a season-high 243 yards but was intercepted twice, including one that was returned 67yards for a touchdown by CB Jaylon Johnson in the third quarter. The Bucs also committed eight penalties, almost all of them either holding or procedural calls on the offense, including five false starts.

"I think we had settled down," said Head Coach Todd Bowles of the game's flow after the Bears' hot start. "I thought everyone was a little antsy starting the game, the first two drives. Once we settled down I thought we played well and played some pretty good football from there on out and until obviously the last play. They came out real hot and we were on our heels a little bit then the younger guys settled down and started playing football.

The Buccaneers gained 352 yards of offense, to 349 for Chicago, but only converted two of their 12 third-down attempts against the NFL's best third-down defense. The Bears' offense kept drives alive with seven conversions on 13 third-down attempts.

"We've got to be better on third downs on both sides of the ball," said Bowles.

The loss ended the Buccaneers' two-game winning streak and dropped the team to 3-6, but the view in the tightly-bunched NFC South didn't get much worse. The division-leading Carolina Panthers lost at home to the Denver Broncos earlier in the afternoon to drop to 3-5, while the Atlanta Falcons also finished the week at 3-6 after losing in Madrid to the Cincinnati Bengals. Only the New Orleans Saints won in the division in Week Eight, improving to 3-5. As such, the Panthers remain in first, tied with the Saints, but only by a half-game over their other two NFC South foes. The Buccaneers also have a 2-0 record in division play with wins over Carolina and Atlanta.

Bears QB Caleb Williams threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns but was also intercepted four times, including a trio of picks in the second quarter as the Bucs fought off falling into a deeper hole. CB Zyon McCollum snared two of the picks, with S Tykee Smith and LB Alex Anzalone getting one each. It marked the second straight game that the Buccaneers' defense had recorded four interceptions and the team now leads the league with 16 on the season.

In a game that featured two offenses and two defenses both ranked in the top four in terms of rushing yards, the Bucs' ground attack was more effective at cracking the opposition, rushing for 126 yards compared to 72 for the home team. Irving ran 20 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

The Buccaneers also threw for a season-high 226 net yards in Mayfield's third game back from his dislocated right thumb. WR Tez Johnson led the team with 76 receiving yards on two grabs, including a 57-yarder in the third quarter that set up Irving's first touchdown run. RB Kenny Gainwell had three grabs for 60 yards and WR Emeka Egbuka returned from a two-game absence due to a foot injury to catch three passes for 38 yards.

The Buccaneers kept things close with their three second-quarter interceptions but only turned them into three points. McCollum's second interception in the third quarter was followed immediately by Johnson's pick-six, which gave Chicago a 24-13 lead. Chase McLaughlin continued his perfect season by making field goals of 27, 21 and 35 yards but the Bucs didn't get enough out of their season-high five takeaways.

"It comes back to obviously the turnovers for us, the interceptions," said Mayfield. "Especially when it turns into immediate points on the pick-six and that was obviously the difference in the game. The defense after they settled in played amazing, so you've got to make the throws, you've got to be more accurate."

In addition to his two picks, which stretched his streak to three straight games with an interception, McCollum also recorded five tackles and a tackle for loss. Bain had two quarterback hits in addition to his critical forced fumble and the team's only sack was split by Anthony Nelson and Calijah Kancey.

The Buccaneers will head into their bye week after returning home from Chicago. The prime-time loss was deflating after two straight wins but the NFC South race is still very much up for grabs.

"We've got to take this bye to get healthy and continue to get guys back and just have it in our minds that we need to go on a run. Mentally it needs to be that way."

The Bears got the ball first and ended up with great starting field position as WR Zavion Thomas got his kickoff return all the way out to the Chicago 47. Jacob Parrish made a great one-on-one tackle on WR Luther Burden on a screen to the left for a loss of one, but an outlet pass to TE Sam Roush gained five. On third-and-six, Williams escaped the pocket and scrambled for seven yards before sliding down at the Bucs' 45. A pitch to RB Salvon Ahmed was very well-blocked and he got eight before being submarinedby S Antoine Winfield Jr., and another Williams scramble moved the sticks to the Bucs' 30. Two plays later, Williams avoided pressure and threw a low hard dart to Thomas down to the 13. Rome Odunze couldn't hold on to a pass at the back of the end zone on the next snap, but two plays later on third-and-seven those two hooked up on a scramble drill for a nine-yard score.

Chicago's first kickoff hit down short of the landing zone, giving the Bucs a starting line of their own 40. A run and a catch by Irving added up to six yards, but a third-down handoff to Irving didn't work. The Bucs punted and Chicago got the ball back at its own 19.

Odunze caught a pass on the right sideline and slipped a tackle to run for 23 yards. An incompletion and a tackle by OLB David Walker left Chicago in a third-and-eight, but Burden took a pass over the middle and sprinted his way through the Bucs' defense all the way to the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown.

