Baker Mayfield’s thumb injury has coincided with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers turning into a run-heavy machine.
The Buccaneers bring the NFL’s top-ranked rushing attack into Soldier Field on Sunday night when Tampa Bay battles the Chicago Bears.
Tampa Bay (3-5) has racked up a stunning 582 yards on the ground while winning back-to-back games. The Buccaneers didn’t complete a single pass in last week’s 16-0 win over the visiting Atlanta Falcons in heavy rain, becoming the first team since the 1974 Buffalo Bills to have zero completions while winning a game.
“The last few weeks, we have been riding the hot hand with the run game,” Mayfield said Wednesday.
Tampa Bay has averaged 168.6 yards on the ground over its eight games, and the reduction of passes is aiding Mayfield in his recovery from a dislocated passing thumb that caused him to miss three games.
Mayfield attempted just 14 passes over the past two games, including only three against the Falcons.
“It feels better and better each week, especially the last two weeks, not having to use it that much, not a lot of contact,” Mayfield said. “Continue to do what I need to do treatment-wise to make it better.”
The Bears (6-2) went three weeks without their starting quarterback in Caleb Williams, and they have been clicking since his return from a hamstring injury.
Chicago has scored 30 or more points while winning each game since Williams’ return. He topped 300 passing yards in two of those matchups, and he passed for 247 yards and one touchdown in Monday’s impressive 34-17 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Bears coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday that Williams’ leadership has stepped up just like his play.
“Man, he really cares about this game,” Johnson said. “He cares about the guys in that locker room. We take a lot of pride in doing it for each other.
“It’s a really close-knit group. … Everybody’s rooting for each other. Everybody’s got a role to play right now, they’re stepping up, and taking a lot of pride in doing it to the best of their ability.”
The Bears rank second in rushing at 150.8 yards per game, but the attack was better in the first four games when Kyle Monangai rushed for 324 yards and three touchdowns.
Monangai (toe/thumb) has missed the past four games, and Johnson was coy when asked about whether he’d participate prior to Wednesday’s night-time walkthrough.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Johnson said. “We got a few guys that we’re gonna have to see over the course of the week here whether they will be available or not.”
Monangai did not participate in the session.
D’Andre Swift rushed for three touchdowns against Seattle, but he averaged just 2.6 yards per carry. He had 69 yards on 27 carries.
Johnson termed the Bears’ rushing attack as “inconsistent.”
“I know we started off hot early in the year just being able to run the football, but we have faced some tough opponents, and it’s been a little bit spotty,” Johnson said. “We stick with it, though.
“I know that eventually we will break through. We’re too good up front not to do that.”
The contest will be the second for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons after the Bears acquired him from the Tennessee Titans. He had two tackles for loss and a sack in his Chicago debut.
“You can feel his presence,” Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “Especially me, I’m right behind him, so I can kind of just feel how they’re trying to block him.”
Mayfield indicated concern about Simmons joining the Bears. But he sees that as nothing but a minor roadblock as Tampa Bay looks to make a statement while continuing its rise from a 1-5 start.
“After how we started, going out to continue and improve week after week and now on a national stage, just show the world what we’re made of,” Mayfield said.