Bears vs. Buccaneers Week 7: 6 Players to Watch on Sunday

The Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are traveling to London for a Week 7 NFL showdown.

Six players will affect the game's outcome, and they are not necessarily Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher or Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.

Both the Bucs and Bears look for an important win, and these six players' performances will influence the final result.

Let's find out who made the cut.

Chicago Bears RT Lance Louis

Lance Louis usually plays right guard, but he replaced a poorly performing Frank Omiyale at right tackle.

Against the Minnesota Vikings, Louis did an admirable job protecting quarterback Jay Cutler from Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.

The challenge for Louis is to repeat his Sunday Night Football effort.

Louis will battle with Tampa Bay defensive end Adrian Clayborn. Clayborn is an effective lineman who has 10 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham

With starting running back LeGarrette Blount doubtful with a sprained MCL, it’s up to backup Earnest Graham to carry the rushing load again.

Graham had 17 carries for 109 yards against the New Orleans Saints, including a 34-yard scamper.

The Bucs need Graham to be productive to move up Chicago’s linebackers, opening up the passing game for Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman. 

Chicago Bears LB Lance Briggs

Lance Briggs has been solid all season long.

He leads the Bears in tackles (49), solo tackles (35) and has a forced fumble.

Run defense is Briggs’ strength, so he will be called upon to limit Tampa Bay running back Earnest Graham.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers DE Michael Bennett

Defensive end Michael Bennett will have a favorable matchup against Chicago Bears left tackle J’Marcus Webb.

Webb has struggled this year. The second-year player has given up five sacks, three quarterback hits and 11 hurries.

Bennett has performed well in 2011, having 21 tackles and one forced fumble. He could use his speed and technique to overwhelm Webb and hit quarterback Jay Cutler’s blind side.

If Bennett owns Webb, Chicago’s passing attack will be in for a long day.

Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox

The Bears' top distance threat is wide receiver Johnny Knox.

A third-year player, Knox has only 295 yards and no touchdowns. He has not had over 84 yards in a game this year.

Knox will line up against Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber, a solid defensive player with 41 career picks.

If Knox gets key receptions, Chicago’s offense has a definite advantage.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Mason Foster

Linebacker Mason Foster is a leader on the Bucs defense.

The rookie has 32 tackles, a couple sacks and a forced fumble.

Foster will be asked to defend against the run. He will be key in slowing down Chicago running back Matt Forte. Slowing down Forte would make the Bears one-dimensional.

Bob Bajek is a writing intern at Bleacher Report. He is also a freelance reporter and can be followed at Patch.com and Twitter.