If trap games are real, then this is certainly one for the Chicago Bears.
Sandwiched between two pivotal games against the Green Bay Packers sits a meeting with the 3-10 Cleveland Browns.
If the Bears want to be taken seriously as a playoff team, and not as the “same old Bears,” then taking down an inferior team at home is a no-brainer.
The Bears are still in the process of distancing themselves from the Browns. Yes, it wasn’t long ago that Chicago and Cleveland were unfortunately closer together in terms
of football success. But it shows what a couple of great hires and hitting on a high draft pick can do.
I apologize to any Cleveland fans reading this. I don’t mean to offend. But for the first time in a very long time, Chicago has its sights on a brighter future with the possibility of sustained success that hasn’t been seen since the 1980s.
But maybe Cleveland is turning that corner, too? Shedeur Sanders has improved in each of his starts. Myles Garrett is on an absolute historic tear, ruining opposing QBs.
Don’t fall for this trap, because this 3-win Cleveland team is no easy out.
Cleveland Browns
SB Nation site: Dawgs by Nature
Record: 3-10, last in the AFC North
Last week: 31-29 loss to the Tennessee Titans
Game day, time, TV: Sunday, noon CT, FOX
Spread: Bears -7.5
Bears all-time record against: 7-11
Historical meetings: Week 15, 2013. The Bears went to Cleveland at 7-6.
Jay Cutler played poorly in the first half, Tashaun Gipson returned a Cutler interception 44 yards for a touchdown.
Just after halftime, Zachary Bowman picked off Jason Campbell for a touchdown, giving Chicago a 17-10 lead.
But the Browns scored twice more in the quarter, with a 2-yard run by Edwin Baker, and then T.J. Ward recovered a Martellus Bennett fumble and returned it for a 51-yard score.
Chicago went off for 21 points in the fourth, though. Cutler hit Alshon Jeffery for a 45-yard score, then Earl Bennett for a four-yard score and finally, Michael Bush ripped off a 40-yard score.
With less than one minute remaining, Jason Campbell hit Josh Gordon for a 43-yard touchdown but the Bears recovered the onside kick attempt and won 38-31.
Last meeting: Week 15, 2023.
The Bears traveled to Cleveland and took a lead on a Cole Kmet touchdown and a Tremaine Edmunds 45-yard pick six.
In the third quarter, Cairo Santos added a field goal to give Chicago a 17-7 lead.
Then the wheels came off.
Joe Flacco led three scoring drives, one Dustin Hopkins kicks, a 51-yard score to Amari Cooper and finally, with just under 2 minutes, he led a 63-yard drive that ended with the game-winning kick with 32 seconds left.
Browns 20, Bears 17.
Injury report: The Browns had a very lengthy injury report Wednesday with 16 players listed.
Limited
- TE Brenden Bates (ankle
- CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder)
- WR Malachi Corley (concussion)
- S Rayshawn Jenkins (glute)
- LB Carson Schwesinger (ankle)
- QB Deshaun Watson (Achilles)
Did not participate
- G Joel Bitonio (knee/back)
- T Jack Conklin (concussion)
- S Grant Delpit (illness/groin)
- DT Mason Graham (rib)
- DT Adin Huntington (quad)
- RB Dylan Sampson (calf/hand)
- TE David Njoku (knee)
- G Wyatt Teller (calf)
- WR Cedric Tillman (concussion/rib)
- CB Denzel Ward (calf)
Offense: The Browns offense comes into the game ranked 29th in points and 30th in yards.
Their passing offense ranks 29th and their rushing offense ranks 27th.
The Browns are letting rookie Shedeur Sanders (52.4 cmp. pct./769 yds./5 TD/3 INT) get a shot down the stretch of the season. He’s improving each week and is coming off a 364-yard three-touchdown performance.
The top targets for the Browns in the passing game are TE Harold Fannin (59 rec./619 yds./4 TD), WR Jerry Jeudy (38/497/2 TD), David Njoku (33/293/2), RBs Dylan Sampson (28/259/2), Jerome Ford (26/103/0) and Quinshon Judkins (18/146/0). Finally, WR Cedric Tillman (18/197/2) has been good when he’s on the field, too.
In the ground game, Judkins (210 att./784 yds./7 TD) leads with Sampson (44/116/0) and Ford (24/73/0) helping.
Defense: The Cleveland defense ranks second in yards allowed and 17th in points allowed.
Their passing defense ranks first and their rushing defense ranks 13th.
The face of the defense is, of course, Myles Garrett (20 sk/31 TFL/32 QB hits/3 FF/1 PD). He leads the league in both sacks and TFL.
Other playmakers include LB Carson Schwesinger (119 tkl/10 TFL/6 QB hits/1.5 sk/2 INT), LB Devin Bush Jr. (91 tkl/2 INT/6 TFL/1 FF), S Grant Delpit (64 tkls/2 TFL/4 QB hits/1 sk/1 INT/4 PD) and Ronnie Hickman (80 tkl/2 INT/4 PD/1 TFL), and CBs Tyson Campbell (1 INT/10 PD/1 FF) and Denzel Ward (1 INT/8 PD).
Key match-ups: Pretty easy to start with Myles Garrett vs. the offensive line. Garrett is the best pass-rusher in the league right now and certainly up there with Maxx Crosby as one of the single biggest game-wreckers Chicago has faced this season.
The Browns have a stout passing defense, so Caleb will have to take care of the football and play on time. Using the run to neutralize Garrett will go a long way for the offense.
Shedeur can get outside the pocket and scramble (he has 8 rushes for 50 yards and a TD). But he can be reckless with the football. Dennis Allen will have to dial up pressure at key moments and try to keep the rookie guessing as to who is coming and who is dropping.
Key stats
- Shedeur Sanders has more 300-yard games this season than Caleb Williams
- Collectively, the three QBs that have started for Cleveland this year are completing their passes at a slightly lower rate than Williams (57.4 for Flacco, Gabriel and Sanders combined – 57.9 for Williams)
- The Browns allowed 10 or fewer points in their three wins this season
- Cleveland has scored 20 or more points four times this season, but twice in the past three games since turning to Sanders
- The Browns have not won in Chicago since 1969
Are you worried about this trap spot? What can the Bears do to make sure they get the win on Sunday?