Tampa Bay's second drive started at its 24 after Sean Tucker's kickoff return from the goal line. The Bucs came out in a heavy, three-TE set and Irving got four yards up the middle on first down. Irving fourth through tacklers on second down to get the ball past the sticks, and on the ensuing first down he pounded into the line for one. After a sideline lob to Otton was well-covered and incomplete, Mayfield made a remarkable play, scrambling all over the field and directing Gainwell to take off downfield before hitting him for a gain of 44. Two Irving runs only produced three yards, and on third-and-seven from the Chicago17 Mayfield found WR Emeka Egbuka for a gain of five. The Bucs went for it on fourth down and a very quick out to Otton got exactly the amount of yardage needed. Gainwell started right and then cut into a seam inside on first-and-goal from the 10 to get down to the three on the final play of the first quarter. After the break, Mayfield tried to hit Otton in the end zone but it was incomplete, and a Gainwell run on third down lost a yard. The Bucs left their offense on the field but only to try to draw an offsides call. The Bears didn't bite and McLaughlin came on to hit a 27-yard field to make it 14-3.

Chicago's next drive started at its 33. After a pair of incompletions, the Bucs almost got off the field on third down, chasing Williams out to the left, but he was able to get off an impressive pass on the run to Odunze for 16 yards. A pair of six-yard plays made it first down at the Bucs' 39. Three plays later, on third-and-three, the Bucs' pass rush nearly got Williams down but he once again made a stunning play to get off a 12-yard pass to Odunze. Two more short gains took it down to the Bucs' eight, but a personal foul call on Chicago on the next snap pushed the ball back to the 21. On the next play, Williams fired over the middle in the direction of Odunze near the goal line but Smith jumped the route and picked it off, return the ball to the Bucs' 26.

Mayfield threw to WR Chris Godwin on first down on a slant but it was behind the receiver, and WR Ted Hurst couldn't corral a low throw on a second-down curl. However, Godwin found an opening in the zone on third down and sat down for a quick completion that left the Bucs a yard short of the sticks. Tampa Bay went for it on fourth down and tried a QB keeper but Mayfield was knocked back at the line and the ball went over on downs.

Chicago thus got the ball back at the Bucs' 35 but they didn't have it for long. Williams looked for Burden on the right sideline but McCollum got in front of the receiver to pick off the pass, alertly getting two feet inbounds at the 18-yard line. Godwin got an underneath handoff on first down and found room to run for 12 yards, and Irving's next run off left tackle was good for five. The Bucs' second-down play blew up and Mayfield dirted the ball at Otton's feet. Third-and-five became third-and-10 thanks to a false start, and a curl to WR Tez Johnson saw the ball go through his hands. On the ensuing punt, Kalif Raymond turned in a 26-yard return to the Chicago 48 with just over five minutes left in the first half.

A tunnel screen to Raymond worked for 13 yards, with DL Calijah Kancey hustling downfield to make the tackle. On the next play, Williams found Burden on a deep out for 26 yards to the Bucs' 13. Three snaps later, on third-and-four from the seven, OLB Rueben Bain Jr. got very quick pressure on Williamsand he had to throw it away, leading to Cairo Santos' 25-yard field goal at the three-minute mark.

The Bucs started from their own 26 but immediately moved backwards with a false start, after which Irving ran over left guard for five yards. A low strike over the middle to Egbuka moved the chains and brought on the two-minute warning. After the break, Johnson got 18 yards to the Chicago 44 on a deep out, followed by a three-yard Irving run and a swing pass to Otton that produced a first down at the Chicago 34. On the next play, Mayfield tried to hit Johnson on a curl but S Cam Lewis cut in front for an interception at the Chicago 26.

The Bears then had their second one-play game of the game, as Williams was pressured into a back-foot throw and his lob was intercepted by a diving McCollum at the Chicago 43. McCollum wasn't able to get any yardage on the return because the play was initially ruled incomplete before being overturned on replay. The Bucs got started quickly with a tunnel screen to Egbuka that worked for 21 yards down to the 22, after which the Bucs used their first timeout with 30 second left. A shot to Egbuka in the end zone was incomplete, and a false start made it second-and-15, but the Bears trumped that with a defensive holding penalty that made it first down at the 22. A short pass to Otton took it down to the 13 as the Bucs used their second timeout with 10 seconds left in the half. Irving took a quick pass down to the three and the Bucs used a timeout, but with only three seconds left they sent out the field goal unit. McLaughlin was true from 21 yards, sending the game to halftime with the Bears up 17-6.

