Coming off what was a dominant, exhilarating victory in Week 8, the Chicago Bears now turn their attention to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that's won two in a row and have starting quarterback Baker Mayfield back.
Like the Bears, Tampa Bay had to go without their starter under center for a while after Mayfield suffered a thumb injury back in Week 3, against the Minnesota Vikings, ironically enough.
But, Mayfield and Caleb Williams are both healthy and gearing up for a matchup on Sunday Night Football. Their records might not equally show it, but these are two teams playing good football right now. Despite sitting at 3-5, the Bucs are playing some excellent defense and pounding the opposition on the ground.
Now, the Bears' defense is led by newly-acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and they, too, look excellent for the most part.
As we get set for kickoff, here's everything you will need to know, going in.
- Bears injury report
- Bucs injury report
- How to watch Bears vs. Buccaneers
- Weather forecast for Bears vs. Buccaneers
- Top storylines for Bears vs. Buccaneers in Week 9
- Bold predictions, game predictions for Bears vs. Bucs
Bears injury report
Note: This section will be updated when teams release their official reports
Bucs injury report
Note: This section will be updated when teams release their official reports
How to watch Bears vs. Buccaneers
Date: Sunday November 8
Time: 7:20pm CT
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
TV/Streaming: NBC, Peacock, Universo, and NFL+
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark (sideline)
Weather forecast for Bears vs. Buccaneers
(Forecast provided by NFLWeather)
Temperature at kickoff: 49° F
Precipitation: Clear
Wind: 6mph
Top storylines for Bears vs. Buccaneers in Week 9
Jeffery Simmons-led Bears defensive line against the Bucs stout defensive front
Don't look now, but the Buccaneers actually rank third overall in total defense, allowing 285.9 yards per game. The Bears are right there at no. 7 overall, though, and the acquisition of Jeffery Simmons should only help them climb from there.
As it stands, though, the Bucs' defense is no. 2 in the league against the run, allowing just 80.0 yards per game. This would be the ideal time to get Kyle Monangai back, but either way, D'Andre Swift has his work cut out for him, as do the Bears' offensive line.
While the Bucs started the season poorly and are now trying to climb back into relevance, the defense has kept them afloat. They've been outstanding. Tampa's pass defense still ranks inside the top 10, allowing 205.9 yards per game.
Simmons and the Bears' defensive front were able to sack Sam Darnold three times on Monday night, and would have had five, in total, had two costly penalties not been called in the secondary. Between Simmons, Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, this Bears front is starting to look scary.
The Bucs, on the other side, lead the league in rushing at 168.6 yards per game and the Bears are right behind them at 150.8. The defensive lines will be big stories in this one.
Will Dennis Allen even need to prepare for Baker Mayfield?
Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8, in a rainy downpour, Baker Mayfield didn't even complete a pass. He attempted just three.
Now, the weather certainly played a part. But, it was his second game back from a thumb injury. In his first game back, he only attempted 11 passes.
It sure looks like the Bucs want to run the ball as often as they possibly can, so we know where Allen is going to focus his attention this week.
Now, when Mayfield does drop back to pass, getting pressure on him is sometimes tricky. He has a similar escapability as Caleb Williams, but is also more likely to turn the ball over, which is unlike Williams. If Simmons and company can get to him on what might be limited drop-backs, they'll affect the outcome, no doubt.
But, the biggest problem is going to be containing Bucky Irving and that nasty run game.
The Bears' left tackle position might be a sudden weak link
Braxton Jones was obviously never going to play in this game, but he's now officially out for the season.
So, it's on Theo Benedet and Ozzy Trapilo the rest of the way.
You might have assumed they'd be just fine with Trapilo nearing full health, but he's actually had some rough outings. Trapilo hasn't looked quite like the player we were used to seeing last year before his injury, which sends some alarm bells ringing throughout the fan base.
Meanwhile, Theo Benedet appeared to suffer a shoulder injury against the Seahawks. We will see how his status pans out through the week, but the Bears' left tackle position is nowhere near solid at the moment.
Bold predictions, game predictions for Bears vs. Bucs
Predictions for Bears vs. Bucs
Passing yards leader: Caleb Williams
Receiving yards leader: Rome Odunze
Rushing yards leader: Bucky Irving
Who wins the turnover battle: Bears
Final score: Bears 31 Bucs 16
Bold prediction: Rome Odunze catches two touchdowns
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