The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears will face off on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.
It will be a matchup of unstoppable forces against immovable objects, as both teams boast elite rushing offenses and run defenses.
Both teams have a similar identity, so it’ll come down to a battle in the trenches to determine who comes out on top in primetime.
Buccaneers and Bears are built to dominate in the trenches
The Buccaneers currently boast the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense, averaging about 169 yards per game on the ground. They also have the No. 1 rushing defense, surrendering only 80 yards per game.
The Bears don’t trail far behind in either category. Chicago ranks No. 2 in rushing offense, averaging 151 yards per game, and No. 3 in rushing defense, allowing only 87 yards per game.
Both teams’ winning formula is built on establishing the run offensively, while shutting down opponents’ run games defensively, making them one-dimensional. It’s rare to see a matchup between two teams that are this dominant in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Jeffery Simmons gives the Buccaneers their toughest test yet
In Tampa Bay’s three wins this year, the Buccaneers have rushed for over 240 yards in each contest. In games where they struggled to run the football effectively, the offense has struggled mightily. They desperately need to find a way to get the ground game going against the Bears’ stout run defense to have a chance to pull off the upset.
Tampa Bay’s challenge is even more pronounced following Chicago’s blockbuster trade for All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. He made his Bears debut last week against the Seattle Seahawks and immediately wreaked havoc with six tackles, a sack, and five pressures.
Containing Simmons and preventing him from wrecking this game will be the biggest test of the season for the Buccaneers’ interior offensive line.
The Bears haven’t faced a rushing attack like the Buccaneers’
While things bode well for the Bears on paper, there’s one important stat to note that could benefit the Buccaneers. No team has faced less rushing attempts than Chicago this season, with opponents calling for about 20 rush attempts per game.
The Buccaneers have run the ball 33 times per game this season, and in their three wins, that number climbs to 42 attempts per game. That’s double what the Bears have faced on average.
Chicago will likely face a much heavier dose of rushing attempts than they’re used to, and perhaps that could allow Tampa Bay to wear them down and see if the Bears are truly built to survive the war of attrition over four quarters.
It’s going to be a slugfest in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and whichever team can buckle their chinstraps and prove to be the more physical group will emerge victorious.
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