Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears: What Are Experts Saying About Chicago?

The Chicago Bears claimed their first victory at Soldier Field this season this past Sunday afternoon when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 21-13. The win helped the Bears improve to 4-6 on the season, giving NFL experts and the media plenty to talk about heading into Chicago's Week 12 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Chicago's playoff hopes appeared to be all but dashed in Week 11 when they were defeated by the Green Bay Packers, but Sunday's win against the Vikings helped keep their slim playoff hopes alive. 

The Bears will welcome the 2-8 Buccaneers to Soldier Field this Sunday and will face off against former head coach Lovie Smith and former backup quarterback Josh McCown. With those familiar faces returning to Soldier Field for the first time, there has been plenty to talk about this week in Chicago.

What exactly are the experts saying about the Chicago Bears heading into their Week 12 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? 

Dan Pompei: Bears' Performance in Week 11 Probably Doesn't Beat Playoff Team

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The Bears came away with a much-needed win this past Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field, but it was not necessarily a pretty one. 

Chicago's defense played well against rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but the offense simply left too many points on the field. Because of the Bears' inability to put the game away, NFL columnist Dan Pompei believes their performance against Minnesota probably means they cannot beat a playoff-caliber team:

"

8. Bears did what had to do and we should credit them for that, but that performance probably does not beat a playoff caliber team.

— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) November 17, 2014"

On paper, it looked like the Bears played a solid game, but they made far too many mistakes on offense and special teams. 

Jay Cutler was intercepted twice, and the team failed to score a touchdown on a 4th-and-1 play on the goal line. The Bears played with no urgency at the end of the first half with ample time remaining on the clock, and their special teams unit allowed a 48-yard run on a fake punt.

The Bears only have a slim chance at making the playoffs this season, and they certainly will not be making any playoff runs if they continue to play just average football like they did on Sunday against Minnesota. 

Scott Pianowski: Jay Cutler Is Back to Being a Good Start in Fantasy Football

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After a stagnant offensive performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11, quarterback Jay Cutler made fantasy owners happy once again on Sunday afternoon.

He threw for 330 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions against a solid Vikings defense after struggling against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10. He has accumulated the eighth-most fantasy points this season in ESPN standard leagues.

Yahoo's Scott Pianowski was impressed with Cutler's bounce-back game against Minnesota.

"The hits (and the rare misses) were classic Cutler," Pianowski wrote. "He wrote checks that only a strong-armed quarterback can cash, and he threw to ostensibly covered teammates, trusting his mates to make contested catches."

Cutler attacked Minnesota's 5'10" cornerback Josh Robinson all afternoon. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Cutler threw at Robinson 15 times, completing 11 passes for 139 yards with two touchdowns. 

Even though he threw a couple of interceptions, Pianowski thinks Cutler is still a good play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.

"Chicago's schedule still has a couple of Detroit matchups on the docket, but we'll worry about that down the road," Pianowski wrote. "We expect a bunch of yards and points next week when the Bears host Tampa Bay."

Tampa Bay's defense has allowed 20 passing touchdowns this season, while opposing quarterbacks are averaging a 100.9 quarterback rating per game against the Bucs. 

Just like last week, this Sunday's matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks like an ample opportunity for Cutler to put up big fantasy numbers at home. 

Dan Wiederer: Marc Trestman Is Becoming Increasingly Guarded

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Following blowout losses to the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers in back-to-back games, many Bears fans felt head coach Marc Trestman should have been fired prior to the showdown against Minnesota in Week 11. 

Trestman was not relieved of his duties and helped lead his team to a 21-13 victory over the Vikings on Sunday afternoon. Even though Trestman appears to be keeping his job for the foreseeable future, the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer believes Trestman is becoming more guarded. 

According to Wiederer (subscription required), Trestman's typical Monday press conferences always felt more like a college lecture than a press conference, but he explained this past Monday's presser felt much different:

"

The 14-minute gathering was filled with odd pauses and evasive responses. After a 21-13 win over a division rival, no less. Trestman seemed like a suspect in a police interrogation room without his lawyer. Harmless questions seemed to have him feeling trapped and uncomfortable. If the Bears coach was feeling any jubilation in his team's win over the Vikings, he wasn't showing it. If there were mistakes his players made that he hopes to rectify, he wasn't sharing.

"

The Bears have failed to live up to expectations this season, and it appears Trestman is finally starting to feel the tension building around him. Instead of catering to the media with his intricate breakdowns of important plays from the previous game, Trestman sounded like a man who was worn down from the stress of coaching a 4-6 football team.

Trestman was asked what he misses most about former Bears backup quarterback, and current Buccaneers starter, Josh McCown on Monday, but he opted not to get into details.

"I don't know if I'm going there," Trestman said, via Wiederer. "We all have our own relationships with Josh, and I'd rather keep it at that."

Wiederer found that comment odd: "Right then, when the usually positive Trestman struggled to say something positive about Mr. Positive, Josh McCown, it was evident something was off-kilter. Offered a cupcake, Trestman looked at it as if it might be filled with razor blades."

If Bears fans were not sure whether Trestman was feeling the pressure after his team's missteps this season, his increasingly guarded attitude on Monday showed he is more aware than people may think. 

Rich Campbell: The Bears Have Some Fight in Them

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After losing back-to-back games to the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers by a combined score of 106-37, the Bears showed some fight in their 21-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. 

"After two straight punchless performances, the Bears swung back against the Vikings," Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune wrote. When they lost 51-23 to the Patriots, several players insisted they had enough pride and professionalism to continue playing hard."

Campbell knows the Bears will truly be tested if they are eliminated from the playoffs, but he acknowledged they are still fighting to keep their slim playoff hopes alive:

"

The truest test of character and professionalism would occur after the Bears are eliminated from postseason contention. But for now, with their chances to qualify for the postseason still very slim, their effort and desire to win was apparent in the tough running of Matt Forte, the effort for contested catches by Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the collective pass rush, and numerous other examples.

"

In order to find success in their remaining six games, the Bears are going to need to take a "one game at a time" approach for the remainder of this season. If they can show the same fight and resiliency against the Buccaneers this Sunday as they did against the Vikings, they will head into their Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Detroit Lions with a chance to improve to .500 on the season. 

Pete Prisco: Josh McCown Can't Beat His Former Team

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco predicted correctly last week that the Bears would defeat the Vikings in Week 11, and he thinks Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown will be unable to beat his former team at Soldier Field this Sunday.

McCown will make his first start against the Bears since signing a two-year, $10 million deal this offseason with Tampa Bay. He threw for 1,829 yards with 13 touchdowns and one interception in eight games for the Bears last season as Jay Cutler's backup. McCown has thrown for 589 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in his last two starts, but Prisco does not have faith in McCown or the Buccaneers this Sunday.

"The Bucs are playing consecutive road games, which is tough," Prisco wrote. "The Bears, especially Jay Cutler, came alive last week against the Vikings. I think he should be able to have that same success against the Bucs. Josh McCown can't beat his former team."

It is hard to argue with Prisco's prediction. The Buccaneers are 2-8 this season and learning to adjust to Lovie Smith's coaching style. As long as Cutler can protect the football on Sunday afternoon, Chicago should come away with its second win at home this season.

Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears or NFL.com.

Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

Follow @MattEurich