Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears: Complete Week 12 Preview for Chicago
Published by Matt Eurich on November 21, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
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.
