Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Week 10 Preview
By Erik Lambert
The Chicago Bears are hoping to ignite a second half surge to rescue their season while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to stop a dangerous slide.
It’s a classic case of two teams who won’t draw much attention but strongly believe they have enough pieces for a late-season run. Of course they need a big win here to do it. Both have had plenty of obstacles thrown in their paths and the odds against them appear stacked. Chicago endured a litany of injuries. Tampa Bay is in a loaded division.
Background:
This will mark the second-straight year these two teams have met. Chicago salvaged a 26-20 victory in an otherwise disappointing December. This time around they’re hoping a win has a bit more meaning while the Buccaneers hope they can stop their slide enough to get back on track. New Orleans and Atlanta are fast getting too far out of reach.
Injury Report:
Doug Martin (hamstring) – The Buccaneers running game has really struggled to stay on track since their lost Pro Bowler Doug Martin a hamstring injury in week two. At least it appears he might be ready to go. He’s declared a game-time decision but the general feeling is barring anything unexpected he will suit up and play. How effective he’ll be after such a long layoff is an equally important question.
Eddie Goldman (ankle) – At the same time the Bears defense is getting healthy too. Their last big missing piece was promising nose tackle Eddie Goldman, who suffered a high ankle sprain early in the year. He’s finally back practicing and declared questionable for the game. He stands a good chance to play, though it would likely be in limited snaps due to conditioning issues. Nevertheless he had a strong performance against Tampa Bay last season.
Key Matchup:
Mike Evans vs. Tracy Porter
Don’t be fooled by the return of Doug Martin. The focal point of the Tampa Bay offense will continue to be giant receiver Mike Evans. He’s putting up monster numbers this year. The key for the Bucs is to give him chances in the red zone while the Bears are hoping savvy veteran corner Tracy Porter can do enough to frustrate him. Chicago knows they can control the action if Evan is limited to a modest afternoon.
Prediction: Bears win 23-19
They aren’t playing like a well-oiled machine yet, but the Bears seem to have discovered an identity. The defense is coming around and Jay Cutler now has a running game. Meanwhile the Buccaneers don’t look too much better than the team that finished 2015, a team the Bears beat. Expect similar results in such cases.