The Bucs offense certainly was not ready for prime time tonight.
The Bucs defense, however, delivered a heroic effort that was flushed down the toilet.
Despite Tampa Bay intercepting Caleb Williams four times — FOUR! — and forcing another turnover via a fumble, the Bucs couldn’t run up the score.
Baker Mayfield had a rough night with a pick-six and no touchdown passes. And he ate four sacks, as the Bucs’ offensive line proved its pass blocking remains a question mark.
At one point, beginning late in the second quarter, the Bucs stopped the Bears on seven consecutive drives. It just wasn’t enough until a late forced fumble by Rueben Bain and Keionte Scott (the seventh consecutive stop) gave the Bucs life. Bucky Irving marched in for a touchdown and Mayfield took care of the two-point conversion with his legs.
Then the Bucs defense collapsed on the Bears’ final drive.
Maddening but certainly not surprising for Bucs fans. It was another close-game loss that simply means the Bucs are an incomplete team, and one lacking a killer instinct.
The loss dropped the Bucs to 3-6, good for third place in the NFC South landfill. They’re tied with the Falcons but own the tiebreaker. The Saints and Falcons are both 3-5.
Joe can’t say the bye week, which comes now, arrived at a good time. The Bucs have not been good coming off a bye during the Todd Bowles regime.