Cairo Santos kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired at Soldier Field to lift the Chicago Bears to a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 9, 2026.
The Week 9 primetime loss dropped Tampa Bay to 3-6 before their bye week. The Buccaneers rallied from a 14-0 first-quarter deficit and tied the game late in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short of a statement win in Chicago.
Chicago capitalized on early mistakes by setting the tone immediately after winning the coin toss and deferring. Zavion Thomas returned the opening kickoff 40 yards to the Chicago 47, setting up a 10-play drive that ended with Caleb Williams throwing a nine-yard touchdown pass to Rome Odunze.
The Bears extended their lead when Luther Burden III caught a pass and eluded multiple defenders for a 56-yard touchdown. Within the first nine minutes of the game, Tampa Bay trailed 14-0.
Tampa Bay struggled on third downs throughout the contest, converting just two of twelve attempts. Chase McLaughlin kicked a 27-yard field goal early in the second quarter after a promising drive stalled on a fourth-and-goal penalty.
The Buccaneers’ defense kept the team alive by forcing five turnovers and intercepting Caleb Williams four times. Tykee Smith, Zyon McCollum twice, and Alex Anzalone all picked off the Chicago quarterback in the first half and third quarter.
Bucky Irving sparked the visitor’s offense out of the locker room with a two-yard touchdown run to cap a 74-yard drive, trimming the deficit to 17-13. However, momentum vanished moments later when Jaylon Johnson intercepted Baker Mayfield and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown, pushing Chicago ahead 24-13.
McLaughlin added a 35-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 24-16. Another defensive stop set up the tying score when Keionte Scott forced a fumble that Ifeatu Melifonwu recovered.
Irving scored his second touchdown on a six-yard run, and Mayfield ran up the middle for a successful two-point conversion to tie the game at 24 with 2:51 remaining.
Tampa Bay's defense allowed a 38-yard gain into the red zone in the final minutes. That set the stage for Santos to convert the game-winning field goal as the clock expired.
Mayfield finished the night completing 18 of 32 pass attempts for 243 yards with two interceptions. The team totaled 352 yards of offense but could not overcome the early deficit and the late defensive lapse.
