The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Chicago Bears under mostly clear skies Sunday night, with dry conditions and temperatures near 50 degrees expected for their Week 9 matchup at Soldier Field.
AccuWeather's forecast for Soldier Field calls for a daytime high of 60 degrees, with temperatures dropping throughout the evening. The nighttime forecast calls for a low of 41 degrees, northwest winds of 8 mph, and gusts up to 18 mph, with no precipitation expected.
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET, or 7:20 p.m. local time, when temperatures are projected to be in the low 50s. Although afternoon winds could reach 15 mph with gusts up to 27 mph, AccuWeather expects those conditions to ease in the evening.
The forecast is a considerable improvement
over the conditions Tampa Bay faced in Week 8 against Atlanta, when heavy rain contributed to an unusual offensive performance. Baker Mayfield finished that game without a completion as the Buccaneers relied on their rushing attack to secure a 16-0 victory.
Tampa Bay has rushed for 582 yards over its last two games, including a franchise-record 324 against Atlanta. The Buccaneers have also completed just seven passes for 64 yards in that stretch, making their ability to produce through the air against Chicago an important storyline.
Dry conditions should give Mayfield and his receivers a better chance to execute downfield, though Chicago's defensive front and pass rush will still pose challenges. Lighter evening winds should also limit weather-related complications for kickers and punters, particularly on longer attempts.
Buccaneers vs. Bears Week 9 weather forecast
The Buccaneers enter Sunday at 3-5 after consecutive wins over Carolina and Atlanta, while Chicago is 6-2 after three straight wins. With no rain in the forecast and winds expected to diminish by kickoff, weather should not be a major factor in the Sunday night matchup.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers vs. Bears weather report: Clear skies at Soldier Field
