Through nine games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made one thing clear: their defense belongs in the playoff conversation.
The problem is everything else.
Sunday night in Chicago was the latest reminder that Tampa Bay can travel with a defense good enough to rattle a dangerous offense and still come away empty-handed. The Bucs forced five turnovers against the Bears, including four interceptions, and still lost 27-24 on a 38-yard field goal as time expired. That dropped Tampa Bay to 3-6 and into third place in the NFC South after starting the night in first on tiebreakers.
For a while, it looked like the Bears might run away with it. Caleb Williams and Chicago’s offense carved up Tampa early, scoring touchdowns on each of the first two drives.
Cornerback Zyon McCollum had a rough opening stretch, missing tackles and getting beaten in coverage. It was a jarring start for a player who has otherwise been playing like an All-Pro.
Then Tykee Smith stepped in and changed the feel of the game. On Chicago’s third possession, with the Bears sitting at first-and-goal from the 8, a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on WR Zavion Thomas pushed them back after a two-yard run by D’Andre Swift. Smith then intercepted Williams and prevented what could have been a third early touchdown.
From there, Tampa’s defense took over.
The Bucs picked off Williams four times for the second straight week. McCollum answered his early struggles with two interceptions of his own, and linebacker Alex Anzalone added another.
That was his third interception in two weeks and his fourth of the season, which ranks third-most in the NFL. Tampa also forced a late fumble from Chicago WR Luther Burden III, setting up the short field that led to the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion.
It still wasn’t enough.
The defense did its job, as it has so often this season. The offense did not.
Outside of RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay got very little going. The final three quarters belonged to the defense, but the offense failed to cash in on the opportunities it created. That has become a familiar theme for this team.
Baker Mayfield has not come close to the level he showed over his first three seasons with the Buccaneers, the stretch that earned him the three-year, $165 million extension before the season. Tampa Bay is not getting the return it expected.
The receiver room has not picked up the slack, either. The Bucs missed Mike Evans after he left in free agency following a dozen Hall of Fame-worthy seasons in Tampa, but the group still looked capable on paper with 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka and veteran Chris Godwin Jr.
Instead, production has lagged badly. After nine games, Egbuka, who has missed two contests, leads the team with 31 catches, 278 yards, and two touchdowns.
Godwin has 29 receptions for 259 yards and no touchdowns.
The depth behind them has not solved anything. Jalen McMillan has been limited again by injury, playing just nine offensive snaps in the two games he has appeared in and not catching a pass. Third-round rookie Ted Hurst flashed in training camp and even drew comparisons to Evans, but he has only 11 catches on the year and none in the last three games.
The offensive line has been just as disappointing. It was supposed to be one of the league’s best.
Instead, it has been a problem in pass protection, even if it has helped open lanes for Irving and Kenny Gainwell. Mayfield was forced into a dislocated thumb while scrambling for his life late in Week 3, and he missed the first three games of his four seasons with the team.
Mayfield and backup Jalon Daniels have been sacked a combined 27 times, and that total would be even higher if not for both quarterbacks’ ability to escape pressure.
The defense has shown it can beat teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, and Atlanta Falcons, who have a combined record of 10-17. But against the Bears, even a plus-3 turnover margin was not enough. That should not happen, especially on the road against a strong opponent.
There is still a path here. Tampa Bay plays only two teams the rest of the way with winning records: the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. That gives the defense a real chance to keep dragging the offense toward the postseason.
But if the offense does not improve, the Bucs’ outlook in January gets a lot murkier, even if they manage to get there. The trade deadline could offer help, and with the Falcons already selling, Tampa Bay has a chance to be aggressive and give itself an edge in the division race.
In Other News...
Todd Bowles Just Put Tampa Bays Biggest Problem In Focus
The Buccaneers came away from their loss to the Bears with a familiar frustration hanging over the building: a defense that did its part and an offense that failed to make it count. Tampa Bay forced five turnovers and still walked off beaten, a reminder that the margin for error disappears fast when takeaways do not turn into points. Todd Bowles made it clear afterward that the issue is not on the defensive side, where the group continues to give the team chances.
Now the focus shifts to the bye week, where the Buccaneers will have time to sort through an offense that has not matched the standard set by the defense. Baker Mayfield's two interceptions, including one that went the other way for a touchdown, only sharpened the concern, but the bigger picture is broader than one sequence or one player. Tampa Bay has enough on defense to stay in games. The question is whether the offense can finally do its part before the season slips further into a pattern the Bucs cannot afford. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Sends A Clear Message On Emeka Egbuka's Drop-Off
Todd Bowles addressed the dip in Emeka Egbukas production with a fairly direct explanation, pointing first to the injuries that have interrupted the receivers rhythm. Even with the downturn, Egbuka still leads Tampa Bay in receiving, which underscores how much the Buccaneers have leaned on him while trying to find any kind of consistency in the passing game.
The broader issue is bigger than one receiver, though, and Bowles framed it as part of an offense that has struggled to get on track. Tampa Bay sits last in passing yards, so Egbukas slide is tied to a unit that has not been able to sustain much of anything through the air, leaving the Bucs with a clear need to spark production somewhere before the season drifts any further. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Let A Prime Upset Chance Slip Away In Frustrating Loss
For much of Sunday night, the Buccaneers had the kind of game that usually travels well: takeaways on defense, steady production on the ground from Bucky Irving, and enough chances to turn a road upset into something bigger. Zyon McCollum helped fuel that formula with an interception, and Tampa Bay kept putting Chicago in uncomfortable spots while trying to control the game on the road.
But the night kept slipping away in the details. Conservative play-calling, penalties and shaky special teams all chipped at the margin, and Baker Mayfields rough night in the passing game left Tampa Bay unable to cash in on its defensive work. Even with the Bears coughing up five turnovers, the Buccaneers walked off with a 27-24 loss that felt like one they had every chance to own. [Read more 🡒]