DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Buccaneers at Bears
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 9 · Sunday 8:20 PM ET · Soldier Field

TBvsCHI

Buccaneers offensevsBears defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Buccaneers, 8 for Bears. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

TB offenseCHI offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Ground game edge

Buccaneers average 5.0 yards per carry (3rd). Bears allow 4.1 (19th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Bears are worst against deep left throws, allowing +0.65 EPA per attempt. Buccaneers send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Pressure problem

Buccaneers take a sack on 10% of dropbacks (30th). Bears get home on 9% (2nd). League average is 7%.

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Buccaneers gain 4.9 yards per play (25th). Bears give up 6.1 (29th), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

TB Buccaneers

6Baker MayfieldQB · 68/110 · 679 yds · 3 TD · 2 INTEPA per dropback -0.257Bucky IrvingRB · 147 car · 728 yds · 6 TD · 18 recEPA per touch -0.02 · 26th2Emeka EgbukaWR · 28 rec · 240 yds · 2 TD · 49 tgtEPA per target -0.2614Chris Godwin Jr.WR · 27 rec · 243 yds · 0 TD · 35 tgtEPA per target +0.1925Jacob ParrishNickel Back · 36 tackles · 2 INT · 13 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL27Zyon McCollumLeft Cornerback · 30 tackles · 2 INT · 9 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL

CHI Bears

18Caleb WilliamsQB · 112/158 · 1267 yds · 6 TD · 1 INTEPA per dropback +0.29 · 3rd4D'Andre SwiftRB · 143 car · 545 yds · 10 TD · 24 recEPA per touch -0.01 · 22nd10Luther Burden IIIWR · 42 rec · 547 yds · 3 TD · 56 tgtEPA per target +0.3184Colston LovelandTE · 33 rec · 309 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target -0.0699Jeffery SimmonsRight Defensive Tackle · 44 tackles · 5 sacks · 4 PD5 sacks · T-12th in the NFL31Dillon ThienemanStrong Safety · 51 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 1 INT · 5 PD1 INT
The series · Buccaneers and Bears since 1999, and this season's records20 meetings

The series is even at 10–10 since 1999. The Buccaneers have won the last 2. Sep 17, 2023, at Raymond James Stadium: the Buccaneers won 27–17. Baker Mayfield started at quarterback for the Buccaneers and Justin Fields for the Bears; Todd Bowles and Matt Eberflus coached.

Buccaneers at home7–3the Buccaneers' record
In Chicago3–6the Buccaneers' record
Most pointsBuccaneers 41 · Bears 482000 · 2018
Biggest winBuccaneers by 41 · Bears by 382000 · 2018

The last 5

2023 · Wk 2CHI 17 at TB 27
2021 · Wk 7CHI 3 at TB 38
2020 · Wk 5TB 19 at CHI 20
2018 · Wk 4TB 10 at CHI 48
2017 · Wk 2CHI 7 at TB 29

2026 records

BuccaneersBears
Overall3–56–2
Division2–00–2
Conference3–24–2
Other conference0–32–0
Home1–43–1
Away2–13–1
Last 5LWLWWWLWWW
StreakWon 2Won 3
Points a game22.3 – 18.926.8 – 20.0

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Buccaneers' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Buccaneers offense against the Bears defenseDepth charts
Bears defense · 4-3 DBuccaneers offense · 3WR 1TE78Wirfs68Bredeson62Barton69Mauch67Goedeke88Otton6Mayfield7Irving2Egbuka17Hurst14Godwin97Lynch99Simmons50Jarrett98Sweat12Bush53Edwards48Jackson29Stevenson1Johnson6Gordon31Thieneman21Lewis

Buccaneers offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBBaker Mayfield#6 · 68/110 · 679 yds · 3 TD · 2 INT
  • RBBucky Irving#7 · 147 car · 728 yds · 6 TD · 18 rec
  • WREmeka Egbuka#2 · 28 rec · 240 yds · 2 TD · 49 tgt
  • WRChris Godwin Jr.#14 · 27 rec · 243 yds · 0 TD · 35 tgt
  • WRTed Hurst III#17 · 11 rec · 168 yds · 1 TD · 24 tgt
  • TECade Otton#88 · 19 rec · 186 yds · 0 TD · 30 tgt
  • LTTristan Wirfs#78
  • LGBen Bredeson#68
  • CGraham Barton#62
  • RGCody Mauch#69
  • RTLuke Goedeke#67

Bears defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDEJames Lynch#97 · 18 tackles · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • RDTJeffery Simmons#99 · 44 tackles · 5 sacks · 4 PD
  • LDTGrady Jarrett#50 · 13 tackles
  • LDEMontez Sweat#98 · 9 tackles · 3 sacks
  • WLBDevin Bush#12 · 44 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 PD
  • MLBT.J. Edwards#53 · 17 tackles · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • SLBD'Marco Jackson#48 · 21 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • RCBTyrique Stevenson#29 · 28 tackles · 4 PD
  • LCBJaylon Johnson#1 · 24 tackles · 2 PD
  • NBKyler Gordon#6 · 8 tackles · 4 sacks · 1 PD
  • SSDillon Thieneman#31 · 51 tackles · 1.5 sacks · 1 INT · 5 PD
  • FSCam Lewis#21 · 29 tackles · 1 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · TB offense against CHI defense
StatTB TB offFavors TB · Favors CHICHI CHI def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.09#26
-0.03#12+0.00
Success rate
41%#25
40%#444%
Yards per play
4.9#25
6.1#295.4
Explosive play rate
10%#11
10%#249%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.23#31
-0.03#10+0.03
Sack rate
10%#30
9%#27%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.01#8
-0.09#12-0.08
Yards per carry
5.0#3
4.1#194.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
40%#14
24%#141%
Red zone TD rate
52%#26
60%#1361%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
104#31
150#19147
TE yards per game
27#32
52#1455
TE targets per game
4.1#32
6.4#77.6
RB receiving yards per game
17#29
33#1832
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Buccaneers: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.387% of throws
+0.113% of throws
+0.347% of throws
Short
-0.0334% of throws
+0.1412% of throws
-0.1837% of throws

Bears: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.6519 throws
+1.408 throws
+0.4815 throws
Short
-0.0770 throws
-0.0241 throws
+0.0574 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.