Rome Odunze picked the perfect night to break through.
After nine weeks without a touchdown, the Bears receiver finally got into the end zone Sunday night in Chicago’s 27-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Soldier Field. It was the kind of game that made the score matter even more: a tight, chaotic finish in which the Bears survived despite Caleb Williams throwing four separate interceptions.
For Odunze, the score ended the strangest kind of drought. He had been productive all season, just not in the way receivers are usually measured.
Through eight weeks, he had 28 catches for 468 yards and a team-best 16.7 yards per catch, yet the touchdown column stayed empty. The production was there.
The finish wasn’t.
That made the wait feel even more unusual. Odunze wasn’t disappearing from the offense.
Williams kept trusting him on key downs, and head coach Ben Johnson kept drawing up ways to get him open. The opportunities kept showing up, but the final step never did.
It was a receiver living in the end zone’s neighborhood, without ever moving in.
Sunday night finally changed that, and it came in the right kind of game for Chicago. With the Bears turning the ball over all night and the Buccaneers hanging around until the final moments, every point carried extra weight.
In a three-point game, Odunze’s touchdown was more than a personal milestone. It was one of the scores Chicago needed to keep control of the night.
Now the Bears head into the bye at 7-2, and Odunze goes with them as a more complete threat than he was a week ago. Defenses spent two months treating him like a receiver who could move the chains but not finish the drive. That option is gone now.
With Luther Burden III leading the room and Odunze stretching the field, Chicago suddenly has two touchdown threats defenses have to account for. After nine weeks of almost, Odunze finally cashed in, and he did it on the night the Bears needed it most.
In Other News...
Bears Legend Sees A Path For Caleb Williams To Make History
Patrick Mannelly still sits atop a pair of Bears longevity marks, with 245 games and 16 seasons, but he is not treating those records like something to guard. The former long snapper made it clear he would welcome Caleb Williams as the player who eventually pushes past them, because in his view that kind of career arc would come with the kind of team success Chicago has spent years chasing.
Mannelly also had plenty to say about the new look around Williams, especially the addition of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. He praised Simmons for the versatility and impact he brings to the roster, the sort of front-line presence that can change how an opponent has to game plan and, in turn, help create the kind of environment where a quarterback can stay in one place long enough to make history. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Win Put One Roster Trend In Focus Fast
Chicagos Week 9 win came with the offense still searching for rhythm, but it also sharpened the focus on a few roster trends that have been building beneath the surface. Theo Benedet stayed at left tackle for a second straight game and handled every snap there, a notable sign of stability on a line that has needed it, while Kalif Raymond continued to be a steady part of the passing game as the Bears worked through their usual mix of wrinkles and limitations.
On the other side of the ball, injuries in the cornerback room created an opening for Clark Phillips III, and he made the most of the extra work with a strong showing in coverage. Roschon Johnsons role, meanwhile, remains worth watching after he was absent from the offensive snap count entirely, leaving the Bears with some decisions to sort through even in a win that otherwise offered a few encouraging signs. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Johnson Sees One Big Caleb Williams Issue After Ugly Win
Caleb Williams gave the Bears both sides of the story in Week 9, and somehow the ending still belonged to Chicago. After throwing four interceptions against Tampa Bay, the second-year quarterback still found a way to lead the game-winning drive in a 27-24 escape, leaving Ben Johnson with a win to celebrate and plenty to sort through as the team heads into its bye week at 7-2.
Johnson did not treat the turnovers as a new normal for Williams, but he also did not gloss over how messy the performance was. The Bears have a rare chance now to slow down, study the tape and clean up the kind of mistakes that can turn a good season into a frustrating one, even after a victory that showed how much late-game poise Williams can still summon. [Read more 🡒]