TNF PREVIEW: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT CHICAGO BEARS

BY ADAM GREENE

After three weeks of pure garbage match ups, the NFL decided to go ahead and put a game on Thursday Night Football that people might actually want to watch. The 3-1 Chicago Bears with Nick Foles at quarterback host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their quarterback, some new guy… check notes… named Tam Blady? That can’t be right.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT CHICAGO BEARS (+4.5, O/U: 43)

Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

Kickoff: Oct. 8, 8:20 EST

Broadcast: FOX and NFL NETWORK

THE HISTORY

For years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears both played in the NFC Central. Until 2002, the NFL just had three divisions in each conference, forcing some oddball rivalries. Some of those remain in effect today as, geographically, the Dallas Cowboys have no business being in the NFC East. But what are you going to do?

But because they played two games a year for 25 seasons, this will be the 60^th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Bears, if you know your history (and the Bucs’ ignoble place in it), have a significant advantage, leading the series 39-20.

It hasn’t been any better over the last decade. In their six match ups since 2011, Chicago is 3-2 and won their last face off, 48-10 in 2018. It was just another classic Mitchell Trubisky vs Jameis Winston QB duel, which saw Winston get the hook for Ryan Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter after throwing two interceptions. Which, let’s be honest, was a low total for him.

Trubisky played lights out, tossing 354 yards and six touchdowns with no picks in the game. It would not be a performance he could ever repeat.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-1)

After stumbling out the gate against the New Orleans Saints, the Bucs are right where everyone thought they’d be a month into the season. The worry that Tom Brady wouldn’t be able to thrive in Bruce Arians downfield offense has, to this point, been unfounded. Though his interceptions are up, which must make Arians feel like he’s picked up Greg’s cursed idol from the Brady Bunch’s trip to Hawaii. Pick sixes aside, Tampa’s offense is humming and they’ve even got a double-digit comeback under their belt to ride for a while.

CHICAGO BEARS (3-1)

The Bears come in off their first loss and they can’t be feeling great about it. Foles, in his first start for Chicago, managed just 11 points and only got the team into the end zone in the final quarter. To be fair, no one seriously thought the Bears could beat the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday, but they wanted more out of their QB “upgrade” than they got.

THE PICK

My last two Thursday picks have been duds, but I can honestly say I feel good about this one. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Foles and Chicago look much better than they did Sunday and still fall to the Tampa Bay buzzsaw before this one is over. Bucs 34, Bears 23

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