Whitner Picks Buccaneers to Upset Bears in Week 9

Whitner made the pick during an ESPN morning discussion of the upcoming game, saying Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers’ defense could humble Williams and Chicago’s offense. He called the game difficult for the Bears and chose Tampa Bay to pull off an upset.

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky pointed to Williams’ completion rates: 82% when opponents do not blitz and 58% when they do. The 24-point difference is the second largest in the NFL, behind Denver quarterback Bo Nix’s, Orlovsky said.

Tampa Bay has allowed the NFL’s third-lowest yardage total and fifth-lowest scoring average. But its recent schedule included a shutout of Atlanta in heavy rain and a low-scoring win over Carolina, while Pittsburgh scored 19 points before beating the Buccaneers in overtime.

The case for Chicago is its recent form. Since Williams returned in Week 6, the Bears have scored well against strong defenses, including Seattle in a primetime win. Chicago’s performance against the Seahawks was comparable to Cincinnati’s Week 1 output against Tampa Bay, when Joe Burrow connected on 72% of his throws, gaining 254 yards in a 33-point performance.

Williams’ numbers against pressure may also reflect Chicago’s rain-soaked Week 2 game against Minnesota. In Week 7, against a heavy New England blitz, he completed 12 of 20 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. Tampa Bay’s defense and Bowles’ play-calling could still pose a challenge, but the Bears’ recent results have fueled confidence in their offense ahead of the matchup.