Baker Can't Keep Pace with Ben

The Bears are home tonight, and I'm having a hard time finding a reason to go against them. At 6-2, Chicago is playing like one of the best teams in football, and the return of Caleb Williams has taken this offense to another level. Here's a stat that should grab your attention: since Williams returned from injury, the Bears have not trailed for a single second in three consecutive games. Read that again. Zero minutes behind on the scoreboard.

Williams has completed 73.8% of his passes for 860 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in those three victories. The Bears have scored 31, 30 and 34 points during that stretch. Last week, they went into Seattle and handed the defending Super Bowl champions a 34-17 beating, putting up 363 yards against a Seahawks defense that had been ranked No. 1 in the NFL. Seattle hadn't allowed more than 301 yards in any of its first seven games. Chicago blew right past that mark.

Now let's talk about Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have won two straight, but their passing game is a major concern. Baker Mayfield has completed just 7 of 14 passes for 64 yards in two games since returning from a dislocated thumb. Last week against Atlanta, he went 0-for-3 in a 16-0 victory. Tampa has the league's worst passing offense at 131.4 yards per game.

The Bears defense is built to make life difficult. Chicago ranks first in the NFL in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 23.8% of their opportunities. That's a brutal matchup for an offense struggling to throw the football.

Tampa's defense deserves respect, but Williams and Ben Johnson have this offense rolling. At Soldier Field, with the crowd behind them, I expect Chicago to keep the momentum going. Bears roll tonight!

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