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As the Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday Night Football clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is fully aware of the challenge posed by Tampa Bay's ground game. The Buccaneers are coming off a Week 8 performance in which they racked up 324 rushing yards against the Atlanta Falcons, and they currently boast the NFL's most productive offense through eight weeks, averaging 168.6 rushing yards per contest.
Allen emphasized the difficulty of slowing down a rushing attack that features Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell. "They're running the ball better than anybody else in the league right now," Allen remarked. "I don't remember the exact numbers, but it's like 960 yards and 169 attempts in the last four weeks, so they're running the ball extremely well." He also praised Tampa Bay's offensive line for its physical style of play and noted that the team as a whole competes with relentless effort.
To counter that, Allen stressed that the Bears must match the Buccaneers' physicality and maintain strict eye discipline. "It's going to take great eyes and eye discipline and making sure we're in the right spots, and then it's going to take all 11 swarming the football," he said. "That's really the key to being able to stop a running game like this. They block it well and I think these runners do an exceptional job of finding the right spots."
Key Analysis
Chicago has already demonstrated it can neutralize a potent rushing attack, having limited the Falcons to just 63 yards on the ground in Week 6. That blueprint could prove effective again against a Tampa Bay team that also fields the league's least productive passing offense. After signing quarterback Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $165 million contract in the offseason, the Buccaneers have seen underwhelming results; in five games played this season, Mayfield has thrown for only 679 yards and three touchdowns. If the Bears can replicate their disciplined, swarm-tackling approach, they may be able to force Tampa Bay into predictable passing situations and capitalize on its struggles through the air.
Originally reported by yahoo.