Bears at Buccaneers
Back-to-back losses to sub-.500 teams over the past two games knocked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the playoffs for the eighth straight season. Lovie Smith, however, still believes his young team is headed in the right direction as they prepare to host the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
"As you're a young football team, you have to go through it," Smith told reporters after the Buccaneers lost to St. Louis 31-23 last week. "We didn't handle center stage as well as we will in the future. That's all of us." The Bears will miss the playoffs again, having lost three straight to slip into a tie for last in the NFC North Division. Chicago hopes to have its top receiver, Alshon Jeffery, whose hamstring pull is the latest in an injury-plagued season.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Buccaneers -3. O/U: 45.5.
ABOUT THE BEARS (5-9): In the final year of his contract, Jay Cutler has had a solid season in throwing for 3,258 yards with 18 touchdowns, eight interceptions and a career-best quarterback rating of 92.3. Cutler has done most of it without a healthy receiving corps - Jeffery (questionable) missed five games and parts of two others, Eddie Royal sat out six games and Marquess Wilson and tight end Martellus Bennett have already been placed on injured reserve. Matt Forte, who leads the Bears with 1,100 yards from scrimmage, rushed for two scores as the Bears rallied for a 21-13 win at Tampa Bay a year ago.
ABOUT THE BUCS (6-8): Also in the last year of his contract, Doug Martin's bounce-back season has made him a priority for Tampa Bay's postseason plans after rushing for 1,305 yards, second in the NFL to Adrian Peterson. Martin's total could be higher but the Bucs have fallen behind by multiple scores in a number of games, limiting his touches. Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, who has thrown for 3,422 yards and 20 touchdowns, launched a season-high 50 passes for 369 yards in the loss at St. Louis.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Chicago, which has lost four of its last five games, placed safety Antrel Rolle on the IR with a groin injury.
2. Tampa Bay WR Vincent Jackson is out with a knee injury.
3. The Buccaneers need two wins to finish .500 for the first time since 2010.