The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just snagged their first back-to-back wins this season, but let’s be real, this Sunday’s Week 9 showdown against the Chicago Bears is a whole different beast. These Bucs are sitting at 3-5 after dropping Carolina and Atlanta by a combined 46 points, which sounds great until you look at the Bears, who are absolutely rolling at 6-2 with three straight Ws. Chicago’s got the third-best total offense and the seventh-best total defense in the league, so this is a monster test for Tampa Bay’s recent “improvements” on both sides of the ball. With Baker Mayfield still nursing a right thumb injury, Tampa Bay’s leaning heavy on the run game and their defense is somehow forcing turnovers like crazy. It’s a wild setup for Soldier Field.
Can Tampa Bay’s Air Attack Actually Do Anything Against Chicago’s Secondary?
Seriously, the Bucs’ passing game is straight-up *last* in the entire NFL, averaging a paltry 131.4 yards per game. It’s gotten even worse over the last couple weeks. Baker Mayfield, dealing with a right thumb injury, has only completed seven of 14 attempts for 64 yards and one touchdown against Carolina and Atlanta. And get this: in Week 8, Tampa Bay failed to complete a single pass! Yeah, you read that right. Zero. Pass. Completions. Sure, there were weird circumstances like a huge early lead against Carolina and a monsoon against Atlanta, but you can’t expect to beat the Bears without, you know, *throwing the ball*.
Now, the good news for the Bucs, if you can call it that, is Chicago’s secondary isn’t exactly ironclad. They’re 14th in passing defense, giving up 219 yards per game. Plus, they’ve allowed a league-high 17 passing plays of at least 30 yards, and they’re ranked 30th, giving up 8.2 yards per pass attempt. That screams opportunity for some big plays, right? Except, there’s a giant problem: Chicago’s pass rush is an absolute wrecking crew, ranked second in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt at 9.65%. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s offensive line is a sieve, ranking 30th in protecting its quarterbacks, giving up sacks on 11.06% of attempts. Good luck trying to launch deep balls with that kind of pressure. The return of Emeka Egbuka, who practiced fully after a two-game absence, could help, and Mayfield practiced fully too, but they need way more consistent pass protection and receiver production to even think about challenging that Bears secondary.
The Bucs’ Ground Game Against Jeffery Simmons: A True Test
Alright, if the Bucs can’t throw, they better run, and boy, have they been running! They’ve put up a ridiculous 582 rushing yards over their last two games, including a franchise-record 324 yards against Atlanta. Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell combined for 310 yards in that game alone, helping Tampa Bay keep control despite, you know, *zero completed passes*. This running surge has actually put Tampa Bay at the top of the NFL with 168.6 rushing yards per game. Incredible, right?
But here’s the kicker: Chicago’s run defense is no joke, ranked fourth in the league, giving up just 86.8 yards per contest. And they just got a massive boost by picking up Jeffery Simmons. Remember him? The guy who absolutely blew up in his debut against *our* Seattle squad, logging six tackles and a sack? Yeah, that guy. Simmons is a nightmare for interior offensive lines, a real gap penetrator who can shred blocking assignments and force running backs off their tracks. This is going to be a brutal matchup for Tampa Bay’s O-line.
So, what’s gonna give when the Bucs roll into Soldier Field? Is Tampa Bay’s bizarre, pass-less offense going to somehow pull off another upset on the ground, or will Chicago’s stifling defense and dominant pass rush shut down the run and expose Mayfield’s injured thumb? This isn’t just another game, it’s a gut-check for both teams. The Bucs are trying to climb back into the playoff picture, and the Bears are proving they’re a legit threat. Get ready, because Sunday night is gonna be a battle.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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