Grading the Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football

We hand out midseason awards for the Chicago Bears | Gameday Live We've reached the midseason point of the Bears' NFL season. Our squadron hands out some superlatives for offensive, defensive, most improved and rookie players of the year. The Brief The Bears hosted Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football. The defense got an A. Everything on offense… did not fare so well. Here’s how we graded the Bears against Tampa Bay. The Chicago Bears' defense got an A. The offense? Not so much. Here’s how we graded the Bears in their third primetime game in a row, this time on Sunday Night Football against Bears Offense Sunday Night Football is known for its player introductions. NBC records the players saying their names and alma maters. Both offenses and defenses get introductions. But, you know things are going decently when the Bears have two touchdowns on the board before the defense has a chance to air its introductions. The Bears’ offense put up 14 points in the first quarter yet again. Then, came the second and third quarters. The Bears’ offense got into a funk. The Buccaneers’ defense kept throwing blitzes at the line of scrimmage, and that got Williams to throw a career-high four interceptions. Mix in the fact the Bears’ run game couldn’t get going in the slightest, and it was not a banner day for Ben Johnson’s offense. There was a fourth-quarter first down that snapped a streak of five consecutive drives with a three-and-out for the Bears’ offense. The 14 points they put up early was the difference between a C grade and a D grade. Grade: C Bears Defense The Bears’ offense might’ve been in a funk. The defense was not. If there was a saving grace, it was the fact the Bears’ defense was playing at a high level on Sunday night. The Bears’ offense was mired in a rut. The defense picked up the slack. Jaylon Johnson’s interception touchdown was the spotlight play. But the Bears’ pass rush came on late to help preserve the lead and rattle Baker Mayfield. The defense was far from perfect. But, it didn't help the unit was field for most of the second half as the offense tried to get out of that funk. They held the line for the most part. This is what the Bears’ defense looks like with Jeffery Simmons now leading the charge. Grade: A Caleb Williams It wasn’t a great day for the Bears’ offense. A big reason was the Bears’ quarterback was struggling. He threw four interceptions between the second and third quarters. It’s the first four-interception game of Williams’ career. The last time a Bears’ quarterback did that was Andy Dalton on Dec. 5, 2021. After that great first quarter, the Buccaneers turned up the heat on Williams. He never really recovered. Grade: D Jaylon Johnson The Bears’ much-maligned cornerback stood on some business on Saturday. He had a 67-yard interception that he returned to the house. It was his first interception touchdown since 2023, when he had a pick-six against the Raiders. That pick six was a massive difference in the game, pushing the Bears’ lead to 11 on a night when the offense could barely muster consistent drives. The only real issue Johnson had was a holding penalty that gave Tampa Bay a first down in Bears’ territory. But, that pick six was the difference. Grade: A The Source: Analysis is from FOX Chicago's Chris Kwiecinski, who covered the game at Soldier Field. Bears