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Bears closing in on home-field advantage

Dec 17, 2006 - 3:15 PM Tampa Bay (3-10) at Chicago (11-2) Sunday 1:00 pm EST

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Bears are moving closer to ensuring that the NFC playoffs will run through Soldier Field.

The Bears could clinch home-field advantage with a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, coupled with a loss by the New Orleans Saints to the Washington Redskins.

It seems like clinching homefield is a mere formality for the Bears, who already have locked a up a first-round bye and hold a two-game lead over New Orleans for the conference's best record.

Last Monday night, the Bears received a record-setting performance from rookie Devin Hester en route to a 42-27 victory at St. Louis.

Hester set an NFL record with his fifth and sixth returns for touchdowns this season, a 94-yard kickoff runback in the second quarter and a 96-yarder in the final period.

A second-round pick, Hester also has three punt return touchdowns and ran back a missed field goal 108 yards against the Giants to tie the longest play in NFL history.

While Hester has made a habit of big returns, the Buccaneers never have had a kickoff return for a touchdown in their 30-year history.

Against the Rams, the Bears received an encouraging performance from Rex Grossman, who completed 13-of-23 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He had thrown for one touchdown with six interceptions in his previous three games.

A season after winning the NFC South, the Buccaneers already have clinched a last-place finish.

The biggest problems for the Bucs revolve around an offense which ranks last in the league in scoring at 11.6 points per game. Chicago ranks second in the NFL, allowing 13.6 points per game.

Tampa Bay has gone 11 quarters without an offensive touchdown, managing just three field goals from Matt Bryant the last two weeks in losses to Pittsburgh (20-3) and Atlanta (17-6).

In last week's loss to Atlanta, coach Jon Gruden pulled rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski in the fourth quarter in favor of veteran Tim Rattay. However, Gradkowski is expected to start this contest.

Last season, the Bears escaped with a 13-10 victory at Tampa Bay when Bryant missed a 29-yard field goal with 2:47 remaining.