The Tampa Bay Buccaneers improve to 2-0 with a 27-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week Two. The Bucs achieved a balanced attack on the gridiron, accumulating 437 total offensive yards. Tampa Bay's defensive onslaught controlled the game to the tune of six sacks and two interceptions – the latter category falling in the final two minutes of regulation.
The Bucs first 12-play offensive possession culminated in a Chase McLaughlin 26-yard field goal, giving the home team an early 3-0 advantage at Raymond James Stadium. Baker Mayfield hit Mike Evans for a third-and-11 conversion, but the promising drive ended with three. The Bears answered with a touchdown, as dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields rolled to the right off a play-action fake and waltzed into the end zone untouched on a one-yard rush. He marched the team down 75 yards in six plays to give Chicago a 7-3 lead, set up by D.J. Moore's 33-yard gain.
To start the second half, McLaughlin's 40-yard field goal attempt was blocked, and Chicago took over at midfield. Shaq Barrett sacked Justin Fields on first down, shifting the momentum to the Bucs' defense. Ryan Neal and Devin White followed it up with a tackle for loss on Velus Jones Jr. and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka brought down Fields for a loss of 11 on third down to stall the Bears' drive.
The Bucs went 135 yards in the first two drives but were unable to put seven on the scoreboard. The tide turned on their third possession, as the unit traveled 77 yards in four plays, courtesy of Mike Evans. He hit a curl and turned on the jets in the open field, going 70 yards on a catch-and-run (the second-longest reception of his tenure). The drive was capped off by a four-yard Rachaad White rush, giving the Bucs a 10-7 lead. The defense followed the stellar trend by subsequently forcing a three-and-out. To rub salt into the wound for the Bears, Jake Camarda then banged a 72-yard punt, marking the third-longest in team history.
On the Bears next offensive possession, Todd Bowles' defense forced a Cairo Santos 52-yard field goal. Vita Vea and rookie Yaya Diaby split a sack on first down and Cam Gill added to the mix for good measure, bringing down Fields on third-and-long, forcing the ball out in the process. Chicago recovered at the Tampa Bay 34-yard line, resulting in the ensuing kick. At the conclusion of the second quarter, McLaughlin drilled a 25-yarder to give the Bucs a three-point advantage heading into the half. In addition to the Bucs' four sacks in the first half, the club's 292 yards of total offense is their best halftime total since Week Five against the Falcons in 2022.
The second half began in the way the first half concluded. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka quickly bypassed Bears' Braxton Jones with a speed outside move for a sack on Fields, the Bucs' fifth of the day and Tryon Shoyinka's second, which forced a Bears' punt. On the Bucs' next drive and the most paramount of the day, vintage Mike Evans materialized between the hash marks. His leaping grab and ensuing lethal spin move to elude Bears' defensive back Elijah Hicks turned into a 36-yard gain. That play sparked the score and it was only fitting that No. 13 crossed the goal-line. Evans ran and out-and-up, which culminated in a 32-yard score, bringing his yards total to 165. He showcased his physicality after the catch, consistently moving the chains for Tampa Bay.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Chase Claypool capped off an eight-play, 90-yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown. The Bears trimmed the deficit, trailing by three. With just over two minutes to play, Shaq Barrett iced the victory for Tampa Bay. Barrett intercepted Fields at the Chicago four-yard line and returned it for a touchdown, extending the team's lead 27-17. Vea's sack and Christian Izien's interception in the final two minutes became a microcosm of the day for the Bucs' defensive surge.
