It does not matter how you get it done. A win is a win in the NFL, and the Chicago Bears pulled off a gritty one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night at Soldier Field.

This wasn’t how anyone expected the game to go, especially after the Bears jumped out to a 14-point lead on their first two drives. From there, Chicago struggled to reach the finish line. Still, the Bears pulled away late and improved to 7-2 heading into the Week 10 bye. It wasn’t pretty by any means, so let’s break down the biggest winners and losers.

Loser: Caleb Williams hits a new career-low, despite coming through late

Caleb Williams has to land here despite how the game ended. He threw four interceptions, the first four-interception game of his career at any level. He never had one in high school, never had one in college, and never had one in the NFL. Until today.

Williams was lights out on those first two drives, making some ridiculous plays. Then he got a little too confident, and two quick interceptions followed because he tried to force the ball. It was way too much Superman and not enough Clark Kent. Some bad reads mixed in as well, and the offense couldn’t get anything going during the second and third quarters. It’s worth noting this was against a strong blitzing defense that led the NFL in interceptions coming into this game.

That being said, Williams delivered when it mattered. On the final drive of the fourth quarter, he hit a big third-down strike to Kalif Raymond and a 38-yarder to Colston Loveland. Even still, the interceptions kept the Buccaneers in the game, but the way Williams stepped up late was impressive nonetheless.

Loser: Two injuries to watch going into the bye

Chicago lost cornerback Tyrique Stevenson to a hand injury multiple times on Sunday. He entered the game questionable with that same injury, briefly left in the first half, returned, and then left again in the second half. Stevenson has battled injuries all over his body this season, and Bears head coach Ben Johnson called it “Miami tough.” I respect the fight of wanting to be out there for his teammates, but we’ll see how long this one sidelines him.

It’s a big loss, especially with the Bears rumored to be looking for a cornerback ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. If Stevenson is forced to miss time, that search could pick up over the next two days.

Wide receiver Luther Burden III also left the game late with a concussion after having such a strong game with 97 yards and a touchdown. Fortunately, the bye week arrives at the right time for these players to get healthy.

Loser: Run game struggles need to be looked at over the bye week

The ground game is another thing played a role in this nearly being a loss. D’Andre Swift had 12 carries for 31 yards and almost lost a crucial fumble. With Kyle Monangai out, Chicago turned to Salvon Ahmed over Roschon Johnson as the RB2. Ahmed ran well with five carries for 25 yards, but the Bears finished with only 72 rushing yards.

To be fair, Tampa Bay entered Week 9 allowing 80 rushing yards per game, the lowest mark in the NFL. Still, it’s very clear this offense misses Monangai, especially on inside runs. He was back at practice Friday and went through pregame warmups before getting ruled out on the inactives list. Getting Monangai back in Week 11 would be a massive boost toward returning this rushing attack to one of the league’s best. But, it’s still something Johnson will have to look closely at over the extended break.

Winner: Jaylon Johnson silenced the doubters

I’ll be the first to say I’ve been vocal about Jaylon Johnson’s struggles this season. He’s been a step down from his Pro Bowl-caliber level. He answered those critics in a big way.

The Bears needed a defensive spark in the third quarter, and Johnson jumped a route for a 67-yard pick-six. It was his first pick-six since 2023 and his first interception since against the Browns last season. Hopefully it’s a sign he’s finally figuring things out in this scheme. It was a much-needed confidence booster for a player the Bears need to play at a high level again at that position.

Winner: Devin Bush was all over the place

Linebacker Devin Bush was making killer plays all night. With Jeffrey Simmons plugging holes up front and eating double teams, Bush’s speed was on full display shooting the gaps in the run game.

He led the team with nine tackles, including a tackle for loss, and added two pass deflections. He’s quickly becoming one of the best defensive signings the Bears made this offseason and continues to look better each week.

Winner: Pass rush continues to show life with Jeffery Simmons

The pass rush came to life again with four sacks from across the board. Simmons got his first sack at Soldier Field, Austin Booker had one, Grady Jarrett and Daniel Hardy split one, and Shemar Turner added the other. Montez Sweat should have had one too, but a facemask call on Booker wiped it out.

What Simmons is doing commanding double teams has been freeing everyone else to get consistent pressure the last two games. That’s a major difference for this unit.

Winner: The return game is hitting their stride

Chicago’s returners were exceptional, fitting with Hall of Fame return man Devin Hester in the house. Zavion Thomas opened the game with a 40-yard kickoff return, and Raymond added a couple of big punt returns.

Thomas nearly housed a 90-plus-yard touchdown as well if not for a phantom holding call on D’Marco Jackson. It was a horrible call that negated a massive play.

Thomas is still coming along on offense, and an unnecessary roughness penalty early backed the Bears up and led to Williams’ first interception. However, what he does on special teams is special, and he’s getting closer to hitting the big one. He should have had it today, but one that actually counts is coming.

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Going into the bye, the Bears have plenty to clean up, but a 7-2 record showing this kind of resilience is a strong place to be as a team.