Shortly after Sunday’s loss, defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was asked about the opportunity the Bears defense had Thursday against the Buccaneers.
“To sack Tom Brady, first of all,” he said. “After that we want to play good football.”
The team’s first prime-time performance will provide a stiff test on both sides of the ball. The Buccaneers have won three in a row by an average score of 32-19.
The Bears need to “regroup,” receiver Allen Robinson said.
“We’ve got a good team coming in here in Tampa Bay that’s playing well right now, that’s starting to heat up a little bit,” he said. “Again, we have to take on the challenge. We have to come here and play better.”
The Buccaneers might be significantly diminished.
Neither the Bears nor the Buccaneers practiced Monday, but they had to submit injury reports as though they had.
The Bucs listed seven offensive players as, theoretically, not being healthy enough to practice at all: receiver Mike Evans (ankle), running back Leonard Fournette (ankle), receiver Chris Godwin (hamstring), tight end O.J Howard (Achilles’ tendon), running back LeSean McCoy, receiver Scotty Miller (hip/groin) and receiver Justin Watson (chest). Howard could be out for the year.
The Bears — who held a walk-through Monday — said safeties Deon Bush and Sherrick McManis, who have hamstring injuries, would not have been able to participate in a regular practice. Khalil Mack (knee) would have been limited, the same way he’s been every practice this year.
Miller in, Denmark out
To make room for running back Lamar Miller on the practice squad, the Bears cut cornerback Stephen Denmark. The 2019 seventh-round draft pick was first cut at the end of training camp, only to return on the practice squad the next day. Denmark has not appeared in an NFL game.
Miller, who has almost 6,000 career rushing yards, missed all of last season after tearing his ACL as a member of the Texans. The Bears agreed to sign him Friday.
This and that
• Bears coach Matt Nagy said he had no update on kicker Eddy Pineiro, who remains on injured reserve with a groin injury. Cairo Santos figures to kick Thursday.
• When new Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel takes the field Sunday, he’ll surpass Bears founder George Halas as the oldest person to coach an NFL game. Halas was 72 years, 318 days when he coached his last game in 1967. Crennel is 73.
• Running back David Montgomery played by far his season-high at 85.5% of the offensive snaps Sunday, leaving just 18% for Cordarrelle Patterson and 2% for Ryan Nall. He got 77% of the Bears’ carries, up from 60% the first three games.
