The next game on the calendar is a big one. The 6-2 Chicago Bears host the 3-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season, with kickoff at 7:20 p.m. CT (8:20 p.m. ET) at Soldier Field on Sunday Night Football. Before the first snap, this guide gives you the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers match player stats that matter most, the freshest team news, and a full head-to-head comparison between the two franchises.
The numbers tell a split-screen story. Chicago brings a quarterback with a 104.6 passer rating and a defense that just added a star interior lineman. Tampa Bay arrives with the best rushing offense in the league and one of its stingiest defenses. Here is everything you need to know.
Upcoming Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match: Kickoff, TV and Odds
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Matchup | Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears |
| Week | Week 9, 2026 NFL regular season |
| Kickoff | Sunday night, 7:20 p.m. CT / 8:20 p.m. ET |
| Venue | Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois |
| TV | NBC (Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark) |
| Streaming | Peacock, NBC.com, NFL+ (in-market mobile) |
| Records | Bears 6-2, Buccaneers 3-5 |
| Point Spread | Bears favored by roughly 6 to 6.5 points |
| Over/Under | 46.5 to 47.5 (varies by sportsbook) |
| Referee | Ron Torbert |
| Forecast | Dry and clear, low 50s at kickoff, light breeze |
Both clubs sit only half a game behind the leader in their divisions, so the result carries real weight. A Tampa Bay win could push the Buccaneers into first place in the NFC South, while Chicago is chasing a fourth straight victory and a firmer grip on the NFC race.
Latest Updates Before Kickoff
Bears News: Jeffery Simmons Changes the Defense
The biggest storyline in Chicago is the arrival of All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. The Bears sent two future first-round picks and a fourth-rounder to Tennessee to land him, and he paid immediate dividends in his debut with six tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed in a 34-17 road win over the defending champion Seahawks.
Quarterback Caleb Williams has also stabilized the offense since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him three games. The Bears have won three straight with him back in the lineup. On the injury front, tight end Cole Kmet and lineman Dayo Odeyingbo are on injured reserve, and tackle Braxton Jones has yet to return to practice.
Buccaneers News: A Run Game Nobody Saw Coming
Tampa Bay has won two straight over Carolina and Atlanta by a combined 46 points. The Atlanta game was historic: the Buccaneers ran for a franchise-record 324 yards in a rainy 16-0 shutout without completing a single pass, the first team to win that way in 52 years. Across the two wins, they piled up 584 rushing yards.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is back from a thumb injury that sidelined him for three games and practiced fully all week. Kicker Chase McLaughlin was also named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month after a perfect stretch of kicks, and he leads all kickers in scoring.
Injury Report Snapshot
- Buccaneers: Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby is out. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is questionable with a foot injury. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs was limited on Friday and is on track for his 100th career start.
- Bears: Running back Kyle Monangai, defensive back Malik Muhammad and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson are all listed as questionable.
Final inactives are announced roughly 90 minutes before kickoff, and late changes can reshape the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers match player stats, so check the official team pages before the game.
Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats in 2026
Season-long production is the best guide to what individual players might do on Sunday night. The table below lists the leaders for both sides heading into Week 9.
| Player | Team | Position | 2026 Numbers Through Week 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Williams | Bears | QB | 1,267 pass yards, 104.6 rating, 6 TD to 1 INT, 129 rush yards |
| Baker Mayfield | Buccaneers | QB | 679 pass yards, 80.8 rating |
| D’Andre Swift | Bears | RB | 143 carries, 545 yards, 10 touchdowns |
| Bucky Irving | Buccaneers | RB | 728 rush yards, 6 touchdowns |
| Luther Burden | Bears | WR | 42 catches, 547 yards, 3 touchdowns |
| Colston Loveland | Bears | TE | 33 catches, 309 yards, 2 touchdowns |
| Emeka Egbuka | Buccaneers | WR | 28 catches (team leader) |
| Chris Godwin | Buccaneers | WR | 243 receiving yards (team leader) |
| David Walker | Buccaneers | OLB | 4.0 sacks (team leader) |
| Alex Anzalone | Buccaneers | LB | 3 interceptions (team leader) |
| Austin Booker / Kyler Gordon | Bears | DE / CB | 4.0 sacks each (team leaders) |
| Dillon Thieneman | Bears | S | 47 tackles (team leader) |
| Chase McLaughlin | Buccaneers | K | 74 points (league-best among kickers) |
Quarterback Edge in the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats: Williams vs Mayfield
This is the clearest mismatch on paper. Williams has completed better than 70 percent of his passes and keeps turnovers rare, and his legs add another layer, since he extends plays and picks up yards when the pocket collapses. After absorbing a league-high 68 sacks as a rookie, he now looks like a legitimate MVP conversation piece under Ben Johnson.
