LAKE FOREST, Ill. — This has been a week of tip-toeing through land mines at Halas Hall.

The afterglow of ending a three-game losing streak quickly vanished as it became apparent the game that everyone circled since schedules came out could possibly be big for the future of the current coaching regime.

For Marc Trestman to lose a game to Tampa Bay and coach Lovie Smith could be a major blow, especially coming after the stretch of five losses in six weeks. But the connection between the Bears and their former coach quickly became a topic to disregard among coaches and many players.

“I think we’re going to talk to our team truthfully about every aspect of this game and making sure that we go in with our eyes wide open whatever that might be,” Trestman said about the matchup against the former Bears coach.

Nevertheless, Trestman didn’t want to go into what he called a long “dissertation” on how playing the former coach might affect Bears players.

“The thing I can tell you about Lovie is that I’ve watched him for years and played against him for years and I know him as a person and I have tremendous respect for him as a person in all areas,” Trestman said. “That’s the only thing I can speak of at this point and I truly mean that.”

For veteran defensive players like Lance Briggs, it might mean much more seeing Smith on the sideline again.

“Memories,” Briggs said. “We continued the tradition of great defense throughout Lovie’s years. Now looking back, defense and special teams. It was a special time.”

Briggs, who is the only remaining active Bear on defense from the 2006 team that made it to the Super Bowl, called Smith one of Chicago’s best football coaches.

“Lovie should be remembered as one of the great coaches in Chicago,” he said. “George Halas, you have Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith comes next.”

Yet Smith was fired after a 10-6 season in 2012 by general manager Phil Emery, and now he comes into Chicago with a 2-8 Tampa Bay team a bit resilient after beating Washington 27-7 on the road. They face a Bears team that hopes it straightened out many of its problems by beating Minnesota 21-13.

“We got the win,” defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said, satisifed with a winning effort after the defense gave up 50 or more back-to-back. “We didn’t give up the big, explosive plays, which we talked about. Making them go the long, hard way, and not giving them anything cheap over the top, we did that. I thought we were physical in the game. I thought we just played together.”

Facing the Bucs carries along one other intriguing matchup for the Bears in that it pits the quarterback many thought should still be with the Bears — and maybe even starting — Josh McCown, against Jay Cutler, the quarterback many have wanted run out of town if not for the salary cap consequences.

The biggest blow McCown struck against the Bears may well have already occurred simply by leaving in free agency so he could pursue a chance to start for the Bucs. It may not have been McCown’s play that the Bears miss as much as the calming influence he seemed to exert over Cutler.

“I think they certainly had a relationship that was impactful during the course of the year,” Trestman said. “I will say that (Bears backup) Jimmy Clausen has taken on a lot of that role, and their relationship has grown as well, I think, through the course of the season.

“Their exchange, the communication — I see a lot of that going on with the growth of their relationship as well.”

McCown may have a bit of an edge in facing a Bears defense under Tucker that he saw on a regular basis last year when he ran the scout team and also in training camp.

“It’s very similar to what I saw last year, very similar to what we’ve practiced against here down here in training camp,” he said. “We understand the nuts and bolts of that defense and what they pride themselves on and all those things. For us, it’s about going out and executing.”

The bottom line to this one is Smith has a chance to deal a staggering blow to the team that fired him to pursue an offensive-minded coach they thought was more in line with modern pro football than his defense-oriented approach.

If that’s the case, Tampa Bay players haven’t seen much different from the normally stoic Smith heading into this one. It’s almost been as low-key for Tampa as it has been for most of the Bears.

“That’s part of what makes him special is his consistency to stay even-keeled and not waver from that,” McCown said. “It’s been a strong point for us when you start off the way we have to have kind of that backbone or that symbol of consistency and strength leading us out in front like that has been huge.

“So it’s been no different this week as we prepare.”

On Sunday, it’s likely there could be a much different tone.

NOTES: LB Lance Briggs was given Wednesday off practice to rest but was among those getting a veteran’s day off. Others were RB Matt Forte and DT Jeremiah Ratliff. … Among those missing practice Wednesday for medical reasons were DT Ego Ferguson (illness), WR Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), WR Brandon Marshall (ankle), LB Darryl Sharpton (hamstring) and OT Jordan Mills (rib). … WR Josh Morgan participated on a limited basis.