The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will find out what they're made of as head on the road to take on the 6-2 Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.
Tampa Bay is red-hot, and currently boasts the No. 1 rushing offense and the No. 1 rushing defense in the NFL. They've finally hit their groove and won three of their last four, but they haven't faced a challenge like the Bears yet. Chicago is a legitimate Super Bowl contender, so this is a true measuring stick game to determine if the Bucs are ready to compete with the big dogs,
To get a better feel for what the Buccaneers are up against, I went behind enemy lines and spoke to Anthony Miller, a contributor at Bear Goggles On, FanSided's dedicated Bears blog. Our conversation offered a valuable perspective on the Bucs' upcoming matchup from the opponent's point of view.
Chicago Bears expert previews Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup: Caleb Williams, Baker Mayfield and more
Q: This matchup features an unstoppable force vs. immovable object on both sides of the ball. The Buccaneers rank No. 1 in rushing offense and No. 1 in rushing defense. The Bears have the No. 2 rushing offense and No. 3 rushing defense. Both teams can run the ball and stop the run at an elite level. This game is going to come down to the battle in the trenches, and the Bears just got an additional boost after trading for Jeffery Simmons. Who do you think will come out on top in that battle in the run game?
A: I actually think the Buccaneers will run the ball better on average per carry. The Bears allowed 4.3 yards per carry in their Week 8 win over the Seahawks. Kyle Monangai will be key to whether Chicago can run the football, though, as he is questionable with a thumb and toe injury. Before his injury, the Bears averaged 196.3 yards per game. Since Monangai has been out, the Bears are only averaging 105.3 yards per game. Tampa Bay has shown they can run the ball well in any condition, so I’ll give them a slight edge.
Q: Caleb Williams will face several unique challenges against a Buccaneers defense that Ben Johnson referred to as “chaos” earlier this week. The first being they stop the run better than anyone in the league, which could put this game on Williams’ shoulders. The second is that Todd Bowles is known to throw the kitchen sink at opposing quarterbacks with exotic looks and pressures. How do you expect Williams to handle potentially having to carry the offense against the Buccaneers' pressure scheme?
A: There’s been a lot of talk about Williams and how he handles the blitz. Since returning from his hamstring injury, he’s completed 73.5% of his passes for 806 yards and 4 touchdowns. I have no concerns about Williams getting the job done, no matter how much Bowles blitzes on him or shows him different looks.
Q: The Bears have faced the least rushing attempts in the NFL, with opponents averaging about 20 attempts per game against Chicago. In their three wins this season, Tampa Bay’s running backs have averaged a combined 42 carries per game. Chicago’s run defense has been great, but they haven’t faced an offense who runs at the same volume as the Buccaneers. Is there any chance Tampa Bay can wear down the Bears defensively by sticking to their heavy run game, or do you expect Chicago to stay stout up front regardless?
A: If this were the 2025 Chicago Bears defense, I would suspect Tampa Bay would have a field day. This Bears defense, though, is different. Simmons is a massive reason for that, as Seattle averaged roughly three yards per play when he was on the field. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is also known for exotic looks, including blitzes involving defensive backs Dillon Thieneman and Kyler Gordon. The Bucs will get some yards on the Bears, but I suspect the Bears will hold their own.
Q: Do the Bears have a clear personnel weakness or a specific matchup that the Buccaneers can exploit on Sunday?
A: No doubt it’s the cornerbacks. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have been awful all season, with each guy allowing a passer rating over 120. Stevenson is questionable for the game, and the Bears’ only good cornerback, rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad, missed the Seahawks game with a toe injury and is questionable against Tampa Bay as well. If Muhammad can’t play, I would suggest the Buccaneers not focus as much on the run and instead attack this Bears secondary deep with downfield passes.
Q: Vice versa, is there a weakness the Buccaneers have that you expect the Bears to take advantage of?
A: In an odd way, forcing the Buccaneers to pass would be a disadvantage and an advantage for the Bears. The key is to force Baker Mayfield to throw quick passes and set Tampa Bay up with third-and-longs. Kyler Gordon will be a guy to watch out for with blitzes. If Mayfield has too much time, that’s a problem, but if the Bears get as much pressure on him as they did in Week 8, Tampa Bay will face their worst nightmare.
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