A victory over the Packers — and the game ball from his players — are about all Brown is expected to get out of his five-game stint as interim head coach. But he feels confident about his contribution under difficult circumstances.

Mario Ferraro produced a fight and the game-winning goal, Marc-Edouard Vlasic notched a point in his season debut and the San Jose Sharks broke an eight-game losing streak by edging the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on Thursday.

During the Bears pregame show on ESPN 1000, general manager Ryan Poles said interim head coach Thomas Brown will be given a formal interview for the Bears' head coach opening. “