Caleb Williams sets career high with four interceptions in 27-24 win over Bucs

Caleb Williams threw four interceptions in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers, a career-high number for the Bears quarterback. The mistakes allowed Tampa Bay to close a 14-point deficit and tie the score with three minutes remaining. Cairo Santos kicked a field goal as time expired to secure the 27-24 victory.

Williams started the game with precision. In his first 16 attempts, he completed 11 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. His passer rating reached 138.0 during that stretch. The Bears took an early 14-0 lead, positioning themselves for a decisive victory against the fourth-ranked defense in the league.

The momentum shifted on a second-and-goal play from the Buccaneers’ 21-yard line. Williams attempted a deep throw to Rome Odunze in the end zone. Safety Tykee Smith intercepted the pass, calling it a greedy throw that left Luther Burden open underneath. That interception began a rough stretch for the offense.

Following the turnover, Williams completed 11 of his next 21 passes for 129 yards and four more interceptions. The Bears managed only two field goals in their subsequent 12 possessions. The rushing attack also stalled, with D’Andre Swift and Salvon Ahmed averaging 2.8 yards per carry.

Head coach Ben Johnson noted that the team got out of rhythm. He acknowledged that Williams did not see the coverage as clearly as the coaching staff would have liked on a few of the drops. Johnson added that the mistakes would be added to the team’s memory bank for future games against elite defenses. He expressed gratitude for the narrow win after such an ugly performance.

Context matters for Williams’ season. Through the first two games, his interception rate stood at just 1.1% of passes thrown. That figure is comparable to Aaron Rodgers during his peak years. The four turnovers in a single game are an outlier for a player who had previously shown consistency against the Falcons, Patriots, and Seahawks.

The defense provided a critical boost late in the game. Jaylon Johnson returned an interception for a touchdown. However, the offense needed Williams to finish the job. With 40 seconds left, Williams threw a 38-yard completion to tight end Colston Loveland. That play set up the final field goal attempt that won the game.

The Bears now move on to their next opponent. Williams completed 22 of 37 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns in the final box score. His passer rating for the full game was 61.5. The team will review the four interceptions to ensure they do not repeat the patterns seen in the second half.