Luther Burden — Week 9: A 56-Yard Score, Three Giveaways
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Nov 9
Burden caught 7 of 9 targets for 97 yards and a 56-yard touchdown against the Buccaneers, but two interceptions came on throws to him and he lost a late fumble, in Chicago's 27-24 win at home.
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Luther Burden III scored Chicago's longest touchdown against the Buccaneers and was on the wrong end of three of its five giveaways: 9 targets, 7 catches, 97 yards, a touchdown and -8.3 expected points added (EPA), what a play was worth given down, distance and field position.
The score came up 7-0 in the first quarter. Third and 8 at the Chicago 44, Caleb Williams threw short over the middle and Burden went 56 yards for the touchdown: +5.7 EPA and 9.7 points of win probability, the estimate of each side's chance to win. In the second quarter his 26-yard catch deep right reached the Tampa Bay 13 and set up a field goal.
The cost came on three snaps. Zyon McCollum intercepted a deep throw for him at the Tampa Bay 18 in the second quarter, and Alex Anzalone intercepted a short one at the Chicago 43 in the third, up 17-13: -5.5 EPA and 17.0 points of win probability. Up 24-16 with 3:48 left, third and 7 at the Chicago 15, he caught a 4-yard pass and Rueben Bain Jr. forced a fumble that Ifeatu Melifonwu recovered at the 21, -3.9 EPA. Burden was hurt on the play and was not targeted again, and Tampa Bay scored two snaps later and tied it on the two-point try.
The 97 yards trailed only his 130 in Week 7, and the touchdown was his fourth of the season. Per target it was far off his rate: through Week 8 he had 42 catches on 56 targets for 547 yards and +17.2 EPA, +0.31 a target; here it was -0.92.
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_Data via nflverse._
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