CHICAGO — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, riding back-to-back blowout wins over NFC South rivals and a franchise single-game rushing record, will carry a three-game winning streak to Soldier Field on Nov. 8 for a Sunday Night Football showdown against the Chicago Bears, with kickoff set for 8:20 p.m. ET.
The Buccaneers’ most recent win was unlike anything in the franchise’s 51-season history: Tampa Bay ran for 324 yards without completing a single pass, shutting out the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 in a driving rainstorm. Bucky Irving rushed for 170 yards on 27 carries and Kenny Gainwell added 140 yards on 25 carries, both setting personal single-game bests. Kicker Chase McLaughlin converted all three of his field goal attempts despite the conditions and is now a perfect 19-for-19 on the season.
Tampa Bay’s defense matched the offensive performance, intercepting Falcons quarterback Michael Penix four times. Alex Anzalone recorded two of those picks on Atlanta’s first three drives. Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum each added interceptions, and Parrish’s two additional passes defensed pushed his league-leading total to 13 on the season. The shutout was Tampa Bay’s first since 2023.
The two consecutive division wins lifted the Buccaneers to 3-5 overall and 3-1 over the last four weeks, with the only blemish in that stretch an overtime loss to Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay holds a 2-0 record against division opponents and sits just a half-game behind the 3-4 Carolina Panthers in the NFC South standings.
Chicago enters the matchup at 5-2 after a 30-24 win over the New England Patriots, in which quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Luther Burden caught four passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in that game, continuing what the team has described as a strong second-season emergence. The Bears also boasted the league’s third-ranked run defense heading into Week Eight — and then added All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons via trade, further fortifying a front that will face Irving and Gainwell on Sunday night.
The Buccaneers already own one prime-time win this season, a 24-16 victory at Dallas in Week Five on Thursday Night Football. Sunday’s game at Soldier Field will be their second national showcase of the 2026 season.