The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept it close against the Chicago Bears, but in the end, they weren't able to get a big win in the Windy City.

The Bucs fell to the Bears 27-24 on Sunday Night Football, dropping them to 3-6. It was a game where Tampa Bay's defense dominated once again, netting five turnovers and holding Chicago's offense at bay for most of the game, but the Bucs were unable to get anything going on offense and they couldn't get the win as a result.

As always, we're giving our overreactions to this matchup — here's how we're feeling after Tampa Bay's loss:

Wide Receiver is Tampa Bay's Biggest Need

The Buccaneers' offense is a mess almost everywhere (we'll talk more about that later). But perhaps the most pressing need the team has is at wide receiver, and that showed itself in a big way on Sunday night.

Tampa Bay's wide receiver corps had numerous drops on the night — rookie Ted Hurst was benched because he had one, and Tez Johnson had two drops across the night. Once again, tight end Cade Otton dominated the target share with eight of them, and outside of a huge bomb to Johnson that saw him net 76 yards on the night, no other Bucs receiver had over 40.

Chris Godwin remains an ineffective part of the offense despite being on a $22 million deal. Emeka Egbuka was drafted by the Bucs in the first round last year, and he has not looked like a WR1.

The Bucs really, really feel the absence of Mike Evans. They need a definitive WR1 on the team, and they need it badly if the passing game is to repair itself in future seasons.

But for right now, though...

This Bucs Offense Will Never Get Better This Year

The Bucs have had a strong run game with Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell, but that cannot carry the entire offense. The Bears proved that.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's passing schemes have struggled all year, and they've continued to flounder when they've actually been needed. The aforementioned wide receiver issue continues to persist, and on top of all that, Tampa Bay's quarterback hasn't played up to standard at all.

Baker Mayfield is making $55 million a year on his extension, but his pressure-to-sack ratio is just under 32% (that's bad) and he threw a backbreaking interception that went for a pick-six, giving the Bears seven points in a game where the defense was holding them at bay. Mayfield has thrown three touchdowns and four interceptions, and his 32.4 QBR is 30th in the NFL.

The Bucs need the passing game to thrive. It doesn't look like there's a way it gets any better this season, and Tampa Bay will continue to lose games as a result.

The Bucs Will Still Win the NFC South

Despite all that, though? This defense is elite. They generate more turnovers than anyone else in the NFL, they remain stout against the run and the pass, and they have multiple All-Pro-level players on the team this year who are showing out.

That will be enough to win the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints don't have offenses half as potent as the Bears do, and Tampa Bay should muster enough wins in their next four NFC South matchups to win the division and make the playoffs.

The team isn't good enough to beat good teams and win a playoff game. But they are good enough to win the division and get there.

And if that happens, the Bucs have an interesting question to ask — What happens next?