(670 The Score) The Bears (3-3) visit the Buccaneers (5-1) on Sunday afternoon.
WBBM Newsradio 780 will carry the game, with kickoff set for 3:25 p.m. 670 The Score’s pregame show with Mike Mulligan, Olin Kreutz and Patrick Mannelly will start at noon and run until kickoff. Our postgame show will start just after the final buzzer.
You can check out all of 670’s preview coverage of the Bears-Buccaneers matchup by clicking here. Below are the game predictions from our 670 hosts, producers and writers.
David Haugh (5-1): Buccaneers 34, Bears 21
Tom Brady doesn't own the Bears, but he has been an annoying sublessee and figures to make himself at home again Sunday in Tampa. Coach Bruce Arians showed the Bears’ defense respect this week by calling them among the best three units his Bucs will face, but he didn't sound worried. And he shouldn't be. The Bucs average 32 points and 340 passing yards per game, and they’re the rare Super Bowl champion that looks even better a year later. The Bears will have to get their house in order after this one.
Leila Rahimi (5-1): Buccaneers 31, Bears 13
Picture it: The year is 2029. Tom Brady is 52 and still connecting with Rob Gronkowski (no age) for touchdowns while the two are endorsing AARP incentives. Brady reminds everyone about the one time he hit rock bottom, forgetting what down it was and losing to the Bears in 2020. Brady also controls the world’s avocado supply in this dystopia. Meanwhile, the Bears have started six quarterbacks since drafting Justin Fields, but Chicagoans still don’t know the length of the contracts of Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy. Construction is picking up at the Arlington Heights site.
*scene*
Danny Parkins (4-2): Buccaneers 38, Bears 14
I don’t see any way this stays competitive. All the Bears can do on offense is run the ball, and no one runs on the Bucs. Jaylon Johnson can’t guard Mike Evans-Chris Godwin-Antonio Brown by himself. I don’t expect Akiem Hicks to play, and who knows about Robert Quinn? That would mean the Bears' two biggest strengths -- their running game and their pass rush -- are erased on the road against the Super Bowl champions, who are coming off extra rest. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Herb Lawrence (3-3): Buccaneers 27, Bears 10
Did you know the city is called Tampa and not Tampa Bay? Weird. The Bears played like we thought they would against the Packers, and I see more of the same here in Tampa. The Buccaneers are the best team in the NFC (yes, better than the desert birds), so going on the road and beating them will be a tall task for the Bears.
Adam Studzinski (3-3): Buccaneers 30, Bears 20
One of the great mysteries of our time is how in the world did the 2020 Bears beat the eventual Super champion Bucs? Well, it was partly due to an outstanding defensive performance. While the Bears defense is playing well again, I don't see Chicago slowing down Brady enough to pull out a win again. The Bears add a touchdown with two minutes left to make the score closer than it was, but the Bucs control the game throughout. But honestly, none of this really matters. All that matters this season is Justin Fields continuing to progress. I expect to see a few more flashes of brilliance from him this week in the form of some "How did he make that throw?" completions.
Chris Emma (5-1): Buccaneers 31, Bears 20
It's difficult to imagine this Sunday going well for the Bears, who are simply overmatched against the defending Super Bowl champions. Look for Brady to continue his MVP-type season as Chicago falls to 3-4.
Cam Ellis (5-1): Buccaneers 27, Bears 17
The Bucs are going to win. Maybe the Bears score 20 instead of 17. Who cares.
Les Grobstein (5-1): Buccaneers 31, Bears 17
True, the Bears beat the Bucs at Soldier Field a year ago, when Brady lost track of what down it was. The Bucs are deeper than last year and will enter Raymond James Stadium with anger. Can the Bears overcome all that and beat them again? Yes. But will they? Nah!
Jay Zawaski (1-5): Buccaneers 35, Bears 14
I should get credit for being right last week, even though my official prediction was wrong. Like I said on Twitter, Aaron Rodgers is inevitable. The Bears defense actually played OK, though. Holding the Packers to 24 points should be enough to win. It wasn't ... because Chicago’s offense can't generate points. I'm not sure how a matchup against a better and deeper Bucs team will be any different. Maybe Brady can forget how many downs there are again.