Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Live Blog

Fourth Quarter

Final: Buccaneers 27, Bears 17

Fields with another pick to end it.
Fields throws the game-ending pick-6 to Barrett at the Bears 4. Buccaneers 27, Bears 17
A hold on Claypool on a Khalil Herbert screen catch puts the Bears back at the 5.
Shaq Barrett gets them out of a hole by jumping offsides. The play was blown dead and six seconds ticked off of it after the whistle. Officials did not put thet ime back.
It's up to Justin Fields now from his own 7 with 2:24 left.
Bears force the punt on fourth-and-7 and Bears burn their last timeout.
Big TFL for DeMarcus Walker, his first big play as a Bear on second-and-15. Buccaneers facing third-and-17 with 2:43 remaining. Eberflus uses a timeout.
Luke Goedeke commits a false start and puts the Buccaneers in a first-and-15 hole.
White breaks a counter run for a first down out of the shotgun and Tampa Bay is in Bears territory with the clock under 4:00.

Brisker comes up and lays the wood on first down on a 3-yard run. Gotta give him credit for playing after he was sick.
Well-executed receiver screen for a first down.
Flushed out of the pocket right, Mayfield was reluctant to throw deep to Mike Evans and he was open. Incomplete.
Buccaneers from the 25 pound it for 5 on first down. Can the defense make another stop?

6:17: Buccaneers 20, Bears 17

Two big completions, one to DJ Moore, and then Claypool for the 20-yard TD in back of coverage with 6:17 left in the game. It triggered cries of "Let's Go Bears."
A huge 28-yard third-down throw by Fields. Wasn't a pretty throw but Moore came down with the wobbler and the Bears are in field goal range with 7:04 left. Jamel Dean was injured on the play. If they score on this drive, they still have a chance to steal away a win they have no business earning.
A 22-yard screen to Herbert. Last week they couldn't get Claypool to block and he throws a block so good on this one that he gets in the way of Herbert or it might have gone for a few more yards. And on the play Lucas Patrick is injured. He comes back one play later, though.

Yannick Ngakoue misses another easy sack by bouncing off that elusive Baker Mayfield and he gets the pass off but for little gain and the Bears get it back with 10:10 left at their own 10.

Godwin accosts Jaylon Johnson trying to block him and then can't understand how he got flagged. He committed about three penalties on the play, take your pick.Welcome to the Kevin Warren era, same as the old era.Tampa Bay with the ball back looking to put this one away.

Fields throws on third down and Kmet and DJ Moore appear to be confused about routes because they're both in the same place, but either way it's an incompletion, the kind of mess you'd expect from the worst team in football.

The Bears shouldn't be worried about getting the first pick in the draft by using Carolina's pick. They can use their own pick for that.Tampa at its own 23 to start the fourth quarter and Stroman with a tackle for loss on second-and-8. The Buccaneers come up short on third down with a 6-yard completion and the Bears will get it back.

Third Quarter

:00: Buccaneers 20, Bears 10

Incomplete ruling as the ball was juggled on the way out of bounds.Bears punt. Still looks pretty bleak. Third quarter isn't the Bears' thing. Neither is the first, second or fourth.
Fields picked off at the sidelines by McCollum throwing to Claypool. Pencil the Bears in for at least a 13-game losing streak. This one and then next week. They're looking to knock off Denver and Russell Wilson at Soldier Field in October. By then the discontent for Matt Eberflus' coaching staff will be hitting a crescendo. It's one thing being overmatched and lacking talent on the roster, but they looked better last year with poor talent than they have this year with "improved" players. So what does this say for Ryan Poles too?
Fields held the ball too long and was hit throwing and had control of the ball. Officials first ruled it a fumble but it's obviously an incompletion. Replay looking.
Khalil Herbert with one of the greatest 4-yard runs on third-and-3 ever. No blocking and wound his way through on a run wide left and then toughed out the last yard.
Cole Kmet with a nice inside screen run on third down and long and the Bears extend a drive. Tough running.

Don't like screen passes? Turn off the TV because that's all the Bears are going to be using now. The Buccaneers will pin their ears back with a 10-point lead at home and come after Fields every play with blitzes.