The Bucs received the kickoff to start the second half but Tucker only got the ball out to the 26. Irving powered up the middle for five on first down but his second-down run only got two. On third-and-three, Godwin ran a curl past the line of scrimmage and Mayfield hit him for a gain of seven. On the next play, Mayfield looked deep down the middle for Johnson and found him in stride for a gain of 57 down to the Chicago two. Irving got nothing up the middle on first down but a pitch to the left to him with T Tristan Wirfs pulling was executed to perfection for the two-yard touchdown.

A holding call on Chicago wiped out what appeared to be a kickoff return for a touchdown by Thomas, putting the ball at the Bears' 20. The Bucs' defense managed to force a three-and-out, with Willliams throwing incomplete to Raymond over the middle on third-and-three. The resulting punt bounced out of bounds at the Bucs' 18.

The ball went backwards first due to a false start, and a Gainwell run only got two. After a short pass to Otton, it was third-and-five and Mayfield took a sack after finding no one open in his field of vision. The Bucs had to punt from their 19, and a great kick to the left sideline and a tackle by CB Kevin Knowles pushed the Bears back to their 24.

Ahmed got the ball on first down and twisted up the middle for six yards, and Swift then followed a three-TE bunch to the right for a first down at the 34. That made it third-and-short, and while an underneath handoff to Loveland seemed to get the needed yards, the Bears were called for holding to make it third-and-10. A perfect blitz up the gut by LB Josiah Trotter blew up the third-down play and led to an errant Williams incompletion. The ensuing punt was deflected by S Miles Killebrew and rolled to a stop at the Chicago 49.

Once again, the Bucs started their drive with a penalty on the offensive line, this one holding to make it first-and-20. A broken play led to Mayfield running on the next snap and he lost two yards, and a short pass to Irving was off his hands. On third-and-22, Mayfield tried to throw deep down the left sideline to Egbuka but it was incomplete. The resulting punt put the ball at Chicago's 29 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

A little curl over the middle to Burden got seven to start the Bears' drive started but on the next play CB Jacob Parrish broke up a pass intended for Burden and Anzalone grabbed the deflection for an interception at the Chicago 37. Unfortunately, two plays later Johnson intercepted a pass intended for Otton and returned it 67 yards to the opposite end zone to give Chicago a 24-13 lead.

Starting anew at their own 26, the Bucs got eight yards on a short pass out to the left to Irving, but the back was stuffed for no gain on second down. A third-down pass to Johnson had a shot but was a bit behind the receiver and not hauled in, leading to a punt, which was muffed by Raymond but recovered at the 13.

Tampa Bay's defense got the ball back quickly, thanks in part to OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad's stop of Swift for a loss of three. A nine-yard scramble made it third-and-four and Williams threw incomplete to led to a punt. The Bears tried a trick play out of punt formation but were called for a false start, and then a true punt followed, which went out of bounds at the Bucs' 35.

A seven-yard run by Irving brought the third quarter to an end. As the fourth quarter began, Irving twisted out of several tackles to gallop for 25 yards down to the Chicago 33. Eight yards for Irving and seven for Gainwell took it down to the 18. Three plays later, on third-and-nine, Mayfield checked down to Gainwell for a gain of five and the Bucs left their offense on the field but once again only to draw a penalty, eventually taking a delay of game penalty before McLaughlin came on to make it a one-score game with a 35-yard field goal.

The ensuing kickoff was booted into the end zone for a touchback. A Swift right only gained three and he lost the ball at the end, initially being ruled down. The Buccaneers' challenged the call but the ruling was upheld. A rollout to the right by Williams set up an 18-yard pass to Roush, and Ahmed ran for seven on first down to the Bucs' 37. The pocket collapsed quickly on Williams on second down and OLB Anthony Nelson got him down for a two-yard sack. McCollum reacted quickly to a pass down the line of scrimmage to Burden and swung him down for a loss of two. After faking like they would go for it on fourth down, the Bears sent out the punting unit. Johnson fair caught the kick at the Bucs' 15 with eight minutes left.

The drive started well with a seven-yard catch by Irving but another false start and a hurried incompletion made it third-and-eight. Fortunately, a facemask penalty on the Bears on third down preserved the drive and put the ball at the 32. Mayfield took a three-yard sack on first down and another one for eight yards on second down. A pass to Gainwell in the right flat wasn't close to moving the sticks and the Bucs punted as the clock ticked below five minutes.

Swift ran twice for three yards and the Bucs used a timeout to make it third-and-seven. Williams threw short out to the left to Burden but Bain forced him to fumble and S Ifeatu Melifonwu recovered at the Chicago 17, giving the visitors a shot to tie the game.

The Bucs made the most of that shot, as Irving ran for 11 and six yards on his next two carries to get the ball into the end zone. Required to go for two, the Bucs did and Mayfield ran it in to tie it up at 24-24 each.

A 38-yard catch by Loveland got Chicago into scoring range on the ensuing drive and the Bears bled the clock the Bucs' timeouts before kicking a 38-yard field goal as time expired.