Mayfield is still shaking off the thumb injury, and Tampa Bay’s passing offense ranks last in the league at 131.4 yards per game. The Buccaneers have leaned on the ground game partly to protect him. He is closing in on a franchise milestone, needing 54 yards to pass Trent Dilfer on the team’s career passing list, and two more touchdown throws would give him 100 as a Buccaneer.
Running Backs: Two of the League’s Best Ground Games
Chicago ranks second in rushing offense at 150.8 yards per game, and Tampa Bay ranks first at 168.6. Swift is the touchdown engine for the Bears with ten scores, while Irving has been the workhorse for Tampa Bay and posted a career-high game recently. Kenneth Gainwell has also carved out a role, giving the Buccaneers a fresh change of pace when Irving needs a breather.
Expect both teams to chew clock. The Buccaneers’ own coverage this week described the matchup as a battle for ball control, and the Bears also hold the league’s top third-down defense, allowing conversions only 23.8 percent of the time.
Receivers and Tight Ends: Burden and Loveland vs a Quiet Tampa Group
Burden leads Chicago’s receiving group and Loveland has become a reliable middle-of-the-field target. Tampa Bay’s receivers have been quiet, with Godwin and Egbuka both well short of what fans expected. With Mike Evans now in San Francisco, Egbuka’s status could decide how much the Buccaneers can stretch the field, and rookie Ted Hurst is among the names to watch in prime time.
Defense: Pass Rush and Takeaways
Tampa Bay’s defense ranks fifth in scoring (18.9 points per game) and third in total yards allowed, backed by 12 interceptions. Chicago’s unit ranks second in sacks per pass play, and Simmons should push that number higher. The Buccaneers’ offensive line, though, has allowed sacks on 11.06 percent of pass attempts, 30th in the league, which makes protection the single biggest question for Mayfield.
Team Stats Comparison: Bears vs Buccaneers
| Category | Chicago Bears | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring offense | 26.8 ppg (8th) | 22.3 ppg (20th) |
| Total offense | 387.3 ypg (3rd) | 300.0 ypg (25th) |
| Rushing offense | 150.8 ypg (2nd) | 168.6 ypg (1st) |
| Passing offense | 236.5 ypg (13th) | 131.4 ypg (32nd) |
| Scoring defense | 20.0 ppg (8th) | 18.9 ppg (5th) |
| Total defense | 305.8 ypg (7th) | 285.9 ypg (3rd) |
| Rushing defense | 86.8 ypg (4th) | 80.0 ypg (2nd) |
| Third-down defense | 23.8% (1st) | 32.0% (5th) |
| Sacks per pass play | 9.65% (2nd) | 5.93% (24th) |
| Turnover margin | -1 (tied 17th) | +4 (tied 7th) |
These team-level numbers explain the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers match player stats you will see on the box score. Chicago owns the edge in total offense and pass rush. Tampa Bay counters with the better rushing attack, tougher scoring defense and a healthier turnover margin, so the matchup is closer than the records suggest.
Head to Head Comparison: Bears vs Buccaneers Series History
| Series Detail | Record or Result |
|---|---|
| Total meetings | 62 |
| All-time record | Bears lead 40-22 |
| Games in Tampa | Bears lead 17-16 |
| Since Tampa Bay left the NFC Central (2002) | Bears lead 7-6 |
| Most recent meeting | Buccaneers 27, Bears 17 (2023, Tampa) |
| Last six games | Buccaneers have won four |
| Largest Bears win | 48-10 (2018) |
| Largest Buccaneers win | 41-0 (2000) |
| Playoff meetings | None |
Last Five Meetings
| Season | Result | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Buccaneers 27, Bears 17 | Tampa |
| 2021 | Buccaneers 38, Bears 3 | Tampa |
| 2020 | Bears 20, Buccaneers 19 | Chicago |
| 2018 | Bears 48, Buccaneers 10 | Chicago |
| 2017 | Buccaneers 29, Bears 7 | Tampa |
The lopsided overall record is mostly a product of the 1980s, when Chicago won 12 straight from 1983 through 1988 while Tampa Bay was rebuilding. Since 1997, the two teams have traded wins at a nearly even pace.
Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats from Past Meetings
Individual performances from earlier games show how wildly this series can swing:
- Mitchell Trubisky (2018): The Bears quarterback threw for 354 yards and six touchdowns in the 48-10 rout, the most lopsided Chicago win in the series.
- Tom Brady (2021): Brady tossed four touchdown passes, three of them to Mike Evans, while Tampa Bay sacked rookie Justin Fields four times and intercepted him three times in a 38-3 win.
- Cairo Santos (2020): His 38-yard field goal with 1:13 left gave Chicago a 20-19 victory. Santos is now the Bears’ kicker and spent part of 2018 with the Buccaneers.
- Shaq Barrett (2023): A late four-yard interception return for a score sealed the 27-17 Tampa Bay win as the defense sacked Fields.
- Kwon Alexander and Mike Evans (2017): Alexander picked off a pass and Evans caught seven balls for 93 yards in a 29-7 Buccaneers win.
The rosters have changed. Evans signed with San Francisco and linebacker Lavonte David retired, so this version of the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers match player stats rivalry will be written by a different cast.
Connections Between the Two Sides
Several familiar faces link these teams. Safety coach Al Harris began his career as a Buccaneers draft pick, Santos kicked in Tampa, and Bears long snapper Scott Daly attended Buccaneers camp before being cut. On the Tampa sideline, linebacker Alex Anzalone played under Ben Johnson in Detroit, so he knows the Chicago play-caller’s tendencies well.
Key Matchups That Will Shape the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats
Tampa Bay’s Ground Game vs Chicago’s Run Defense
The league’s best rushing offense meets the fourth-ranked run defense. If Irving and Gainwell find early success, Chicago will have to bring extra defenders closer to the line, which would open play-action chances. If Simmons and the Bears’ front clog the middle, Mayfield will be forced into the type of throwing situations his offense has avoided.
Pressure on Mayfield
The matchup between Chicago’s second-ranked sack rate and Tampa Bay’s shaky pass protection may be the most important of the night. Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has a long history against the Buccaneers from his years in New Orleans, and Mayfield called out the variety of his looks this week.
Ben Johnson’s Offense vs Todd Bowles’ Defense
Johnson uses tempo shifts and personnel changes to keep defenses guessing, and Bowles has acknowledged how multiple the system is. Tampa Bay’s coverage players, including Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish, have drawn praise, and linebacker Anzalone leads the team in interceptions. This is where Williams’ decision-making and Burden’s route running could swing the game.
Odds and Prediction Snapshot
Sportsbooks have made Chicago roughly a touchdown favorite in a game where the Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers match player stats could look very different from the season averages, with the point total hovering around 47. Some national analysts believe the Buccaneers can keep the game close by leaning on their run defense and ball control, while one Chicago-based preview projects a 24-10 Bears win. Lines move quickly, so confirm current numbers with your own sportsbook before wagering.
Final Word: The Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats to Watch
The Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers match player stats this week point toward a fascinating clash of styles. Here are the numbers to track as the game unfolds:
- Caleb Williams: Can he keep his passer rating above 100 against a top-five scoring defense?
- Bucky Irving and the Tampa ground game: Does the league’s top rushing offense keep rolling against a top-five run defense?
- Jeffery Simmons: Does his pressure turn a shaky Tampa protection into sacks and turnovers?
- Baker Mayfield: Can he add real passing production, or does Tampa win the ball-control battle again?
Chicago holds the series edge, a better record and the stronger overall offense. Tampa Bay holds the league’s best ground attack and a defense built to frustrate. Keep this breakdown handy, because the stat lines from this primetime game will shape the narrative for both teams down the stretch.