4:06: Buccaneers 20, Bears 10

Evans back in the game catches a third-and-long TD pass over Stevenson. Terrible defense and Brisker, who is back in the game, can't get over to help. That's the kind of coverage they've had on third-and-long in both games so far. I think they should look at Tyrell Smith in that role now. Stevenson's gaffes are too large. Buccaneers 20, Bears 10
Finally the big break the Bears needed and they can't come up with the ball. Jaylon Johnson knocks it loose after a catch and it rolls back to the 33-yard line past almost everyone on the Berars roster and no one can get it.
More short passing and safe play and bowling over the defense.
They run it wide with Rachaad White and the Bears linebackers that are so highly paid can't cut him off on a play that didn't have great blocking.
Mayfield avoids a sack and gets off a third-and-short completion but not for the first down. The Buccaneers decide to go for it at the Bears 31.
DHC wouldn't have missed that tackle. Missed tackles at all levels are costing the Bears. Another one, this by Zacch Pickens on a potential tackle for loss.
A 37-yard sloppy looking pass gets the Bucs out of a hole. Godwin caught it and Elijah Hicks missed a tackle at the sidelines. No excuse for that. Mayfield even through a poor pass under pressure.
Bears get a break with a hold on the punt so Tampa Bay will start at its own 11. Good place for a turnover.
Screen to Roschon Johnson at least gets them out to a place where they can punt. The third quarter last week started poorly because of penalties and Braxton Jones has done a repeat here.
Jones then follows on the next play by giving up a sack.
Braxton Jones up to his old tricks. False start makes it first-and-15 and they're in a hole again
On second down Fields holds it too long and had Chase Claypool open for a 5-yard gain if he wanted, then nearly got sacked on an incompletion. Fortunately, two Khalil Herbert runs earned a first down.

Second Quarter

:00: Buccaneers 13, Bears 10

They've been outgained 292 yards to 114 and are losing by three. There's a lot of ways to look at it, but it's not positive which way you slice it. The Bears really need a takeaway or two in order to turn this game their way. otherwise, they'll get plowed under in the second half and lose by 14 points or more.
The Bears have been outrushed 90 yards to 40. That kind of beat-down will have their whole defense worn out by the fourth quarter.
At last a rush on the interior and Mayfield throws it away to avoid a sack. Tampa Bay has to settle for a McLaughlin field goal of 25 yards. Buccaneers 13, Bears 10
Mayfield scrambles and Stroman puts a late hit at the sidelines on him, giving Tampa Bay the ball at the Bears 7 with 14 seconds left.
Terell Smith in the game and burned for the first down, then Mayfield overthrows Chris Godwin in the end zone with 22 seconds left. The Buccaneers are in easy field goal range now.
Mike Evans musgt come out of the game after the ball hit his hand on an i
ncompletion. Tampa Bay at Bears 42 with 31 seconds left.
Tampa Bay plays it safe and throws under the coverage and runs it and gets to midfield with 53 seconds left before a timeout. You wonder how long before they test the two Bears safeties or third-team nickel back Greg Stroman.

1:55: Bears 10, Buccaneers 10

Cairo Santos from 52 yards. Fields taking those sacks definitely made his job harder. Buccaneers 10, Bears 10
Not Fields' greatest moment. First he missed Claypool wide open in the middle of the zone and also DJ Moore in the flat and got sacked on the play, then held the ball too long and a strip-sack that the Bears recovered at the 35. Bad quarterback play. No other explanation for it. The ball should have been thrown away or he should have scrambled on both plays. When he decided to on the first play, it was way too late and he ran right into the rush instead of outside and around it. TWO-MINUTE WARNING!!!!
Kmet again for the first down. Fields made it work by stepping right and getting the coverage to move with him, then throwing back left to wide open Kmet.
Cole Kmet had been quiet today so far but Fields tried finding him at the 25 on a bootleg pass but it was knocked out of his hands. They go right back to him and he sets up a third-and-four with a catch.
Roschon Johnson with a much-needed breakaway run off the left side on wide-zone blocking to the Bucs 41.
A Chase Claypool catch for a first down at the 30. He lives!
Talk about Thunder Foot. Jake Camarda with a 72-yarder to the end zone.
A holding leaves the Buccaneers back facing third-and-8. The Bears rally to the ball
after the catch on third down and prevent the first down, forcing the punt. A key series so far for the defense.
Quindell Johnson has been with the Bears only since just before the season began so you could expect the Buccaneers to test this safety duo of he and Elijah Hicks with some play-action deep. Considering the lack of Bears pass rush, it would be incompetent play calling if they didn't try it.
Another three-and-out and the Bears defense is going to be out there in the heat again.
It is a foot injury for Jackson. That's not good after his Lisfranc injury last year. Also, Brisker is sick. Boy wouldn't DeAndre Houston-Carson have been a welcome player to have off the bench today.
25 plays by Tampa Bay to 9 for the Bears. If this keeps up, all the Bears on the roster will be on IVs after the game. You knew the Buccaneers would come out wanting to run it after last week.

