Mike Tirico’s 300th NFL game will be delayed by one week.
NBC has announced that Tirico will miss the Sunday night game between the Buccaneers and the Bears at Soldier Field.
“Unfortunately, I will have to miss tonight’s game in Chicago due to a health issue,” Tirico said. “I look forward to watching tonight’s game and can’t wait to be back with Cris [Collinsworth], Melissa [Stark] and the rest of our SNF team next Sunday night in Cincinnati.”
Noah Eagle, who called the Miami-Notre Dame game in South Bend on Saturday night, will replace Tirico for the Week 9 game.
We extend our best wishes to Tirico. He works as hard as (if not harder than) anyone in sports media, and we look forward to hearing him on the call next Sunday night when the Bengals host the Steelers.
Bucs Clips
Bears running back Kyle Monangai was on the practice field for the first time in a month on Friday.
Monangai has missed the last four games with a toe injury he suffered while running for 146 yards and two touchdowns against the Jets in Week 4. He was a limited participant in practice and the Bears have listed him as questionable to face the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Bears have a bye in Week 10, so Monangai’s return to practice on Friday could prove to be a preview of what’s to come in Week 11.
Defensive back Malik Muhammad (toe) and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (thumb) are also listed as questionable. Left tackle Theo Benedet (shoulder), linebacker T.J. Edwards (personal), and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (groin) do not have injury designations.
The Bucs will have left tackle Tristan Wirfs in the lineup as they try to stretch their winning streak to three games on Sunday.
Wirfs did not practice on Thursday because of a toe injury, but was back on the field for Friday’s practice and head coach Todd Bowles said in his press conference that Wirfs will play against the Bears. Wirfs has not missed a game yet this season.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka could join Wirfs on the field against Chicago. Egbuka missed Week 7 with a concussion and Week 8 with a foot injury, but he returned to full practice participation on Thursday and Bowles called him questionable for this weekend.
Linebacker Yaya Diaby (knee) is the only player that the Buccaneers have ruled out at this point.
The Buccaneers added left tackle Tristan Wirfs to the injury report on Thursday.
Wirfs did not practice with a toe injury.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (foot) returned to full participation after sitting out Wednesday, and running back Kenny Gainwell (hip) went from limited on Wednesday to a full participant on Thursday.
Defensive lineman Elijah Roberts (personal) returned to full work after missing Wednesday’s session.
Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby (knee) is the only player who has not practiced this week.
Safety Tykee Smith (ankle) had a second consecutive limited practice.
The Bears got starting linemen from both sides of the ball back at practice on Thursday.
Left tackle Theo Benedet (shoulder) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (groin) were both limited participants as the team continuing preparing for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers. They were both listed as non-participants on Wednesday’s practice report.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards (personal) was also listed as out on Wednesday. He fully participated on Thursday.
Linebacker D’Marco Jackson (ankle) moved in the opposite direction and missed practice after not being on Wednesday’s report. Running back Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) and left guard Joe Thuney (rest) were also out of practice.
Defensive back Malik Muhammad (toe) joined Benedet and Jarrett in the limited category.
Bears coach Ben Johnson is well known as an offensive innovator and creative play caller. But he was also impressed that the team he’s preparing to coach against this week just won a game with as old-school an offense as the modern NFL has ever seen.
The Bears will face the Buccaneers on Sunday night, and Johnson has been watching film of the way the Bucs beat the Falcons last week while completing zero passes, the first time in more than half a century that an NFL team finished a game without a completion. Johnson said Bucs coach Todd Bowles and his staff wisely kept the ball on the ground on a rainy day in Tampa, and Johnson said the Bucs have great personnel for such an approach.
“That’s a very unique game, and credit to Coach Bowles for recognizing early on, ‘We’re not even going to throw the ball, we’re going to run it.’ And they’ve got the horses to do that,” Johnson said. “This offensive line is really good. The scheme is very good — they’ve got a lot of variety with the way they do things. And their backs are phenomenal as well.”
The Buccaneers and the Bears rank first and second in the NFL in rushing, with the Bucs averaging 168.6 yards per game and the Bears averaging 150.8. Johnson has been particularly impressed with the way the Bucs have run the ball over the last four weeks, with Baker Mayfield missing three of those games and not completing any passes in the fourth.
“It’s a potent rushing attack,” Johnson said. “I think the last four games they’re averaging 230 a game, and it coincides with them winning three out of their last four as well, so that’ll be a huge challenge for us. They’re the No. 1 team in football rushing the ball right now. It’ll be a big one.”
Against the Falcons, the Buccaneers finished with 326 more rushing yards than passing yards. It’s safe to say they won’t have that great a run-pass disparity on Sunday night against the Bears, but Johnson knows the Buccaneers’ offense can be dangerous even if it’s one-dimensional.
Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin had a strong October and has been named NFC special teams player of the month.
McLaughlin connected on all 18 of his kicks, becoming one of two NFC kickers in October to make 100 percent of his kicks on at least seven field goals and at least 10 extra points.
Five of McLaughlin’s field goals were for at least 40 yards. He had seven total field goals and 11 total PATs.
This is McLaughlin’s first special teams player of the month award. He is the third Tampa Bay kicker to ever win the honor.
In eight games this season, McLaughlin has hit 19-of-19 field goals and 17-of-17 extra points.
The Buccaneers are adding some depth to their offensive line.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Tampa Bay has claimed Trevor Keegan off of waivers.
The Vikings let Keegan go on Tuesday.
Keegan, 26, appeared in seven games for Minnesota this season. He was on the field for 30 special teams snaps and three offensive snaps.
The Vikings had claimed Keegan off waivers in September. An Eagles fifth-round pick in 2024, Keegan has also spent time with the Cowboys.
The Buccaneers beat the Falcons without completing a pass on Sunday.
They also beat the Falcons without allowing a point.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone was in the middle of that, and now he’s been named NFC defensive player of the week.
Anzalone had two interceptions plus six tackles, including one for loss, in the Bucs’ 16-0 victory.
Both of his picks came in the first quarter. According to the league, he is just the second linebacker since 2000 to have two interceptions in the first quarter of a game. Lofa Tatupu also accomplished the feat in 2007.
This is Anzalone’s first career defensive player of the week award.
The Buccaneers will be on the road to face the Bears on Sunday night this week.
The Vikings have let go of an offensive lineman.
Minnesota announced on Tuesday that the club has waived guard Trevor Keegan.
Keegan, 26, appeared in seven games for Minnesota this season. He was on the field for 30 special teams snaps and three offensive snaps.
The Vikings had claimed Keegan off waivers in September. An Eagles fifth-round pick in 2024, Keegan has also spent time with the Cowboys.
Additionally, Minnesota has released tight end Bryson Nesbit from its practice squad.
