NFC Game Of The Week
Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bears: I must give them credit because they played hard on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Things were interesting for a while until Green Bay pulled away and that was that. It’s obvious to see that one side of the ball is stronger than the other when it comes to the Chicago Bears. Their defense is always going to come ready to play and ever since that opening game in Los Angeles against the Rams, they’ve done a better job in getting off the field. This Bears defense is at its best when the takeaway is alive and going for them. However, you don’t want to rely heavily on that to be considered a good defense. The main issue has been the offense. I’ll politely say it’s a work in progress for the time being. Everybody wants instant results but just remember that Justin Fields is still a rookie and he’s learning more as the games go on. At 3-3, the Bears have been an up and down team to say the least. Their three wins have come against the Bengals, Lions (who doesn’t beat them) and the Raiders which I thought was one of their more complete wins of the year in Vegas. Then, you look at the three losses: The Rams in week one, the Browns in week four and the Packers just this past weekend and what do all those teams have in common? They were playoff teams a year ago. On Sunday, they’ll face a team they got the best of last year.
Buccaneers: So, I want to give a very important piece of advice to anyone who plays them. If you’re going to defend this offense with man-to-man coverage across the board, please make sure you have the pass rushers to complement and get home to the quarterback. For years, I’ve always said if you don’t pressure or hit Tom Brady, you won’t win and that’s plain and simple. He picked apart the Dolphins a few weeks ago and against the Eagles last Thursday, he had such a clean pocket to throw from. Why has the Buccaneers offense been so successful now? One, they have a full year under their belts together. Chemistry truly does matter. Around this time last year, I considered this their “preseason” because they didn’t have training camps because of the pandemic. Also, they’re letting Brady control things more. I see a lot of similarities between this offense now and the one he ran in Foxborough. You see him sending guys in motion, he’s using the tight ends and he finally has that pass catching running back he’s used for many years in his career. This is the hardest offense for any defense to defend because of the weapons they display. I’m still worried about their pass defense because their secondary is in complete shambles right now. They’re back home on Sunday afternoon.
Bears X-Factor: Darnell Mooney– He’s been a favorite target for Justin Fields. If you watched the Bears offense last season and anytime, he was targeted, many of those passes were overthrown. Now, he’s got a quarterback that can attempt to connect with him down the field. This Tampa Bay secondary isn’t that great. The Bears will have a tough time running the ball on this stout defense that’s the best at stopping the run.
Buccaneers X-Factor: Shaq Barrett– He’s their best pass rusher. If it weren’t for Devin White, he would be the Bucs best defensive player. Shaq is quick at the point of attack. Against the run, he can sniff it out, then go for the ball and in space, he can get to the ball carrier with quickness and ease. Shaq is that one guy that you must circle in on. He can also knock the ball down. He’s the jack of all trades.
Final Thoughts: These two met last year in Chicago and the Bears got them by a point. My, how things have changed since then. The way you defeat a Brady team is to score. The Bears don’t necessarily have the firepower to keep up with this Tampa offense. As I said up top, running the ball will be a challenge. The Bears need to attack the Tampa secondary. Also, Chicago will need to get home to Brady. Hit him and get him off his rhythm. I really like how this Tampa team is looking. They still run things until they are dethroned by someone else. Watch Brady spread the ball around to his plethora of weapons.
Prediction: Buccaneers 28, Bears 10
