Some games are good, old-fashioned butt-kickings, and today’s game in Tampa was one of them.
The Buccaneers absolutely dominated the Bears, jumping out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, making it 35-3 at halftime and cruising through an easy second half to win 38-3.
Tom Brady completed 20 of 36 passes for 211 yards, with four touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks, before giving way to Blaine Gabbert in the fourth quarter. Brady became the first player in NFL history to reach 600 career passing touchdowns and is now at an NFL-record 602 for his career.
It wasn’t all great news for the Bucs: They’ve already been devastated by injuries in the secondary, and they had another one when cornerback Dee Delaney left with an ankle injury. Those secondary injuries could be an issue as the season progresses. But the Buccaneers are now 6-1, and one of the clear favorites to come out of the NFC and repeat as Super Bowl champions. Tampa Bay is firing on all cylinders right now.
The Bears, meanwhile, are a mess. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields is struggling and the team isn’t doing much to help him. Fields threw three interceptions and was sacked four times, and the 3-4 Bears need to get things turned around in a hurry.