Photo caption: CHICAGO BEARS WIDE Receiver DJ Moore (#2) covers the ball after a catch during the Bears week two loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (Photo courtesy Chicago Bears)
The Chicago Bears dropped to 0-2 on the season after a 27-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 17, at Raymond James Stadium.
According to the Bears, quarterback Justin Fields finished the afternoon completing 16 of 29 passes for 200 plus yards and a touchdown while finding the end zone on a one-yard TD rush on the team’s opening drive of 75 yards.
Chicago’s opening-drive touchdown marks their first of the season after finding the end zone on four occasions last year, including three opening-drive TDs on the road: at Green Bay (September 18), at Atlanta (November 20) and at Detroit (January 1), according to the Bears.
The Bears said Fields also connected with wide receiver DJ Moore early in the first quarter on passes of 31 and 33-yards completions. It is the 29th game in Moore’s career logging a 30 plus yard reception. The 33-yard completion also marks Fields’ longest completion of the season.
In addition to Field’s completion, Moore finished the first quarter with two catches for 64 yards, tied for the third-highest first-quarter total in his career, trailing only a 76-yard opening quarter on September 23, 2021, at Houston and a 66-yard first quarter on November 22, 2020.
Moore was the leading receiver for the Bears on the day, logging six receptions for 104 yards as this was his 16th career game finishing over the 100-yard mark in receptions.
During a fourth quarter drive (6:23), Fields and wide receiver Chase Claypool connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass over the middle, making the score 20-17.
Fields led his team on a 90-yard, eight-play drive that helped trim Tampa Bay’s lead to three late in the fourth quarter. According to the Bears, this was Fields’ 26th career touchdown pass. The eight-play 90-yard scoring drive was the longest so far of the season, the team added.
For the defense, Bears linebackers Tremaine Edmunds (16 total) and T.J. Edwards (12 total) stood as the Bears’ front runners in tackles with a combined total of 28.
Bears special teams kicker Cairo Santos drilled a 52-yard field goal to tie the game with 2:00 remaining in the second quarter. This was Santos’ 15th career field goal of 50 plus yards. He is 3-3 on field goals this season, according to the Bears.
“Disappointing loss,” Coach Matt Eberflus said.
He added, “I thought the guys battled to the end. We gave ourselves a chance to win it at the end. We didn’t take care of the football at the end of it.”
Final Score: Chicago 17, Tampa Bay 27
With the loss, the Bears are now 0-2 on the season. The Bears will play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, September 24. Game time is 3:25 p.m.
The Chicago Bears finished with 236 total yards; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished with 437 total yards.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
