Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears: Complete Week 12 Preview for Chicago
After losing three straight games, the Chicago Bears finally got back in the win column in Week 11 with a 21-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The victory over the Vikings was Chicago's first win at home this season. The Bears (4-6) will now welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8) to Soldier Field this Sunday.
The Bears lead the all-time series with the Buccaneers 36-18. The two teams played each other every season from 1977 to 2001 as members of the NFC Central division, and the Bears went 33-15 during that time. After division realignment moved Tampa Bay to the NFC South in 2002, the two teams have played six times, with each team claiming three victories.
The Bears will square off against two familiar faces on Sunday afternoon in head coach Lovie Smith and quarterback Josh McCown. Smith was the head coach of the Bears for nine seasons, going 81-63 with a 3-3 playoff record. His teams played in two NFC Championships Games and lost Super Bowl XLI. He was hired as Tampa Bay's head coach back in January.
Despite never winning a Super Bowl while in Chicago, Smith enjoyed his time with the organization, via Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
"Lovie Smith on time w/#Bears: "Besides winning a Super Bowl, as a coach I got a chance to witness and be a part of just about everything."
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) November 19, 2014"
McCown's tenure in Chicago was not as long as Smith's, but he did serve as Jay Cutler's backup for a handful of games in 2011 and 2012 before spending the entire 2013 season as his primary backup. In 11 total appearances between 2011 and 2013, McCown threw for 2,243 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
In order to keep their slim playoff chances alive, the Bears will need to forget about the past and focus on the future.
“It’s just another Sunday,” wide receiver Brandon Marshall said earlier in the week when asked about going up against Smith and McCown, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. “I won’t get into it throughout this week. I won’t get into it with you now.'
The Bears are third in the NFC North at 4-6, but NFL.com labels them as a team still in the hunt for a playoff spot. A victory against the Buccaneers on Sunday certainly does not assure the Bears of a playoff spot, but it will keep their playoff hopes alive when they head into Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day matchup in Week 13.
Here is our Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears preview for Week 12.
Week 11 Recap
1 of 5
Needing a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, the Chicago Bears came away with a 21-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11 at Soldier Field.
Quarterback Jay Cutler threw for 330 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Chicago's offense racked up 468 yards of total offense against a Minnesota defense that was ranked ninth overall heading into the game.
There was a lot of pressure on Cutler to perform after a handful of poor performances, and he did not let that pressure get to him against the Vikings.
"There is always pressure," Cutler said, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. "You can't let that affect the way you play the game on Sunday. I thought we did a good job of calling plays early and making sure we were in a rhythm and taking some shots too. Once the game started, I've just got to play."
Wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery combined for 18 catches for 225 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Matt Forte rushed 26 times for 117 yards and hauled in six catches for 58 yards.
On the other side of the football, Chicago's defense held the Vikings to just 243 yards of total offense.
Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater struggled to get into a rhythm all afternoon and completed 18 of his 28 pass attempts for just 158 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Chicago applied constant pressure on Bridgewater throughout the afternoon, and defensive ends Jared Allen and Willie Young both came away with one sack apiece.
The win on Sunday helped the Bears improve to 4-6 on the season and put them in third place in the NFC North behind the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Marc Trestman Says Brandon Marshall Is Not a Distraction
After offering a Detroit Lions fan on Twitter $25,000 to box him late last week, wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been relatively quiet in recent days.
When asked on Monday if there were repercussions for his Twitter spat, Marshall did not give a straight answer.
"I mean, I’m not into the TMZ thing,” Marshall said, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m not a real fan of that type of journalism. So I refuse to go there. If you want to go there, you can do that on your own time.”
Marc Trestman did not elaborate much on the subject when asked about it on Monday, and he only said it was “an issue between Brandon and I, and I’m going to leave it at that," via Finley.
“I didn’t have any sense or anything other than Brandon working hard in practice,” Trestman later said. “That very evidently carried over into the game.”
Marshall's hard work in practice did carry over into Sunday's game against the Vikings. He finished the game with seven catches for 90 yards with two touchdowns.
As long as Marshall keeps his Twitter spats to a minimum and continues to produce like he did on Sunday afternoon, he will likely continue not to be a distraction in the locker room.
Josh McCown Surprised Marc Trestman's Leadership Has Been Questioned
After the Bears dropped back-to-back games against the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers, many questioned whether Trestman had the leadership skills to lead a football team.
