Bucs' Evans will be tough assignment for Bears to cover

Tampa Bay's 6-foot-5, 231-pound wide receiver Mike Evans is at least as important to the Bucs' offense as Alshon Jeffery is to the Chicago Bears.

Evans leads the NFL with 8 receiving touchdowns, is tied for fourth with 55 receptions and is fifth with 745 yards.

“They're both big targets,” Bears coach John Fox said. “They have good (catch) radius, as far as getting the ball.

“They've really, really emphasized him, whether it's been first or second down, third down, red area. He's a big target and a guy they go after quite a bit.”

Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is impressed with Evans, who is well on his way to a third straight 1,000-yard season since the Bucs drafted him seventh in 2014 out of Texas A&M.

“He's a tough assignment,” Fangio said. “He's got the size-speed-hands combination that's rare. And the quarterback (Jameis Winston) feels good throwing to him with his catch radius, and so he throws it up there.”

Notable quote:

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter knows what it usually means when a team uses the first overall pick on a quarterback, as the Bucs did last year on Jameis Winston.

Koetter was Lovie Smith's offensive coordinator in 2105 and then succeeded him after his firing.

“When a guy's the first pick in the draft, he usually goes to a team that doesn't have 21 Pro Bowlers around him — that's why he was the first pick in the draft,” Koetter said.

“There are high expectations, and nobody has higher expectations for Jameis than he has for himself. And I have very high expectations for him. If anybody can live up to those expectations, Jameis can.”

By the numbers:

Since the current playoff format was adopted in 1990, no NFL team has ever made it to the postseason after starting 2-6. … The Bears are 0-4 on the road, while the Bucs are 0-4 at home. … John Fox-coached teams are 10-4 following an off week and have won seven of their last eight after the bye. The Bears have won seven of their last 10 after the bye.

Injury report:

Wide Eddie Royal (toe), guards Kyle Long (triceps) and Josh Sitton (ankle), nose tackle Eddie Goldman (ankle), outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (knee) and cornerbacks Bryce Callahan (hamstring) and Tracy Porter (knee) were limited at practice Wednesday.

Running back Ka'Deem Carey (illness) and cornerback Deiondre' Hall (ankle) did not practice.

For the Bucs, quarterback Jameis Winston (knee) and wide receiver Mike Evans (concussion) were full participants at practice.

Running back Doug Martin (hamstring), who hasn't played since Week 2, was limited. Running back Jacquizz Rodgers (foot), the former Bear, did not practice.

He's back:

Offensive lineman Cornelius Edison, who was waived last week after appearing in one game, was signed to the practice squad. Offensive lineman Colin Kelly was waived from the practice squad.

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