Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell have combined to run for 514 yards and three touchdowns in the past two weeks, and that has resulted in exactly zero victories in our season-long pick-to-click style Performance Preview competition. Irving, in particular, has seemed like an obvious pick that none of us has decided to make, to our detriment. Our we getting too cute with our picks and failing to benefit from the low-hanging fruit?

I prefer to think that Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix, Buccaneers.com Contributor Gabriel Kahaian and I are trying not to go the easy route and putting more thought into less obvious candidates who are poised for good games. Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Spoiler alert: None of us picked Irving this week either. We might be making this more complicated than it needs to be.

The rules to this competition are simple: Each week, Bri, Gabe and I pick one Buccaneers playerapiece on Friday and explain why we think that player is poised for a big game. We can't duplicate picks so order may matter, and that's why we rotate that order each week. Following the game, Team Reporter Casey Phillips serves as our unbiased judge, picking which of the three selected players had the best game, in her opinion. She is also allowed to issue a "push" if there simply isn't a best choice. (And apparently, she can split a win down the middle, which is a thing she invented this season and explains our strange scoreboard.)

Bri picked first last week prior to the game against Atlanta, which the Buccaneers would win, 16-0, on the strength of a team-record 324 rushing yards plus four interceptions on defense. Shewent with safety Antoine Winfield Jr., who did tie for the team lead with seven tackles but wasn't in on the interception party. I went second and rolled with tight end Cade Otton, who drew praise for his blocking but obviously didn't have any receiving numbers and that's a tough sell in a pick-to-click competition. Gabe went last and chose cornerback Jacob Parrish, who tied Winfield for that tackle lead but also had an interception and two passes defensed. The pick for Judge Casey was pretty easy, and she writes:

"Let's hope the Bucs winning streak lasts longer than Scott's. We had the triumphant return of the rookie on the panel. Congrats to Gabe for choosing one of the players who not only got an interception but helped hold Michael Penix Jr. to a passer rating of 12. Although I do want to give a shout out to Scott's choice of Cade Otton as he and the rest of the tight ends played a pivotal role in blocking for the Rushaneers."

Gabe breaks his cold streak and moves back into the overall lead. Here are the updatedstandings:

Gabe: 3.5

Scott: 3.0

Bri: 0.5

Push: 1.0

The pick rotation has moved me back up to the top spot, followed by Gabe and then Bri, so I will get us started.

Scott Smith: David Walker

I'm thinking about opportunity here. I'm not exactly thrilled that Yaya Diaby is out for this game with the knee injury he sustained last Sunday, but looking at it dispassionately I know that his snaps have to go to someone. Earlier in the season when Rueben Bain Jr. missed two games, it was veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad who moved into the starting lineup, and that could very well be the case again in Chicago, but it's not really important who plays the first snap. It's who plays the most snaps and I think that might be David Walker, who is the team's leader with 4.0 sacks on the season. He was getting on a roll and seeing more and more playing time before the Week Eight monsoon game that really didn't provide any pass-rushing opportunities. Walker's run defense has been more than adequate, which answers a big question and means he won't always be relegated to a third-down role.

Now, Chicago's offense has been middle of the road in terms of pass protection if one goes by sacks allowed per pass play. In that category, the Bears rank 17th in the league at 6.91%. However, it's important to remember that starter Caleb Williams missed three games with a hamstring strain while Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum alternately filled in. Individually, Williams has suffered a sack on 7.6% of his dropbacks, compared to 5.9 for Bagent and 3.6 for Keenum. There's a pretty simple reason why: Williams is willing to take a long time to let a pass play develop. In fact, his average time to throw this season is 3.24 seconds, easily the longest in the league among any player who has thrown more than three passes. Again, that sounds like opportunity to me for the Bucs' pass rushers.

Walker should get some one-on-one reps against Theo Benedet, who was not the Bears' first plan to play left tackle in 2026. Ozzy Trapilo had that job until he suffered a knee injury in the playoffs last season, and while he made a quicker-than-expected recovery and is on the active roster the Bears are very slowly working him back into the mix. Braxton Jones was the left tackle to start the season but he sustained a knee injury in Week Three and recently had season-ending surgery. Trapilo has seen a bit of action in recent weeks but for now the Bears are sticking with Benedet and have been pleased with his steady improvement. Still, it's possible that's a matchup of which the Buccaneers, and Walker in particular, could take advantage.

Gabriel Kahaian: Ted Hurst III

I am taking a bit of a risk here selecting a rookie wide receiver after back-to-back dominant performances on the ground from the Bucs' offense, but I think it is the perfect opportunity to catch the Bears off guard.

For the second straight week, the Bucs will face a top-five run defense. Tampa Bay handled Atlanta's with little trouble, but Chicago just added All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to its front. Given how well the Bucs have run the ball, expect the Bears to stack the box and lean on single-high safety looks. Committing extra bodies to stop the run opens throwing windows that would not be there without the threat of the ground game.

Why, Ted Hurst III? Bucky Irving and the run game could force Chicago into plenty of man coverage. All season, Baker Mayfield has given opportunities to Hurst to win one-on-one matchups downfield. Hurst also projects as a key third-down target with the Bears' attention on Chris Godwin Jr. and Emeka Egbuka (if he suits up). The young pass catcher has a real chance to steal the show on Sunday Night Football and I am hoping he can help me increase my lead!

Brianna Dix: Alex Anzalone

This week, I am going to go with the Week Eight NFC Defensive Player of the Week: Alex Anzalone. In Tampa Bay's 16-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week Eight, Anzalone recorded six tackles (one for loss) and a career-high two interceptions. He became the first Buccaneer to record multiple interceptions in a game since Jamel Dean in Week Two of the 2022 season at New Orleans, and the first Tampa Bay linebacker to accomplish the feat since Lavonte David in Week 11 of the 2015 season against Philadelphia.

He was the only NFL player to record multiple interceptions in a victory in Week Eight. Anzalone's three interceptions this season are tied for the second-most in the NFL, and the most among non-defensive backs. Anzalone is one of two players this season with three-plus interceptions and a sack, alongside Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney. Since he became a full-time starter in 2021, his 36 passes defensed rank fourth among NFL linebackers. Given the physical nature of this game with two clubs facing one another that rank in the top-five in both rushing offense and run defense, this will be a pivotal game for the Bucs inside linebackers. Anzalone will be tasked with limiting running back D'Andre Swift on the ground, or covering tight end Colston Loveland in man-to-man. Ben Johnson effectively schemes up high-low concepts, which is geared towards putting defenses in conflict to create explosive plays and Anzalone could be the key to disrupting the Bears' offensive rhythm.