The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may need a surprise spark on Sunday night, and rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst fits the bill.
Chicago has done enough defensively in a lot of areas, but explosive pass plays have been a problem. Through eight games, the Bears have given up 23 completions of at least 20 yards on 286 opposing pass attempts, which works out to an 8% explosive completion rate and ranks 20th in the NFL. They’ve also allowed 6.01 yards per play, the second-highest mark in the league.
That kind of vulnerability is exactly the sort of thing offensive coordinator Zac Robinson should have circled, especially with a receiver like Hurst. At 6-foot-4, he brings the size-speed mix that can stress a defense vertically and create problems in one-on-one matchups.
So far this season, Hurst has 11 catches for 168 yards and a touchdown, with an average of 15.3 yards per reception. His longest grab has gone for 40 yards, a reminder that he can threaten defenses downfield when he gets the chance.
The chances haven’t come often lately. Hurst has been held without a catch in each of the last two games, though both came in outings where Tampa Bay threw just 12 passes against Carolina and three against Atlanta. The younger receivers simply haven’t had much room to carve out a role.
Emeka Egbuka’s availability is another piece worth watching, and if Tampa Bay needs more help in the passing game, Hurst could be one of the players who benefits. He doesn’t have to suddenly become the focal point, but Robinson can still use his size and speed to test Chicago’s secondary.
The Buccaneers have leaned on the run recently, but a Bears defense that has been giving up explosive completions could force a different approach. Play action and vertical shots may be the way to catch Chicago off guard, and that gives Baker Mayfield a chance to take some calculated swings downfield. For Hurst, Sunday Night Football could be the stage where he finally breaks through.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Secondary Looks Different Thanks To One Rookie Surprise
The Buccaneers secondary has gotten an unexpected lift from a rookie who has forced his way into the conversation early in his first NFL season. Keionte Scott has become a real part of Tampa Bays defensive rotation, piling up 39 tackles, a sack and five pressures while handling 63% of the defensive snaps, and his work has fit neatly into a unit that has helped push the Bucs into the leagues top three defenses.
For a team that has been trying to keep its back end steady, Scotts emergence matters because it gives Tampa Bay another young piece to build around alongside Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish. Todd Bowles has noticed the impact, and the bigger question now is how far Scott can keep climbing as the season goes on, especially with the Buccaneers looking for that secondary to stay one of the strengths of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Faces A Defining Test Against Chicago's Surging Offense
The Buccaneers are heading into a matchup that should tell plenty about where Todd Bowles defense stands right now. Tampa Bay has looked better on that side of the ball, but the next challenge comes against a Chicago offense that has been moving with real purpose and a quarterback in Caleb Williams who has found a strong rhythm of late.
For Bowles, the test is as much about adjustments as it is about execution. The Bears have been one of the leagues most productive units, and the coaching chess match with Ben Johnson adds another layer to a game that could force Tampa Bay to prove its defensive progress is real against a much sharper opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Look Much Healthier For A Tough Bears Test
The Buccaneers head into their Week 9 matchup with the Bears in a far better spot physically than they did earlier in the week, with the final injury report pointing to a roster that is mostly intact for a tough road test. Emeka Egbuka is listed as questionable but was a full participant in practice, while the bigger concern on the defensive side is the absence of outside linebacker YaYa Diaby because of a knee injury.
Tristan Wirfs also returned to limited practice and is expected to be available, which matters for a Tampa Bay offense trying to keep its footing against a Chicago defense dealing with its own question marks. The Bears have a few players listed as questionable as well, including running back Kyle Monangai, defensive back Malik Muhammad and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, so both teams enter Sunday with some uncertainty even if the Bucs are trending healthier overall. [Read more 🡒]