There is arguably no team in the NFL hotter right now than the Chicago Bears, and fans are in for another prime-time showdown this weekend as they get set to welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to town for Sunday Night Football.
The Bears (6-2) are winners of three in a row after they traveled to the Pacific Northwest and defeated the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 34-17 in one of the best regular season victories in recent memory. Quarterback Caleb Williams was able to move the ball unlike previous quarterbacks against Seattle's defense, while running back D'Andre Swift capitalized with three rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons had a debut that will be remembered for years to come as he stifled the Seahawks offense
for much of the game.
As for the Buccaneers (3-5), they have climbed their way out of the NFC South basement and are back on tracking following the return of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Tampa has won three of their last four games and is coming off a historic 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons, where they didn't complete a single pass in monsoon conditions.
Despite their poor record, the Buccaneers have a formidable defense, and their offense can get things going with their impressive ground attack. Here are five Buccaneers players we'll be watching this Sunday night:
1. QB Baker Mayfield
It's been two weeks since Baker Mayfield returned to action following an injury to his right hand, and he hasn't had to do a whole lot. During Tampa Bay's two-game winning streak, Mayfield has completed just seven of 14 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. He made history last week by not completing a single pass in the Buccaneers' win over the Falcons, which is a nice soft restart to his season. Don't expect that to be the case Sunday, though.
The Bears' defense will be too good to allow Tampa to solely rely on their rushing attack to carry the load. Mayfield will likely have his most passing attempts since late September against a Bears defense that can suddenly now get after the quarterback more effectively. We'll see how healed his thumb is and whether or not he can get after this Bears secondary that has a proponent for giving up big passing plays.
2. RB Bucky Irving
If the Bears are going to stifle the Buccaneers offense, they need to contain running back Bucky Irving. And this is a homecoming Irving is likely looking forward to. The 2024 fourth-round pick out of Hazel Crest is playing in his first game in Chicago since turning pro, and he's coming off a career day.
Irving totaled 170 rushing yards on 27 carries last week and scored a touchdown in Tampa's win over Atlanta. The rushing yards and carries were both career highs, and it was Irving's third game in four weeks with over 100 rushing yards. He is the engine that is powering the Buccaneers' offense and will be the focal point that the defense needs to hone in on. Irving could have a long day, though, considering the Bears' defense hasn't allowed 100 yards rushing in a game since Week 3 and is allowing the fourth-fewest yards per game (86.8).
3. C Graham Barton
A big reason the Buccaneers' run offense has been so effective as of late has been because of Graham Barton's improved play. The third-year center has been one of the better centers as of late, becoming a problem for opposing defensive lines. He was hitting key blocks all day long against the Falcons to help the Buccaneers rush for 324 yards, and he did so while battling the flu.
Barton will likely be much closer to 100% this weekend, and the Buccaneers will need him to be. He'll be squaring off against Jeffery Simmons, who terrorized the Seahawks offensive line just a few days ago. The Buccaneers offensive line as a whole is strong with Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke anchoring the tackle positions, but Barton's level of play has taken them to a new level. It will be interesting to see how he handles an improved Bears defensive line.
4. DE Reuben Bain
If you asked 10 Bears fans who they were hoping to land in the 2026 NFL Draft, the vast majority would have said defensive end Reuben Bain, fully knowing there was little to no shot he would be available to them at pick No. 25. They will get to see him in action, though, as one of Tampa's edge rushers, and he faces a tall task in going against Darnell Wright.
Bain, the No. 15 overall pick in the draft, had a slow start to his NFL career but has picked things up in recent weeks. Over his last three games, Bain has totaled one sack, one tackle for loss, and seven pressures. Bain is a smaller edge rusher, and concerns about his arm length were prevalent throughout the pre-draft process. Those concerns could come into play against Wright, who is a hulking right tackle and has allowed just 12 pressures and one sack all year.
5. LB Alex Anzalone
Bears fans know Alex Anzalone all too well from his days with the Detroit Lions. The veteran linebacker left Detroit in the offseason for Tampa Bay and was having a quiet season before breaking out for a career day last Sunday. Anzalone was responsible for two of Falcons quarterback Michael Penix's four interceptions, both coming in the first quarter. That put him to three on the year, which nearly matches his career total coming into the season (four).
While it's highly unlikely Anzalone has a repeat performance against a quarterback that has thrown just 14 interceptions in two and a half seasons, his familiarity with the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson could prove useful for the Buccaneers defense. Anzalone only went up against the Bears once last season when he was with the Lions, and that was back in Week 2. Much has changed since then. He will be the field general for the defense and try to counteract Williams, something that is becoming increasingly more difficult for defenders.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 Buccaneers players to watch vs. Bears
