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Tampa Bay at Chicago – Now, this is an intriguing game! Two 3-1 teams in the same conference meeting up in Chicago. The Buccaneers took a gamble with the acquisition of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, a pseudo New England Patriots reunion. So far, it is working out wonderfully, probably better than I had assumed it would. Remember, Tom Brady looked vulnerable and possibly past his prime when New England seemed almost to experience a mini collapse last season. I had assumed that Tampa’s offense was not a problem, as it was actually statistically one of the most explosive units in the league last season. Yet, this season, with the veteran leadership and presence of Brady and Gronk, they have been moving the ball, scoring points and, most importantly, winning. The team just looks and feels more complete. They played the Saints tough in week one, even though they lost. And since then, they have won three straight. Meanwhile, the Bears got off to a hot 3-0 start, but lost a disappointing home game to the Colts last weekend. They had looked good, and still look decent, but this is a big game for them now. For the moment, they are still only one game behind the undefeated Green Bay Packers, but they need to win this one to keep on the heels of the division leaders, as well as to still appear like a team that is safely among the serious playoff contenders in the NFC. The Buccaneers also need to win if they want to secure preserving sole possession of first place in the NFC South. That makes this a pretty big game, even though it comes still quite early in the season, and with plenty of chances for whoever loses to recover. Looking at the two teams, I suspect that the Bucs will be able to continue moving and be able to score quite a few points, and that the Bears, who have hardly been able to light up the scoreboards, will struggle. The Bears have reached 30 points only once this season, while the Buccaneers have failed to score at least 28 only once, in that loss to the Saints in the season opener. And in the end, I suspect that Tampa Bay will pull off a big win that should further cement their status as an emerging possible elite team to watch in the NFC. They might not be undefeated like the higher profile teams in the NFC, Green Bay and Seattle, but a win here in the Windy City would put Tampa Bay comfortable right behind those two franchises as we approach the midway point of the season in the next few weeks. If Tampa wins, they would next host the Packers themselves, in what could prove to be another huge showdown. And they could be very well rested, and with confidence soaring should they win tonight. I suspect that they will do exactly that. My pick: Tampa Bay
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