Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- The Bears appear to be peaking late in the season as they have won three of their last four games.
- The Browns have won games with four different starting quarterbacks this season, which feels like it has to be some sort of record.
- Cleveland has retooled their offense with Joe Flacco under center, shifting from an incredibly run-heavy unit to a team that has attempted 89 passes in the last two weeks.
- Both of these teams rank near the bottom of the league in pass rate over expectation (PROE) but have been airing it out more recently.
- The Browns have the league’s #1 ranked defense but are battling a lot of injuries right now and have given up 63 points in the last two weeks.
How Chicago Will Try To Win ::
The Bears emerged from their Week 13 bye and were aggressive and efficient in their victory over the Lions, as they held Detroit scoreless in the second half en route to a 28-13 victory. Chicago’s defense has emerged as a strong point lately and has improved significantly since acquiring Montez Sweat at the trade deadline. Last week, the Bears also threw at a pass rate above their expected rate and found success. Their offense is starting to click as Justin Fields has found a groove late in the season once again. The Bears have also started calling more designed runs for Fields since his return from injury, which opens them up to more potentially explosive plays and opens running lanes for the running backs, and holds linebackers on play-action concepts. All things considered, the Bears are a much more formidable team at this point in the season than their 5-8 record would indicate as they have won three of their last four games with the lone loss coming to the Lions in Week 11, a game in which Chicago held a 12-point lead with 4:15 remaining.
Fields’ primary pass catching targets are DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, with Moore operating as one of the top receivers in the league with Fields under center. Last week, the Bears gave Moore some extra usage in the running game in a Deebo Samuel-type role as they experimented with new ways to get the ball in the hands of their best player. The Browns play man coverage at the highest rate in the league and will give Moore some chances to make plays down the field. It will be important to watch the status of many key Browns defensive players, as Cleveland’s injury report is littered with difference making players from their secondary and pass rush. While the Bears offensive game plan will certainly center around the talents of Fields and Moore, their backfield will not be ignored completely. We should expect three backs to be involved, which limits the expectations for each of them individually, but Chicago should be able to move the ball a bit and sustain drives on the ground to an extent because of the lanes that Fields and the Bears scheme open up. Ultimately, the Bears offense may come crashing down to earth if the Browns defense is reasonably healthy, but there is some potential for a big offensive showing if things break a certain way later in the week. Cleveland has surrendered 92 points over the last three weeks and gave up 31 to the Ravens and 38 to the Colts earlier this season.
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