This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns are on the road as they take on the Chicago Bears in Week 15. To help preview a few topics from the Bears’ perspective, we reached out to Bill Zimmerman from Windy City Gridiron and exchanged five questions with him.
Chris:
“I know the Bears had some big changes during the offseason, but what have been the top reasons for their turnaround from last year to this year?”Bill: “This answer is simple: Ben Johnson. As a fan base, we’re in love. Ben Johnson was everything
he was hyped up to be. He has set a culture that the locker room has desperately needed, the team is buying into it all, and the offense is top 10 in several different categories, which is not something we are used to in Chicago. The success that Johnson has brought in year one has put the Bears’ fan base in such a good mindset because they know the team is ahead of schedule, they are enjoying how fun this season is, and everyone has a lot of hope that we are on the cusp of something here in Chicago, where perhaps the Bears can finally have sustained success. The Bears have only had back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins once since Mike Ditka was fired in 1992.”
Chris: “What do you view as the Bears’ biggest weakness right now?”
Bill: “The pass rush. The passing game is inconsistent, the secondary can give up big plays, but the biggest issue is the pass rush, and it has been all season long. One of their starting Edges, Dayo Odeyingbo, is out for the year, and he wasn’t producing before that anyway. Grady Jarrett hasn’t made a big impact this season. Gervon Dexter doesn’t win consistently enough either. The only pass rusher the Bears have up front is Montez Sweat. Sweat is a good pass rusher; he isn’t a great pass rusher. You can expect him to affect a handful of passing plays in this game, but he certainly isn’t a game-wrecker like Myles Garrett. DC Dennis Allen relies on blitzes, largely from the secondary, to create pressure.”
Chris: “Which of the Bears’ 2025 draft picks has been the most regular contributor thus far?”
Bill: “It’s funny to say this because the Bears have had contributors from their rookie class. First round pick Colston Loveland has become a reliable target over the last few weeks, second round picks WR Luther Burden and OT Ozzy Trapilo have been positive contributors as well, but with all that being said, it’s 7th round pick RB Kyle Monangai. Over the last 8 games, Monangai has averaged 14 carries for 71 yards. That’s 5.1 yards per carry, and he’s also scored 5 touchdowns. D’Andre Swift is still the team’s primary back, but Monangai has become a great between-the-tackles runner who has given the Bears a thunder and lightning combo like Ben Johnson had in Detroit with David Montgomery and Jamhyr Gibbs. No, I am not saying they are as good as those two, just that stylistically, it’s similar.”
Chris: “Tell us about one player who Browns fans may not have heard of, but who could have an impact on this Sunday’s game.”
Bill: “Being we’ve already talked about the rookie running back, let’s move to the defensive side of the ball and discuss CB Nashon Wright. Wright was a 3rd round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, and after a few unsuccessful seasons, he spent the 2024 season on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. Coming into this year, he had started 3 career games. Jaylon Johnson has missed almost the entire season, and Wright has stepped in for him and done remarkably well this season. He’s tied for 2nd in the NFL with 5 interceptions. He also blew up the Eagles’ Tush Push in that Black Friday game, crashing down from the side and forcing a fumble from Jalen Hurts. He is a ball hawk. He isn’t the stickiest in coverage, but he does do a great job making plays at the ball. If Sanders puts a few balls in danger, Wright could absolutely come up with another interception. Tyrique Stevenson has been injured the last couple of games since Jaylon Johnson has been back, so Wright has continued to start. Stevenson may or may not play this weekend, so if he does, it’ll be interesting to see how Dennis Allen utilizes Wright, Johnson, Stevenson, and CJ Gardner-Johnson over the three CB spots.dd”
Chris: “The Browns are underdogs against the Bears on Sunday (Browns +7.5 as of this question, per FanDuel Sportsbook). Who would you pick to win the game?”
Bill: “With this game being at home, I can’t see the Bears losing this one. If they do, it’s going to be a low-scoring debacle where the Browns’ defense terrorizes the Bears’ offense, but I believe in Ben Johnson enough to believe he will find some answers for Cleveland’s defense. I think the way Ben Johnson has the Bears’ run game humming, it’s ideal for how cold it’s going to be to have some success on Sunday. I also feel like Dennis Allen should be able to throw some looks at Shedeur Sanders that will confuse him and create the opportunity for some turnovers. Because of Cleveland’s defense and the weather, I don’t think this is going to be a blowout, but the opportunity is certainly there for the Bears to win it comfortably if things go really well. But I have a hunch the Browns will hang in there. I will pick the Bears to win, but the Browns to cover. I’ll call it Bears 20, Browns 16.”
Thanks again to Bill for taking the time to answer my questions.
