The Bucs started the game by winning the toss and electing to defer. The Bears got the ball and marched down the field. A couple runs by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, both designed and otherwise, got them to the 39-yard line where Trubisky aired it out for tight end Trey Burton who made the catch as he crossed into the end zone, making the score 7-0 after the first drive.
The Bucs took the touchback but would come up empty on a three-and-out to give the ball right back to Chicago. Behind a big third down sack by defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who dropped Trubisky for a loss of 10, it was Chicago's turn to punt. On the Bucs' next possession after an offensive holding penalty and a sack of Fitzpatrick, the Bucs faced a third-and-21. Unable to convert, Tampa Bay came up empty with 5:45 left in the first quarter.
On their next drive, the Bears were again able to get down the field. It resulted in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Trubisky to wide receiver Allen Robinson to give the Bears a 14-0 lead with 2:11 left in the first.
On the second play of the next drive, Fitzpatrick hit wide receiver DeSean Jackson on a 48-yard completion to get the Bucs inside the red zone for the first time. The Bucs would have to settle for a 30-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 14-3 at the start of the second quarter.
View photos of the Buccaneers' Week 4 game against the Chicago Bears.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90 DE Vinny Curry and No. 97 S Justin Evans, No. 21
Bucs vs. Bears
CB Ryan Smith, No. 29
LB Jack Cichy, No. 48 and CB Ryan Smith, No. 29
DT Vita Vea, No. 50
DT Vita Vea, No. 50
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90 and DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90 and DE Vinny Curry, No. 97
CB Ryan Smith, No. 29
Bucs vs. Bears
Bucs vs. Bears
Bucs vs. Bears
WR DeSean Jackson, No. 11
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, No. 14
WR Adam Humphries, No. 10
HC Dirk Koetter
CB Carlton Davis, No. 33
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90
Bucs vs. Bears
Bucs vs. Bears
HC Dirk Koetter
DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93 and LB Kwon Alexander, No. 58
CB Brent Grimes, No. 24
DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93
DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93
DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93
T Donovan Smith, No. 76 and RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
TE O.J. Howard, No. 80
WR DeSean Jackson, No. 11
Bucs vs. Bears
RB Ronald Jones, No. 27
RB Ronald Jones, No. 27 and C Ryan Jensen, No. 66
RB Ronald Jones, No. 27
Bucs vs. Bears
DE Jason Pierre-Paul, No. 90
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
TE Cameron Brate, No. 84
Bucs vs. Bears
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
WR Chris Godwin, No. 12
Bucs vs. Bears
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3 and C Ryan Jensen, No. 66
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3 and C Ryan Jensen, No. 66
DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93 and DE Vinny Curry, No. 97
Bucs vs. Bears
LB Lavonte David, No. 54 and DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
Bucs vs. Bears
Bucs vs. Bears
Bucs vs. Bears
LB Kwon Alexander, No. 58, DT Gerald McCoy, No. 93 and CB Ryan Smith, No. 29
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3 and C Ryan Jensen, No. 66
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3, G Ali Marpet, No. 74 and OL Caleb Benenoch, No. 77
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3 and C Ryan Jensen, No. 66
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
T Donovan Smith, No. 76
T Donovan Smith, No. 76
Bucs vs. Bears
WR Mike Evans, No. 13
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3 and RB Peyton Barber, No. 25
QB Jameis Winston, No. 3
DT Vita Vea, No. 50
TE Cameron Brate, No. 84
WR Mike Evans, No. 13
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, No. 14
The Bears answered with another touchdown. Trubisky hit running back Tarik Cohen for a nine-yard touchdown to widen the gap 21-3 with 12:21 left in the second quarter. On the Bucs next possession, Fitzpatrick was sacked on third-and-11 by Chicago linebacker Khalil Mack, who also forced the fumble. The Bucs recovered but would be forced to punt again.
On the next drive, Trubisky completed his fourth touchdown pass to his fourth different pass catcher. It was a 20-yard pass to wide receiver Josh Bellamy to put the Bears up 28-3 with just under nine minutes in the half.
The Bucs came up empty with another three-and-out on their next possession. Chicago answered quickly again behind a 26-yard scramble by Trubisky to get in a goal-to-go situation. Trubisky then connected with wide receiver Taylor Gabriel on a three-yard shovel pass to put the Bears up 35-3 with just under five minutes left in the second quarter.
The Bucs mustered up a couple big plays on their next drive, including a 42-yard pass to DeSean Jackson to get them inside the red zone. Fitzpatrick completed a pass at the goal line to tight end Cameron Brate but it was called back on offensive pass interference. On third-and-19, Fitzpatrick was intercepted by safety Eddie Jackson to negate any points off the drive and get the ball back to Chicago with 2:13 left in the half. After the play, Bears' defensive tackle Akiem Hicks was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and disqualified from the game after making contact with an official.
On the ensuing drive, the Bears were held to a field goal. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro hit a 30-yarder to make he halftime score 38-3.
As the Bucs got the ball back to start the second half, quarterback Jameis Winston checked in. After three straight completions to wide receiver Adam Humphries, he was intercepted by Bears' linebacker Danny Trevathan after a hit to the hand by Khalil Mack. The Bears capitalized with a three-yard touchdown pass to Gabriel from Trubisky to make the score 45-3 with 10:28 left in the third quarter.
The two teams then traded punts. The Bucs, because of a sack on Winston and running back Ronald Jones getting dropped in the backfield for a loss. Then Trubisky had three straight incompletions for the Bears and the Bucs got the ball back. With some creative footwork by Winston, the drive was kept alive for the Bucs' first touchdown of the day. Winston hit tight end Cameron Brate for a 16-yard touchdown pass to make the score 45-10 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
The Bears were able to tack on an additional three on their next drive. Kicker Cody Parkey hit a 46-yarder to increase Chicago's lead to 48-10 with 6:23 left in the game.
The Bucs got down to the Bears' 33-yard line before Winston was intercepted by linebacker Aaron Lynch. With 1:20 left in the game, it would seal the game for Chicago and the Bucs would fall 48-10.
