With no playoff baseball to keep Chicago fans occupied for the first time in what feels like forever, the Bears were back in the spotlight Sunday.
Fans thought they might see a rejuvenated team this week, seeing as coach John Fox and company were coming off a decisive victory against Minnesota followed by a bye week. That, and Tampa Bay had allowed more than 1,000 yards in its previous two games combined.
That optimism did not last long. At all. The Bears were decimated 36-10 in front of a large number of Chicago fans in Tampa.
For those who might have felt left out in the wake of midseason NFL awards, maybe these will make them feel better.
(Reminder: The Blackhawks and Bulls are in terrific and pretty good shape, respectively, at this point in their respective seasons. Thank goodness.)
MFP (Most Frenetic Player): Jameis Winston
One off-the-charts-crazy play the Tampa Bay quarterback pulled off early in the third quarter sums up how close the Bears defense is to dominating games … and how far it has to go. Bears defenders forced Winston back some 25 yards, back to his own end zone, before he found a way to scoot forward and launch a pass to midfield, where Mike Evans pulled it down for a 39-yard gain. You can’t help but shake your head in awe and disbelief. BTW, Winston on Sunday became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to reach 40 touchdown passes.
MRP (Most Refreshing Players): Eddie Goldman and Leonard Floyd
The Bears had greatly missed their stalwart defensive tackle in the middle of that line, who had to sit out six games with an ankle injury. Goldman was plenty disruptive before he left Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter, recording four tackles and a sack.
Meanwhile, Floyd is slowly coming into his own. While the outcome was still in question Sunday, the rookie collected 1.5 sacks, giving him 4.5 in his past three games. Gotta find a silver lining somewhere, Bears fans.
MEP (Most Encouraging Player): Jordan Howard
Despite his second-quarter fumble that led to a Bucs touchdown, the bruising running back known as #Thighs (thanks, Alex Brown and Lance Briggs) continues to impress. His ability to find yardage where there initially seems to be none is fantastic, especially with so many injuries to the offensive line. Howard ended up with 100 yards on 15 carries. The bad news: He limped off the field late in the fourth quarter.
MIP (Most Inspiring Player): Kyle Long
The three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman had just returned from an injury. Long and the rest of the offensive line had the running game humming Sunday and then, disaster. He rolled his ankle early in the second quarter and was unable to return. One has to feel for Long, one of the unquestioned leaders in the Bears locker room. He even exchanged handshakes with several Bucs and did his best to fire up his teammates before being carted off the field. Long also returned to the sidelines in the second half to support his teammates.
MDP (Most Disappointing Player): Jay Cutler
Sorry to end this on a down note, but Cutler didn’t leave much room for bright sides. He threw two interceptions in the first 10 minutes of Sunday’s game and fumbled twice; the second time resulted in a Buccaneers safety. All in all, it’s disheartening after his solid effort against Minnesota. Yes, he and Alshon Jeffery have solid chemistry, but he tried to force too many plays and wasn’t terribly accurate when he did have time to throw, which wasn’t as often as the Bears would like. His final numbers: 16-for-30 for 182 yards. Those stats would have been worse had he not connected on a 50-yard hail mary touchdown pass to Cameron Meredith at the end of the first half.
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