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DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Buccaneers at Bears
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
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Week 9 · Sunday 8:20 PM ET · Soldier Field

CHIvsTB

Bears offensevsBuccaneers defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Bears, 8 for Buccaneers. 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

Tight ends feast

Buccaneers give up 8.1 targets a game to tight ends (23rd), against a league average of 7.6. Bears' tight ends produce 8.7 (7th).

02
Opportunity

Deep middle is open

Buccaneers are worst against deep middle throws, allowing +0.64 EPA per attempt. Bears send 4% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Field goals, not touchdowns

Bears score a touchdown on 53% of red zone trips (24th). Buccaneers allow 50% (9th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Bears succeed on 47% of plays (8th) against a defense that allows 39% (3rd).

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 · 25th2Emeka 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 · 88/124 · 1020 yds · 5 TD · 1 INTEPA per dropback +0.31 · 2nd4D'Andre SwiftRB · 116 car · 476 yds · 7 TD · 22 recEPA per touch -0.02 · 24th10Luther Burden IIIWR · 35 rec · 491 yds · 2 TD · 47 tgtEPA per target +0.3184Colston LovelandTE · 26 rec · 244 yds · 2 TD · 42 tgtEPA per target -0.0499Jeffery SimmonsRight Defensive Tackle · 38 tackles · 4 sacks · 3 PD4 sacks · T-22nd in the NFL31Dillon ThienemanStrong Safety · 46 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
Overall3–55–2
Division2–00–2
Conference3–23–2
Other conference0–32–0
Home1–43–1
Away2–12–1
Last 5LWLWWWWLWW
StreakWon 2Won 2
Points a game22.3 – 18.925.7 – 20.4

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 · Bears offense against the Buccaneers defenseDepth charts
Buccaneers defense · 3-4 DBears offense · 3WR 1TE79Benedet62Thuney67Bradbury73Jackson58Wright84Loveland18Williams4Swift15Odunze14Raymond10Burden91Robinson50Vea94Kancey3Bain0Diaby45Trotter34Anzalone21Morrison27McCollum25Parrish23Smith31Winfield

Bears offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBCaleb Williams#18 · 88/124 · 1020 yds · 5 TD · 1 INT
  • RBD'Andre Swift#4 · 116 car · 476 yds · 7 TD · 22 rec
  • WRRome Odunze#15 · 24 rec · 381 yds · 0 TD · 38 tgt
  • WRLuther Burden III#10 · 35 rec · 491 yds · 2 TD · 47 tgt
  • WRKalif Raymond#14 · 26 rec · 244 yds · 1 TD · 31 tgt
  • TEColston Loveland#84 · 26 rec · 244 yds · 2 TD · 42 tgt
  • LTTheo Benedet#79
  • LGJoe Thuney#62
  • CGarrett Bradbury#67
  • RGJonah Jackson#73
  • RTDarnell Wright#58

Buccaneers defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEA'Shawn Robinson#91 · 22 tackles · 1 sack · 2 INT · 3 PD
  • NTVita Vea#50 · 16 tackles · 1 sack · 2 PD
  • LDECalijah Kancey#94 · 9 tackles
  • WLBRueben Bain Jr.#3 · 7 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • SLBYaya Diaby#0 · 16 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • RILBJosiah Trotter#45 · 67 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 3 PD
  • LILBAlex Anzalone#34 · 41 tackles · 1 sack · 3 INT · 3 PD
  • RCBBenjamin Morrison#21 · 11 tackles · 2 PD
  • LCBZyon McCollum#27 · 30 tackles · 2 INT · 9 PD
  • NBJacob Parrish#25 · 36 tackles · 2 INT · 13 PD
  • SSTykee Smith#23 · 42 tackles · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • FSAntoine Winfield Jr.#31 · 31 tackles

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 · CHI offense against TB defense
StatCHI CHI offFavors CHI · Favors TBTB TB def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.05#10
-0.16#2+0.00
Success rate
47%#8
39%#344%
Yards per play
5.5#15
5.1#75.4
Explosive play rate
10%#10
7%#49%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.11#12
-0.20#2+0.03
Sack rate
7%#20
6%#247%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.06#15
-0.15#6-0.08
Yards per carry
4.3#11
3.6#84.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
44%#7
34%#741%
Red zone TD rate
53%#24
50%#961%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
167#8
131#10147
TE yards per game
52#19
56#2055
TE targets per game
8.7#7
8.1#237.6
RB receiving yards per game
36#11
33#1832
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Bears: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.534% of throws
-0.034% of throws
+0.018% of throws
Short
+0.0924% of throws
+0.4224% of throws
+0.1136% of throws

Buccaneers: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.1518 throws
+0.6410 throws
-0.259 throws
Short
-0.0292 throws
-0.1644 throws
-0.2395 throws

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