Hurricane threat means Bears will be Buccaneers’ season-opener, too

With Hurricane Irma hurtling toward Florida, the Buccaneers-Dolphins season opener in Miami was postponed Wednesday until their mutual bye week Nov. 19.

That means the Bears will play in the Buccaneers’ season opener Sept. 17 in Tampa.

Bears coach John Fox was asked whether he’d rather have Week 1 tape to study.

“It would probably be more of a factor if it affected us this week because Atlanta has two new coordinators, two out of the three phases, on offense and defense,” Fox said. “I think Tampa at least has the same coordinators.”

Of course, Florida has bigger issues than football. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee called his grandmother, who lives in his hometown of Pahokee, located on the shores of Lake Okeechobee, about 90 miles northwest of Miami.

“She ain’t scared,” he said. “She said there’s no way God gonna do . . . he might make that storm go around. So, you know, she’s in high spirits.”

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