FRIDAY INJURY REPORT
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
–OUT: DT Beau Allen (foot)
–QUESTIONABLE: CB Carlton Davis (groin), DT Vita Vea (calf), S Jordan Whitehead (shoulder, hamstring), CB Marcus Williams (hamstring)
CHICAGO BEARS
–OUT: CB Prince Amukamara (hamstring), CB Marcus Cooper (hamstring), WR Anthony Miller (shoulder)
PLAYER NOTES
–WR Mike Evans (367 yards, three touchdowns) and WR DeSean Jackson (312 yards, three touchdowns) are the first pair of teammates in league history to have at least 300 receiving yards and three touchdown catches apiece through their team’s first three games of a season.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: CB Carlton Davis. The second-round pick from Auburn has stepped in as a starter, first for Brent Grimes the first two games and now for Vernon Hargreaves, who was placed on injured reserve. Davis held his own against the Steelers’ Antonio Brown Monday Night. Defensive coordinator Mike Smith has been impressed.
“Carlton has probably got the most snaps of the three (rookies),” Smith said. “He’s a big, strong corner that plays well when he’s close to the line of scrimmage than when he’s off. I think that we’re seeing that as the games start getting put into the books.”
GAME PLAN: The Bucs have been pretty hot throwing the football behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. They have the NFL’s top overall offense and top passing offense with targets like Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin and O.J. Howard. But the run game ranks last in the NFL in yards per carry (3.0).
Part of that is because they ran away from opponents in the first two games and had quick strikes in the passing game. They didn’t need to run until the issue was decided in the fourth quarter. Last week, the Bucs fell behind 30-10 and abandoned the run game early.
To slow the Bears’ pass rush, they will have to be more balanced. Running back Peyton Barber gets most of the carries and it remains to be seen if second-round pick Ronald Jones will see his first action of the season.
Offensively, the Bucs will need to do a better job protecting Fitzpatrick. They struggled against the 3-4 defense of the Steelers and you can bet the Bears have watched that tape.
Defensively, Tampa Bay is beat up. The Bucs could start three rookies in the secondary with Brent Grimes. The defensive line has lost its depth. It remains to be seen if first-round pick, defensive tackle Vita Vea, will play Sunday. But Bears QB Mitch Trubisky has struggled against zone coverage, so look for the Bucs to deploy that.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Bucs LT Demar Dotson vs. Bears LB Khalil Mack. Jon Gruden didn’t do the Bucs any favors by trading Mack, and now Gruden’s former team has to face him in Week 4. Mack has been the Defensive Player of the Year so far, forcing a fumble in every game. Dotson is a grizzled ninth-year veteran who did a good job earlier this year handling the Saints’ Cameron Jordan.
–Bears WR Allen Robinson vs. Bucs CB Carlton Davis. Robinson is the go-to guy on the outside for the Bears and Davis will make his third NFL start.