When told by the media that Trestman's leadership skills have been in question, Tampa Bay's Josh McCown was surprised.
"It is a little surprising," McCown said in a conference call with Chicago media on Wednesday, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
He continued:
"I’m just thinking about it as you say it. I’m not in that room now. So I don’t know if things have changed or whatever. As far as how I understood and what I understood last year, I felt like he was consistent with his message and didn’t waver from that. I don’t know if that’s changed or not. Like I said about [Buccaneers coach] Lovie [Smith], that’s a hard thing to do to stick to your guns and stick to what you believe is right in the midst of turmoil or things that aren’t going your way.
"
In the midst of reports earlier this month of turmoil within the locker room, Trestman, according to Jay Cutler, has not appeared affected by the questions surrounding his leadership.
“If it is affecting him, he doesn’t let the players know,” Cutler said earlier this week during The Jay Cutler Show on ESPN 1000, via Wright. “He doesn’t let me know. I think he’s been an unbelievable professional each week of getting the guys to continually buy in, to motivate them, to inspire them to go out there and try to play better.”
If the Bears continue to win football games, Trestman's leadership, or lack thereof, will no longer be in question. But if they go out and struggle against the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, there is a good chance his leadership will come into question again.
Defense Held a Players-Only Meeting Prior to Minnesota Game
After the Bears gave up 50-plus points in back-to-back games, defensive coordinator Mel Tucker decided it would be a good idea for his defense to have a players-only meeting last week.
"We talked last week about everyone needing to do more," Tucker said, via Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune (subscription required). "Players and coaches together just looking to take it up a notch. That was an effort on their part to take some extra time together as a unit. It paid off for us."
The extra time did pay off. Chicago's defense gave up just 13 points and 243 total yards in Week 11 against the Vikings.
Cornerback Tim Jennings felt the players-only meeting gave everyone on defense a sense of accountability.
"[Watching film] with the coaches and them coaching you up, you just take the coaching and the criticism and move on from it," Jennings said, via Wiederer. "But now, it's a sense of accountability where we know exactly why the D-line is doing this, why the linebackers are fitting that way in certain situations. It's about having more accountability with each other."
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Eben Britton | OL | Limited |
| Darryl Sharpton | LB | Did Not Practice (DNP) |
| Demontre Hurst | CB | DNP |
| Brandon Marshall | WR | Limited |
| Chris Williams | WR | DNP |
| Jordan Mills | OT | DNP |
| Jared Allen | DE | DNP |
| Alshon Jeffery | WR | Limited |
| Trevor Scott | DE | DNP |
All injury statuses are from NBC Chicago's Peggy Kusinski and reflect Thursday's practice.
Starting wide receivers Brandon Marshall (ankle) and Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) both missed practice on Wednesday but returned in a limited fashion on Thursday. Kick returner/wide receiver Chris Williams (hamstring) missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Right tackle Jordan Mills was limited in practice this week after missing last week's game against the Minnesota Vikings with a ribs injury. If he is unable to go again this Sunday, Michael Ola will replace him on the right side.
Offensive lineman Eben Britton returned to practice this week in a limited capacity after having an appendectomy earlier this month.
Defensive ends Jared Allen (non-injury related) and Trevor Scott (knee), cornerback Demontre Hurst (knee) and linebacker Darryl Sharpton (hamstring) all missed Thursday's practice.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Jay Cutler vs. Josh McCown
While quarterbacks Jay Cutler and Josh McCown will not be on the field at the same time on Sunday afternoon, their perceived matchup will be one of the biggest storylines of Sunday's game.
After McCown threw for 1,829 yards with 13 touchdowns and one interception in eight games in relief of Cutler last season, a debate raged among media and fans about who should lead the Bears in 2014.
The Bears ultimately gave Cutler a seven-year, $126 million contract this offseason and watched McCown sign a two-year, $10 million deal in Tampa Bay.
McCown struggled out of the gate this season with Tampa, throwing for just 420 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in his first three starts. A thumb injury in his third start of the season against Atlanta forced him to miss the team's next five games. He returned as a starter against the Falcons in Week 10 and has thrown for 589 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions in his last two games.
