(SportsNetwork.com) – Amid a slightly higher-profile arrival this weekend at
Soldier Field – in the form of Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith visiting his former
Chicago home for the first time since he was fired two years ago – there’s
also one Josh McCown.
McCown appeared in 11 games and started seven times across three seasons (two
under Smith) with the Bears before heading to Buccaneers on a two-year, $10
million contract after Chicago displayed its allegiance to Jay Cutler in the
form of a seven-year, $126.7 million deal.
His first three games with his new team yielded three losses and a thumb
injury that subsequently kept him out of action for six weeks, but McCown
returned to his starter’s role in Week 10 and has since thrown for 589 yards
and four touchdowns against just two interceptions.
He finally earned win No. 1 for the Bucs last week, throwing for 288 yards and
a pair of scores in a 27-7 road defeat of Washington that ended a five-game
losing skid.
The momentum comes just in time for what he concedes will be an unusual
experience this week.
“It will be neat, weird, all those things. I’m sure for Coach Smith it’s the
same thing,” McCown said. “But for us, we’ve got to win ball games, it doesn’t
matter who we play.”
His return has coincided with the emergence of first-round draft pick Mike
Evans, who’s caught seven passes in three straight games for 458 yards and
five touchdowns. The Texas A&M product accounted for 209 receiving yards
against the Redskins, making him the first rookie with a 200-yard game and two
scores since Anquan Boldin did it 11 years ago.
The defense did its part in Washington as well, registering three takeaways
and six sacks while yielding its lowest opposition point total of 2014. Tampa
Bay had averaged 30.2 points allowed through its initial nine games while
accounting for only 12 turnovers and 14 sacks.
“Hopefully we can build on this and see where we go from there,” Smith said.
As it turns out, the tumult-wracked Bears could use a little building of their
own.
Lest he be reminded that Smith was 18 games over .500, reached the playoffs
three times and appeared in a Super Bowl once during his tenure in Chicago,
second-year coach Marc Trestman is enduring daily questions about why his
star-studded team isn’t performing anywhere near expectations.
Trestman was 8-8 in his first go-round last year, following Smith’s dismissal
after he went 10-6 in 2012 and failed to reach the playoffs. And several of
his holdover players are still fans of their old boss.
“(Smith) was the type of guy that you really wanted to run through a wall
for,” Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said. “And you didn’t want to see him go.”
Inconveniently, Chicago’s offense is more than six points a game off of the
NFC-best 27.8-point clip it posted under Trestman last season, and his defense
had allowed 50 points in two straight games before a circle-the-wagons 21-13
defeat of Minnesota in Week 11 ended a three-game losing streak.
Chicago allowed 243 total yards, but the Vikings were just 30th in the league
in total offense coming in.
Smith’s defenses for the Bears averaged better than two takeaways per game,
permitted less than 20 points and only surrendered 40 or more four times.
Chicago has allowed 40 points six times under
Trestman and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, while surrendering 29.5 points
per game overall.
“We’re going to talk to our team truthfully about every aspect of this game,”
Trestman said. “The thing I can tell you about Lovie is that I’ve watched him
for years and played against him for years and I know him as a person and I
have tremendous respect for him as a person in all areas. That’s the only
thing I can speak of at this point, and I truly mean that.”
As for offense, Cutler is expecting his former boss to supply a new defensive
wrinkle or two.
The QB passed for 330 yards and three TDs against Minnesota, but he was
intercepted twice and has six INTs in his last four games. Running back Matt
Forte had 117 rushing yards against the Vikings and is third in the league
with 1,308 total yards.
“It’s going to be challenging,” Cutler said. “We are going to be familiar with
their defense, they’ve got some really good players on that side of the ball.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Rookie on Rookie
First-year man Evans comes into the game for the Bucs full of pass-catching
momentum. He’s scored seven touchdowns since missing Week 5 with an injury and
uses his 6-foot-5, 231-pound frame with surprising speed and agility. He’ll be
the focal point of rookie corner Kyle Fuller, picked seven slots after him in
April, who’s 6-foot, 190 pounds and will need to create disruption at the line
of scrimmage.
Facing an Old Friend
On the flip side, Chicago’s Brandon Marshall comes in after his own seven-
catch, two-touchdown performance against Minnesota and will presumably be
matched with veteran Alterraun Verner, who’s been inconsistent in his first
year with Tampa Bay. Marshall could have a big day if Smith employs soft
coverages with Verner, especially if the receiver can escape initial contact
and extend plays.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
If it were solely a match on paper, the Bears would win easily. Of course, if
they’d all been solely matches on paper, the Bears would probably be 8-2
instead of 4-6.
Expect Tampa Bay to be plenty revved-up for its popular new coach and for
Smith to confound Cutler with a look or two, but in the end the advantages in
personnel still reside with the hosts in Chicago. If he loses this one,
Trestman’s done.
Sports Network predicted outcome: Bears 24, Buccaneers 14