The Chicago Bears bye week falls in Week 10, with the New Orleans Saints visiting Soldier Field on November 22, 2026. The Bears enter the break at 7–2 after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27–24 despite four Caleb Williams interceptions. Chicago has won four straight, but four remaining division games leave little room for another game with five giveaways.
Chicago Bears Bye Week Starts With 17 Giveaways
The Bears have 13 takeaways against 17 giveaways, leaving them at minus-four in turnover margin. The giveaway totals include nine interceptions and eight lost fumbles. The season game log shows how concentrated the damage was, with five giveaways against the Green Bay Packers and another five against Tampa Bay. Chicago averaged one giveaway in its other seven games.
The Bears also gave the ball away twice in a 9–3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. D’Andre Swift’s fumble at Minnesota’s 1 ended a drive that could have put Chicago ahead. Green Bay intercepted three passes at Lambeau Field, and those two division losses accounted for seven of the team’s 17 giveaways.
Swift lost two fumbles on carries, and Roschon Johnson lost one against the Atlanta Falcons. Luther Burden III lost two after receptions, while Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland each lost one after a catch. Case Keenum lost the eighth on a strip sack, meaning half of the Bears’ lost fumbles came on completed passes.
Williams threw four of his five season interceptions against the Buccaneers. The NFL game log shows 860 passing yards, four touchdown passes, and zero interceptions across his previous three starts. A film breakdown traced Sunday’s picks to a forced throw, two attempted throwaways that stayed in play, and a deflection.
Ben Johnson can start with the two attempts to get rid of the ball because Williams had already decided to abandon those plays. A late throw across the field can undo the work of escaping pressure. A legal throwaway costs a down, but it gives the Bears another snap with the ball.
The Defense Made Five Giveaways Look Affordable
Chicago allowed three points on the four possessions after Williams’ interceptions, as the earlier recap details. Tampa Bay started one of those drives at the Bears’ 37, where the defense was already defending a four-point lead. Jaylon Johnson turned the possession into a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown, stretching that lead to 11.
Burden’s late fumble gave the Buccaneers possession at Chicago’s 17, and Tampa Bay reached the end zone in two plays. A two-point conversion tied the game, giving Williams the ball back with a field goal enough to win. A playoff opponent that scores on one more short field can leave Chicago needing a touchdown on that same drive.
The team recap credits the Bears with two interceptions, four sacks, and just two conversions allowed on 12 third downs. Opponents have converted only 21 of 92 third downs through nine games. Dennis Allen’s defense has kept those drives from getting longer, helping hold opponents to 20.4 points per game despite the giveaways.
The Running Game Gives Chicago A Way To Protect Leads
Swift scored three rushing touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks, and the Week 8 recap traces the two late drives that put the game away. Kalif Raymond turned a short pass on third-and-nine into 39 yards, setting up Swift’s five-yard touchdown on the next snap. Williams finished with 34 attempts and zero interceptions.
Chicago averaged 142 rushing yards per game and converted 45.3 percent of its third downs through Week 9. The Bears managed 72 rushing yards Sunday, with Swift gaining 31 on 12 carries. Better early-down runs give Johnson room to call play-action, while second-and-long can force the offense to show its hand.
Loveland offered a passing answer when Chicago took over with the score tied. Williams found the tight end for 38 yards on the winning drive, giving Cairo Santos a 38-yard field goal attempt. The Bears can use that same connection underneath when a first down matters more than a deep shot.
The NFC North Gives The Bye Week A Deadline
The team schedule sends Chicago to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, four days after the Saints game. The division standings put Detroit and the Vikings at 6–2 entering Week 10, half a game behind the Bears. The Packers sit at 6–3 and visit on Christmas before Chicago hosts the Lions and closes at Minnesota.
The Burden injury update adds another decision after the receiver suffered a concussion Sunday. Burden caught seven passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, and his availability against New Orleans remains uncertain. Johnson can prepare Loveland for more underneath work so Williams has an inside outlet if pressure arrives before the deeper routes develop.
End Of My Chicago Bears Bye Week Rant
The Chicago Bears bye week gives Johnson time to rehearse a fourth-quarter situation the offense should expect in December. Start near midfield with six minutes left and a one-score lead. Give Swift an early carry and make Williams identify his outlet before the snap, with two first downs as the target.
The drill should track first downs and how many timeouts the opponent has to spend. An underneath completion on third-and-long can keep the clock running, even if the drive ends with a punt. Allen can work with a long field after the offense makes the other sideline spend its timeouts.
