Bears pass rusher Khalil Mack
Khalil Mack and the suddenly vaunted Chicago Bears (2-1) defense were able to narrowly hold on to a 16-14 win last week in the desert against rookie quarterback Josh Rosen and the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bears welcome Ryan Fitzpatrick and the rest of the magic of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) into Solder Field on Sunday afternoon.
The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on Fox in select areas (coverage map here). If the game is on in your market and you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Fox (live in all 32 NFL markets) is included in FuboTV’s main package, which includes 85 total channels and is largely tailored towards sports fans. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a handy “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which will allow you to watch the game on-demand up to three days after it airs even if you forgot to record it.
In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including Fox (live in all 32 NFL markets). You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Fox (live in 17 NFL markets) is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
Fox Sports Go
Additionally, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Fox Sports Go website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the Fox Sports Go app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your FuboTV, Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the Fox digital platforms.
Watch on Your Phone: NFL Mobile
Streaming of in-market and prime-time games can be watched on phones via the NFL Mobile app.
If the Game is Out of Your Market
SundayTicket.TV allows you to watch a live stream of games that are out of your market and aren’t nationally televised. The service is available for people who live in residences that can’t get satellite (apartments, condos, etc.), as well as residents of San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York City. You can check here to see if you’re eligible.
Additionally, most college students may watch out-of-market games via SundayTicket U.
Once signed up, you can watch games on your computer via the NFL Sunday Ticket website, or you can watch on your phone, tablet or other streaming device via the NFL Sunday Ticket app, which is free to download on many different devices.
Watch On-Demand: NFL Game Pass
If you’re fine watching games on-demand, another option is NFL Game Pass Domestic, which allows you to watch replays of every NFL game for a fee of $99.99 for the season. No live games are available under this service, but you’ll be able to watch them following the conclusion of games for the day.
Once signed up, you can watch games on-demand on your computer via the NFL Game Pass website, or on your tablet or streaming device via the NFL Mobile app, which can be downloaded for free on a handful of different devices.
If You’re Outside the United States & Mexico
If you’re not in the United States, surrounding territories, or Mexico, you can watch NFL games live via NFL Game Pass International. The cost of the package depends on which country you’re in.
Once signed up, you can watch games on your computer via the NFL Game Pass website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NFL Mobile app, which can be downloaded for free on a handful of different devices.
Preview
Once again, it was the early September acquisition paying off huge dividends for Chicago. Mack, one of the NFL’s early-season MVP candidates, finished with two sacks and one tackle for loss.
The Bears defense totaled four turnovers on the afternoon, including three interceptions and one fumble recovery. Two of those were by Sam Bradford, who was pulled late in the fourth quarter in favor of Rosen. Rosen was later picked off, and threw an interception in the game’s final minute that was called back by a Bears’ penalty.
With a win, the Bears can move to 3-1 and claim sole possession of first place in the NFC North. In order to do that, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky must play better than he did in the desert. Trubisky threw for 220 yards and an interception, as the offense struggled to move the ball against a Cardinals defense that was shredded by the Washington Redskins in Week 1 and Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.
On Monday night, the magic of Fitzmagic was in danger of running out. After a disappointing three-interception first-half performance, Fitzpatrick – down three scores entering the fourth quarter – tossed two touchdowns in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as the Pittsburgh Steelers held on for a crucial 30-27 win, surprisingly picking up their first victory.
Although Jameis Winston was activated this week following his three-game suspension, Fitzpatrick will likely remain the starter until the magic officially runs out. Gameflow indicates no matter what, the Buccaneers continue to pass. In addition to Winston, 2018 first-round pick Vita Vea (calf) finally practiced in full this week, and it’s looking as if he is ready to make his NFL debut on Sunday.
In additions to the losses on secondary already, safety Chris Conte – who was embarrassed by a Vance McDonald stiff arm on Monday night – was placed on injured reserve this week with a knee injury. Tampa Bay will continue to play in nothing but shootouts.