The Chicago Bears are turning the page after their dreadful 38-20 Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers and are preparing for their first road game of the season. The Bears are set to travel south to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2.
Tampa Bay isn’t the team they have been the last few years after the retirement of Tom Brady, but they did get off to a strong start to begin the year behind new quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Buccaneers defeated the Minnesota Vikings on the road in a tough 20-17 victory thanks to big defensive plays and timely scoring.
Buy Bears TicketsIf the Bears want to get a win and stave off the dreaded 0-2 start this weekend, here are a few players we’ll need to keep an eye on:
1. QB Baker Mayfield
The Buccaneers will look a little different than they did the last couple times the Bears faced them. Before, they dealt with Tom Brady. Now it’s Mayfield at the helm. The now-journeyman quarterback is playing for his fourth team in 18 months but had a solid start to his Tampa career. Mayfield went 21-of-34 for 173 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. His quarterback rating was 94.4. He wasn’t explosive, but he was efficient and did enough to bring the Buccaneers back against the Vikings and hold onto the victory.
Now, going against the Bears, Mayfield will face a defense that allowed 245 passing yards to Jordan Love. While love is still a relatively unknown commodity, we know what Mayfield can and can’t do on a football field. The Bears will need to take his top receiving targets to throw him off kilter and force him into making bad decisions.
2. WR Mike Evans
Speaking of top targets for Mayfield, the one everyone needs to look out for is one of the more familiar faces at the wide receiver position. Mike Evans may now be in his 10th season, but he’s still every bit as dangerous as he was earlier in his career. Evans was easily the go-to guy for Mayfield last week, catching six passes for 66 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. The next-closest player was Chris Godwin, with six targets.
Evans is a threat to make a big play on the outside, and the Bears, who are still around from the 2021 season, know this all too well. The last time the Bears faced the Buccaneers, Evans had six catches for 76 yards and three touchdowns from Brady nearly two years ago. Though his future Hall-of-Fame quarterback is gone, Evans is a threat no matter who is throwing the ball.
3. T Luke Goedeke
The Bears pass rush struggled to get anything going against Love and the Packers last Sunday. They have a chance to turn things around this week and could find a weakness with right tackle Luke Goedeke. The second-year offensive lineman is Tampa’s starting right tackle and is coming off a so-so rookie season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 43.7. That seems to be continuing to start the 2023 season as well.
Goedeke allowed the only sack of the game for the Vikings and was also penalized for holding. If there’s a weak link on the Buccaneers line, it’s probably on the right side with him and rookie Cody Mauch. The Bears have a chance to exploit it and get to Mayfield.
4. DT Vita Vea
The Buccaneers have one of the best defensive tackles in the league, and the Bears have a struggling interior offensive line. What can go wrong? Defensive tackle Vita Vea is going to be a problem for the Bears up front after seeing last week’s mess against the Packers. Vea can wreck games and thwart the rushing attack while also collapsing the pocket. He had an excellent start to the season with four total tackles (one for a loss). His best one might have been when he chased down Vikings running back Ty Chandler after a big gain.
We know the Buccaneers are going to blitz early and often. If Vea eats up multiple blocks, that means other defenders will be coming free at quarterback Justin Fields. It could be a long day for the Bears offense if they lose the battle up front.
5. S Antoine Winfield Jr.
If and when Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles dials up extra pressure, you can be sure safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will be actively gunning for the quarterback. Winfield was busy last Sunday against the Vikings, finishing second on the team in total tackles with eight, along with one strip sack, one pass defensed, and two QB hits. He was a nuisance for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and could have a repeat performance against Fields and the Bears.
Fortunately, Fields has the mobility and athleticism to avoid certain sacks. But Winfield is a different kind of player. It might not be easy to evade his pressure, especially if he’s unblocked. The Bears need to be aware of his position on the field on every play.