On the other hand, Cutler has remained healthy this season, starting all 10 games and throwing for 2,695 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
While Cutler's numbers on the surface do not appear all that bad, he has made far too many costly mistakes for a team that is currently sitting at 4-6.
For those fans who wanted McCown to return to Chicago over Cutler, they will get an opportunity on Sunday to watch both quarterbacks duel it out at Soldier Field.
Kyle Long vs. Gerald McCoy
Viewed as a bit of a reach as the 20th overall pick of the 2013 draft for the Bears, Kyle Long has quickly become one of the league's best young guards. He started all 16 games last year at right guard and was named to the Pro Bowl at the end of the season.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Long is the NFL's 11th-best guard with a plus-5.9 grade. He has not allowed a sack this season and has only allowed one quarterback hit and nine quarterback hurries.
Long has held his own against some very good defensive tackles this season, but he is set to go up against one of the league's best in Tampa Bay's Gerald McCoy.
In his fifth season out of Oklahoma, McCoy has already registered 6.5 sacks and 27 tackles this season, and he has proved he can be a force against both the pass and the run.
Pro Football Focus ranks as the fifth-best overall defensive tackle with a plus-19.6 grade. He has accumulated eight quarterback hits and 20 quarterback hurries in nine games this season.
One of McCoy's biggest strengths is his ability to get off the football quickly. In addition to his quickness, he plays with great leverage and has terrific upper-body strength. His quickness and strength were on full display against the Cleveland Browns earlier this month, via Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus:
"Oh my heavens Gerald McCoy you bad, bad man. #Bucs https://t.co/iz6iexdQCi
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 2, 2014"
If Long wants to keep Cutler clean all afternoon, he will need to utilize his own strength and athleticism to combat McCoy's disruptive play.
X-Factor of the Week: Chris Conte
One of the most highly criticized members of Chicago's defense last season, free safety Chris Conte has been relatively quiet in recent weeks.
After injuries plagued the start of his season, Conte has now played in all but one defensive snap in the team's last two games. He registered eight total tackles against the Packers and Vikings and graded out with a plus-0.4 average in those two games, via Pro Football Focus.
While the plus-0.4 grade might not sound all that great, it is a vast improvement over the minus-15.2 grade he finished with last season.
Conte has proved he is likely an average-at-best NFL free safety, but he does have the athleticism to be a playmaker at times in the secondary. He has eight career interceptions, including two this season.
With McCown coming to town for the first time as a member of the Buccaneers, Conte has a chance to square off against a familiar face. Despite the familiarity, he does not believe the defense has an advantage.
"We know what kind of player he is, and he doesn't make a lot of mistakes with the football," Conte said, via Jeff Arnold of ChicagoFootball.com. "But we do what we do, and we're going to be in the calls we're going to be in. [McCown's] not going to change anything (we do) just because he's been here and we've practiced against him."
McCown only threw one interception last season with the Bears, but he has thrown six already this season. His top target in recent weeks has been rookie Mike Evans, and Conte will likely be responsible for providing coverage over the top on Evans' side.
If Conte can get a good read on McCown early in the game, he may be able to use his speed and athleticism to nab his third interception of the season.
Prediction
5 of 5
Despite all the hype surrounding Lovie Smith and Josh McCown as they return to Chicago, the Bears simply appear to be the better team on paper.
The Bears have struggled to get into the end zone all season long, but the Buccaneers are 30th in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 27.9 points per game. If Chicago decides to keep the football in Jay Cutler's hands, he should have an opportunity to carve up a Tampa Bay defense that is allowing 266.1 yards per game through the air. Cutler still leads the league in turnovers with 17, but he showed an ability last week against the Vikings to bounce back from his poor decisions.
On the other side of the football, Chicago's defense will look to build off its strong performance against the Vikings. Chicago gave up just 243 total yards to the Vikings in Week 12 and should slow down a Buccaneers offense that is averaging just 19.4 points per game this season.
One key to slowing down Tampa Bay's offense will be to put pressure on quarterback Josh McCown. The Buccaneers have given up 27 sacks, the 10th most in the NFL this season. If defensive ends Jared Allen and Willie Young play like they did against the Vikings in Week 11 against the Buccaneers, they should limit McCown's ability to push the football down the field.
As long as Cutler can eliminate his mistakes on offense and the defense gets pressure McCown, the Bears should claim their second straight victory at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon.
Prediction: Bears 24, Buccaneers 13
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
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
