Buccaneers hold Bears RB Jordan Howard to worst day as a starter

TAMPA, Fla. — Having posted the worst statistical game of his career, Jordan Howard left the Bears’ locker room for the second straight Sunday without speaking to the media.

He did so with a sling on his right arm; it was unclear whether it was simply to support the shoulder that he injured while diving into the end zone in Week 1.

Howard, who dropped a potential game-winning pass in Week 1, finished Sunday with seven yards on nine rushes and one dropped pass. Asked whether the shoulder affected Howard’s play, Bears coach John Fox said he wasn’t sure — but didn’t sound particularly sympathetic, either.

“I can’t really say that yet until I talk to the player,” Fox said. “I’m sure a lot of the guys out there were dealing with a lot.”

Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith focused on stopping Howard after he ran 15 times for 100 yards in Tampa last year. He bottled up Tarik Cohen, too; the rookie had seven carries for 13 yards.

“Twenty yards rushing, four turnovers in the first half,” Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said. “You’re going to win a lot of games if you can do that every week.”

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