10:53: Buccaneers 10, Bears 7

Rashaad White on an inside run out of the shotgun on third-and-goal from the 6, a great call, and it goes for the TD. The Bears defensive interior has been shoved out on every running play almost so far and if you don't get the touchdown but have fourth-and-1 you can go for it, so a wise call. Buccaneers 10, Bears 7
A safety blitz is good, but doing it with both your top two safeties off the field isn't really wise.
Mayfield catches the Bears with a safety blitz. And Mike Evans shoved off on Tyrique Stevenson for a 70-yard completion. Terrible blown call by officials.

Offsides penalty on the punt. It was actually fumbled out of bounds at the Tampa 23 on the return and Tampa starts a drive with 13:15 left in the second quarter.
Disaster of a drive for the Bears at midfield after the blocked kick. Two sacks sandwiched between Velus Jones losing 3 yards on an end-around.
Jackson had been limping before being carted off on the sidelines. You always worry about a foot re-injury after he had one last year.
Rasheem Green had a terrible first week by Pro Football Focus grades, but he just blocked a 40-yard McLaughlin field goal and the Bears have it back.

Both Eddie Jackson and Brisker taken to the locker room with towels over their heads and the Bears are using backup safeties but manage to stop the drive on a third-and-6 incompletion at the 22.
With 56 yards rushing in the first quarter, the Buccaneers are going to wear down the Bears defense in this 90-degree heat if nothing changes. Way too many rushing yards.

First Quarter

Bears 7, Buccaneers 3

False start by Buccaneers on third-and-1 on Tristan Wirfs is inexcusable. Quarter ends.
Finally Yannick Ngakoue has an easy sack on a bootleg and Mayfield eludes him and scrambles to the 17.
They can change defensive coordinators but they still don't have a pass rush. Tampa Bay drives right down to the 26.

Elijah Hicks was in for Brisker and now Eddie Jackson leaves so fourth safety Quindell Johnson is in.
Injury to Jaquan Brisker again. He went down early in the Packers game too and returned.
Tampa Bay doing a much better job pounding the football on the ground. Last week they had absolutely no rushing attack.
The challenge for the Bears offense is always what comes after the first drive. Last year they led the NFL in scoring on the first drive. Of course, they had difficulty afterward as a 3-14 record seems to indicate,

6:17: Bears 7, Buccaneers 3

Justin Fields bootleg TD run right after a Khalil Herbert run to the 1 and the Bears are in the end zone on a six-play, 75-yard drive. Very sharp drive.
A 32-yard play-action throw over the middle to DJ Moore on first down gets the Bears to Tampa Bay's 42 Then a third-down catch and DJ Moore turns up field and takes it to the Tampa Bay 6 for 31 yards.

9:06: Buccaneers 3, Bears 0

Buccaneers 26-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal and the Bears are down again.

Finally a stop on third down. A reception comes up short. A 12-play, 67-yard drives ends in a score.
Justin Jones' tackle for loss and Mayfield's overthrow in the end zone set up another third-and-long.
Another third-and-long, this time third-and-11 to Chris Godwin against Stevenson who fell. Now at the Bears 28.
he Bears continue being pushed off the ball against the run and have trouble with motion laterally. The Buccaneers' first drive reaches the Bears 47. First-and-15 after a penalty.

