Despite the loss to the Bears on Sunday Night Football, the Bucs defense showed up once again. This was their biggest challenge of the season. The Bears offense entered the game eighth in points per game, 10th in EPA/play and sixth in success rate. Bears head coach Ben Johnson has generally had Todd Bowles’ number in previous matchups when Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Lions.

But Bowles’ defense showed up on Sunday Night Football.

The defense showed up a bit late. But it showed up.

The Bucs forced five turnovers. FIVE!

Tykee Smith prevented Chicago from pushing the game out of reach in the second quarter when he picked off Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in the red zone. Zyon McCollum followed that up with two critical picks of his own. Each came one play after Tampa Bay’s offense had given the ball away (once on a Baker Mayfield interception and the second on a failed fourth-and-1 attempt).

Bucs CB Zyon McCollum – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Jacob Parrish and Alex Anzalone got in on the action when Parrish broke up a pass that Anzalone was able to bring down in the third quarter. The final turnover came on a fumble that Rueben Bain Jr. forced on a huge hit to Luther Burden III with Ifeatu Melifonwu on the recovery. It set up a Bucs touchdown that tied the game with just minutes left in regulation. Yet it was all for not as the Bears were able to get a field goal as time expired to win the game.

But the Bucs defense went toe-to-toe with one of the best units in the NFL and kept pace.

Is The Bucs Defense For Real?

This wasn’t a new phenomenon. The Bucs have held seven of their nine opponents this year to less than their season average. Only Pittsburgh and Cleveland put up more points against Tampa Bay than they have averaged this year. The Bucs defense is performing well. Stripping out defensive and special teams touchdowns, they are fifth in points allowed per game (17.8). They have slowed down two of the best offenses in football in the Cowboys and Bears.

The defense has been maligned over the last few years. But in 2026, the Bucs defense has been getting the job done. Tampa Bay has been playing at a level worthy of success. But success has eluded the team due to an offense that is now ranked worse than the Chargers in EPA/pass.

The pass rush is generating more pressure. They pressured Caleb Williams on 39% of his dropbacks yesterday. First-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. has 11 pressures and a sack since Week 6. Calijah Kancey was everywhere on Sunday and with just one less pressure, he has just about matched Bain’s production over the same time frame. Second-year pass rusher David Walker has been fantastic. Veteran A’Shawn Robinson has been a consistent performer on the interior.

Bears QB Caleb Williams and Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

Josiah Trotter has been an incredible addition to the middle of the defense. And after a rough start to the year, free agent addition Alex Anzalone has been making high impact plays of late, including three interceptions in the past two weeks.

And the secondary has also been incredible. Tykee Smith, Zyon McCollum, Jacob Parrish and Keionte Scott have each led the way to the second-lowest passer rating and best EPA/play allowed.

The defense is full of good players who can create turnovers. And those players deserve better than a 3-6 record.

High Impact Plays And Capitalizing

Turnovers are notoriously fickle. When the bug hits a defense, it is important to capitalize. But the Bucs aren’t doing that.

According to Sumer Sports, Tampa Bay is averaging just 2.74 points scored per turnover forced. That’s less than a field goal per turnover and 22nd in the NFL. The fact that the offense cannot capitalize on the opportunities the defense is creating is a shame and shows just how far that side of the ball has fallen in less than two seasons.