After a dreadful start to the 2026 NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have finally found some positive momentum to build off.

Not only have the Buccaneers secured back-to-back victories for the first time in over a year, but following their decisive victories over the Panthers and Falcons these past two weeks, the Buccaneers are 2-0 against NFC South teams and just half a game behind Carolina for first place in the division.

After dislocating his thumb in Week 3, Mayfield managed to return just in time for those crucial NFC South games — at which time the Bucs really began to lean into a new look, run-first approach on offense under Zac Robinson.

Complementary Football Providing Results For Bucs

Since then, the Bucs have limited turnovers, controlled the time-of-possession battle and dominated opponents by running the football with incredible efficiency on offense. At the same time, Todd Bowles' defense has been surging due to a combination of consistent pressure on the quarterback, good tackling, sticky coverage on the back end while generating turnovers from all three levels.

Despite their success playing complementary over the past few weeks, the Buccaneers will face an entirely different type of challenge this weekend when they travel to Chicago to take on the impressive 6-2 Bears on Sunday Night Football.

Buccaneers' Biggest Weakness Could Be Exposed This Week

Although the Buccaneers have found success playing old school, smash mouth offensive football the past two weeks, that is not an approach that is necessarily sustainable in the modern NFL.

Not to mention, it's not like the Buccaneers opted for this run-heavy approach purely by choice. The team's inability to pass the football consistently throughout this entire season gave Robinson little choice. So even though he deserves some credit for adjusting his offensive scheme, it was a result of necessity more than it was ingenuity.

Regardless, the fact remains that the Buccaneers' passing offense is not a threat to any opposing defense, let alone the Bears, who have an explosive offense in addition to a really solid group on the defensive side of the ball.

Heading into Week 9, the Bears are eighth in points allowed and seventh in total yards allowed. Like the Bucs, they're also one of the top run defenses in the NFL, ranking fourth in rushing yards allowed as they give up just 86.8 rushing yards per game.

Even more impressive is the fact that Dennis Allen's defense is best in the league on third downs, allowing conversions on third down just 23.75% of the time.

So how does this impact the Buccaneers?

First and foremost, the Bears are simply too well-rounded of a defense for the Bucs to expect to win this game with a one-dimensional offense like they did against both the Panthers and Falcons. Chicago is very stout against the run, and if the Buccaneers are going to put up points against this them, they will need to balance the run with the pass. It's that simple.

As much as Mayfield's thumb (or even the weather during last week's game against Atlanta) could be used as potential excuses for the Buccaneers' lack of production through the air, that ship has sailed. This upcoming game against the Bears marks Mayfield's third game back from injury. If Mayfield isn't healthy enough to make quality throws to all levels of the football field? He should not be in the game.

This Sunday night provides a golden opportunity for the Buccaneers to re-establish themselves as a quality NFL team on a national stage. If they can knock off the Bears in Chicago on national television, it will not only be a huge boost to their chances of eventually finishing the season atop the NFC South Division, but it will prove they are a team capable of competing with the league's best.

But if the Buccaneers' passing game continues to struggle, that simply won't happen.