The Bucs are the only NFC Central Division team the Bears beat regularly, which doesn’t distinguish the Bears from most other NFL teams. Until last week’s loss against the Vikings, however, the Bucs had won four out of five.
Question: What happened against the Vikings?
Answer: “I played like a dog,” said quarterback Trent Dilfer after his 13-of-32 passing effort for 104 yards and two interceptions.
Q: Is that a familiar answer?
A: Yes. Asked to explain two losses to the Bears last year, Dilfer said, “I played awful both times.”
Q: What’s the best thing about Dilfer?
A: His honesty.
Q: Seriously, isn’t he better than he used to be?
A: Seriously, yes. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes this year, 2 1/2 times his 1995 total. He has shown improvement under new offensive coordinator and ex-Bears assistant Mike Shula despite playing all season without injured leading receiver Horace Copeland and half the season without holdout running back Errict Rhett.
Q: Why are the Bucs 1-6 in the NFC Central?
A: “It seems like we have more than our share of errors against those teams,” coach Tony Dungy said. “We just haven’t been up to the task.”
Q: What is their motivation against the Bears?
A: After three straight years in the NFC cellar, they have a chance to finish ahead of Detroit if they win and the Lions lose to San Francisco on Monday night.
“Now we have a chance to go out with a win, to feel a little better about ourselves and give ourselves a sense that we can compete in the Central Division,” Dungy said. “I think it’s crucial that we win.”
Q: Who is Dilfer’s leading receiver?
A: Joliet’s and Purdue’s own fullback Mike Alstott, who could become the seventh player to lead the Bucs in receiving yardage since 1987.
Q: Aren’t they paying expensive free agents Alvin Harper and Jackie Harris $3.55 million this season to catch passes?
A: Yes, but ex-Packer Harris has only 29 catches for 343 yards while nursing a hamstring injury and ex-Cowboy Harper has only 17 catches for 268 yards.
Q: Do those two wish they were still playing in Green Bay and Dallas?
A: So do the Bucs.
Q: Besides losing, what’s the worst thing that could happen to the Bears this Sunday?
A: Having the Bucs return a kickoff or punt for a touchdown. In the 21-year history of Tampa’s franchise, the Bucs never have returned a kickoff for a touchdown and have returned only one punt for a touchdown.
Q: Is there a danger of this happening?
A: Rookie free agent Karl Williams has returned kicks for four games and last week had the second-longest punt return in team history when he went 72 yards. The week before, he had the second-longest kickoff return in team history at 63 yards.
Q: How good is Tampa’s defense?
A: Darn good. Eighth in the league. Until last week, it had not given up more than 17 points in eight of its last nine games.
Q: How good is Tampa’s offense?
A: Uh, 28th. A welcome sight for the Bears, who have feasted the last two weeks on the 26th- and 27th-rated offenses.