On the second play, Jaquan Brisker has a pick, if not pick-6 but drops it. on pass to Mike Evans. Typical of Beras luck in early season. Then a third-and-8 conversion after the Packers had done the same thing last week repeatedly. Tyrique Stevenson beaten.
Bears kick no return.

Pregame

Ryan Poles on the Claypool Situation

Bears GM Ryan Poles did an interview with team play-by-play man Jeff Joniak on AM-1000 in pregame and commented on the Chase Claypool situation, with no catches last week and some poor blocking.

"I would say really for anyone on our team there's a standard of how we're going to play football here," Poles told Joniak. "If you can't rise to that standard and live in that space it's going to be hard to perform for the Chicago Bears. So with Chase, you know, I think he's a guy who has all the motivation in the world to be a good football player. He's got to clean some things up. We had some good conversations. I expect to see him make those changes, and if he doesn't then we'll have to figure out what we're going to do after that."

The Loss to Green Bay and aftermath was also a topic Poles commented on for Joniak.

"We were all hurt," Poles said. "One, just losing a game is never easy, but then to a divisional rival and the Packers that hurts even more. We take that hard but it's time to focus on the next game and make some corrections so that we can get back to where we need to get."

He thinks there can be a wakeup call this week.

"I think it's like anything else in sports," Poles said. "I do believe the confidence is still there. You can see it. You can see it in practice this week.

Since the NFL went to seven playoff teams in each conference in 2020, only one of the 23 teams to start the season 0-2 wound up reaching the playoffs: the 2022 Bengals.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 17, 2023

"But sometimes you get punched in the face and it's a wakeup call and you've got to clean some things up. You've got to execute with detail. You can try as hard, you can have all the confidence in the world, but if you don't execute at a high level you're going to get beat in this league. These guys need to get back to the details, really dive into their assignments down to just the smallest detail is going to be important and that's where the focus was this week and I'm confident those guys are doing that."

Roschon Johnson's play last week might explain why he's going to be the backup to Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman is inactive.

"Really like Roschon," Poles said on AM-1000. "Everything we saw coming out of Texas is what he's shown since he's been here. His approach is, you know, it's not a rookie approach. It's more like a pro/veteran approach to this game. I believe if he continues to perform well and execute at a high level, we'll see his touches go up as well. He's a guy I'm excited about. Again, he's done everything that we thought he was going to do coming out of college and we're just looking forward to seeing him go to work some more."

Not much was said positive or negative about Justin Fields' play, other than expectations are for something better. Fields had said he felt he was too conservative. Poles thinks it's a tall order throwing downfield against Tampa Bay.

"There will be some challenges getting down the field because of the pressures," he said. "I think you've got to do the easy things well first, kind of take what's available to you and then part of the difficult part of being a quarterback in this league is when you do have the opportunity you've got to capitalize on those when working down the field."

I love the orange helmet. And wish they would put the #Bears head on it. https://t.co/AcZhj9L4cu
— Silvy (@WaddleandSilvy) September 17, 2023

Bears Inactives

Emergency QB Tyson Bagent

RB D'Onta Foreman

WR Equanimeous St. Brown

DE Khalid Kareem

CB Josh Blackwell

G Nate Davis

Buccaneers Inactives

CB Carlton Davis

LB SirVocea Dennis

TE Payne Durham

DL Calijah Kancey

RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn

T Brandon Walton

OLB Markees Watts

F o c u s e d pic.twitter.com/mEZYiTCMWR
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 17, 2023

The speed with which Justin Fields got the ball out last week was better, but it should be considering all the screen passes they threw. NFL NextGen Stats had him at 2.95 seconds, which was much faster than last year's 3.12 seconds. Here is one independent clocking.

#Bears fans, this is sickening.

On the right: Rookie Fields on a 5-step drop from under center. Quick feet, drives the ball, first down. 1.835 second drop.

On the left: Year 3 Fields on a 7-step drop from under center. 2.5+ second drop. pic.twitter.com/bWFDz7kijz
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) September 17, 2023

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven