Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett, left, assists Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields to his feet after he was sacked during a 2021 same. Fields is hoping this visit to Cleveland goes better than his previous one. Chicago’s quarterback was sacked nine times in his first start against the Browns in 2021. Fields has endured major criticism this season, but he’s played better of late, and the Bears have won three of four. The Browns are in the thick of the AFC playoff race despite a tidal wave of injuries to key players.
David Richard | AP
CLEVELAND — Two years ago, Justin Fields made his NFL start on the road. It was far more miserable than memorable.
Blame Myles Garrett.
Chicago’s quarterback remembers nearly everything about his first game with the Bears in 2021 — the excitement, playing again in Ohio, the bruises.
“And then of course getting sacked, too,” said Fields, who was sacked nine times — 4 1/2 by Garrett — and hit 15 times as the Bears were roughed up by the Browns 26-6. “Hopefully we can change that going back this weekend.”
On Sunday, Fields and the improving Bears (5-8) will visit Cleveland for a matchup against the Browns (8-5), who have been hammered by injuries and are leaning on veteran QB Joe Flacco to get them to the playoffs for just the second time since 2002.
Fields intends to stay upright more than he did in his first game against the Browns, and that will require his linemen, probably a tight end and maybe a running back or two keeping him safe from Garrett, a chore that’s easier said than done.
“He’s the best defensive player on the field, so you’ve got to know where he is at all times,” Fields said. “Every play.”
Garrett, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, has been stuck on 13 sacks for three games. He left the field fuming last week after being blanked by the Jacksonville Jaguars, whom he felt got some favorable calls from the officials.
Afterward, Garrett called the officiating “a travesty,” and said the excessive grabbing and whatever else the Jags were doing left his shoulder looking like he’d been “scratched by a couple of wild feral cats.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he understood Garrett’s irritation at the lack of penalties and that he’s not worried about the All-Pro’s comments backfiring on him.
“He has respect for this game,” Stefanski said. “He’s frustrated. It’s something I talk to the officials about every week leading up to the game — is keeping an eye on the guys that are blocking him. It really comes with being a great player.
“We want the other teams to play within the rules, obviously, but it hasn’t slowed him down. He continues to play at a very high level.”
The Bears have witnessed Garrett at his pass-rushing best, and know they’ve got to do everything possible to protect Fields.
They don’t feel the officials are helping them in that department, either.
Chicago has been incensed that Fields, who often leaves the pocket on runs, has taken head-high hits that haven’t been penalized. On his first run last week, Fields took a shot while sliding from Detroit’s Jack Campbell, who was not flagged.
Nothing new there, according to the Bears.
“If it was us, they’d be throwing it,” Chicago safety Jaquan Brisker said. “There wouldn’t even be a reaction. They would just throw it. They should just treat him fair. He’s a quarterback. Now I know he’s 230 (pounds) and he’s running a 4.3 (second 40-yard dash) or so, but it doesn’t really matter.
“He’s still a quarterback and we have to protect him.”
Bruised browns
The Browns keep limping along.
They lost five more key players to significant injuries this week. Offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones were ruled out with knee injuries, safety Grant Delpit went on injured reserve with a groin injury and defensive linemen Maurice Hurst and Ogbo Okoronkwo suffered pectoral injuries.
As of Thursday, only Okoronkwo, who has 4 1/2 sacks, had a possibility of returning in the last four games.
The team hasn’t used excuses and won’t start.
“The game doesn’t care,” defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. “Obviously, the opponents don’t care, but the game is Sunday for 60 minutes and it doesn’t care if you’re playing rookies. It doesn’t care if you have injuries. It doesn’t care if you’re at full strength. And that’s our focus.”
Better Bears
Chicago comes in with back-to-back victories for the first time since 2021, when the Bears beat Seattle and the New York Giants in Weeks 16 and 17.
With a win over Cleveland, they would match their longest streak since a three-game run late in 2020.
“You’ve got to stay steady and you’ve got to have a foundation for what you believe,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “That’s just what we brought here to Chicago. It’s about staying right there in the moment, and stay present where your feet are. We’ve got to continue to do that.”
Sweat-ing sacks
Though the Bears have the second-lowest sack total in the NFL with 21, they’ve been getting to the quarterback in recent weeks.
Credit the change to edge rusher Montez Sweat, who has 3 1/2 sacks in five games since being acquired from Washington in a trade. Chicago has 11 sacks since his arrival.
“A lot of guys are looking at him when he gets to the field,” said defensive tackle Justin Jones, who had 1 1/2 sacks last week. “The whole offense is looking to see where he’s at so it opens up a lot of opportunity for everybody else to go out there and make a lot of plays.
“Outside of his play, he’s a real leader, a vocal leader and he’s pulling the young guys along.”
Chicago’s defensive front took a major blow this week as defensive end Yannick Ngakoue — the team’s sack leader with four — was lost for the rest of the season with a broken ankle suffered in last week’s game.
CHICAGO (5-8) at CLEVELAND (8-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox
BETTING LINE: Browns by 3 1/2 according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Bears 6-5-2; Browns 7-5-1.
SERIES RECORD: Browns lead 10-7.
LAST MEETING: Browns beat Bears 26-6 on Sept. 26, 2021, in Cleveland.
LAST WEEK: Bears beat Lions 28-13; Browns beat Jaguars 31-27.
BEARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (4), PASS (26), SCORING (20).
BEARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (12), RUSH (2), PASS (23), SCORING (T-23).
BROWNS OFFENSE: OVERALL (19), RUSH (7), PASS (23), SCORING (12).
BROWNS DEFENSE: OVERALL (1), RUSH (11), PASS (1), SCORING (14).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Bears minus-1; Browns minus-7.
BEARS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Justin Fields. With an uncertain future in Chicago, Fields has been showing progress as a passer after a slow start. He has a 104.5 rating in his past six games while throwing for 1,284 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. Against Detroit, his third game back from a dislocated right thumb, he threw for a TD and ran for another. Fields returns to the site of his first NFL start. As a rookie in 2021, the former Ohio State star got sacked nine times while completing 6 of 20 passes for 68 yards.
BROWNS PLAYER TO WATCH: DE Myles Garrett. He set a franchise record with 4 1/2 sacks the previous time he faced Fields and the Bears. The All-Pro has been stuck on 13 sacks for three weeks, and after being blanked last week Garrett was highly critical of the officiating as he felt the Jaguars got away with holding — and more. Garrett’s been dealing with a shoulder injury.
KEY MATCHUP: Bears WR DJ Moore vs. Cleveland’s secondary. Moore is Chicago’s top playmaker (76 catches, seven TDs) and will require extra attention from the Browns, who are expected to have top cornerback Denzel Ward after he missed three games with a shoulder injury.
KEY INJURIES: Bears DE Yannick Ngakoue broke an ankle late in last week’s game and will miss the remainder of the season. … Moore (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday. … The Browns had another rough week on the injury front, losing starting offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee) and Dawand Jones (knee), S Grant Delpit (groin) , DT Maurice Hurst (pectoral) and DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral) with season-ending injuries. … RBs Jerome Ford (wrist) and Kareem Hunt (groin) were both limited in practice. … Browns DT Jordan Elliott (concussion) could hurt last week.
SERIES NOTES: Two of the league’s most storied franchises first met in 1951. But despite their rich histories and proximity, Chicago and Cleveland are meeting for just the 18th time. … Browns are 8-2 at home against the Bears.
STATS AND STUFF: Chicago has won three of four and earned back-to-back victories for the first time since 2021. The Bears will try to match their best run since a three-game streak late in 2020. … Chicago had an extra point blocked and a 2-point conversion pass fail last week. … The Bears have 11 sacks in the past five games, giving them 21 this season. … DE Montez Sweat has given the pass rush a big boost with 3 1/2 sacks in five games since a trade from Washington. He got his career-high 10th sack last week. … CB Jaylon Johnson had an interception in his second straight game last week. That gave him four on the season — all in this past seven games, after getting one in his first 43. … Entering Week 15, Moore ranks seventh in yards receiving (1,071) and is tied for sixth in touchdown catches (seven). … S Jaquan Brisker had a career-high 17 tackles last week. … Bears coach Matt Eberflus was an assistant with the Browns in 2009-10. … Despite the inordinate number of key injures, the Browns enter as the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. Cleveland is trying to make the postseason for just the second time since 2002. … The Browns are 6-1 at home, outscoring opponents 141-60 in the six wins. … The Browns are 22-10 at home under coach Kevin Stefanski since 2020. … Cleveland is just the seventh team in the Super Bowl era to have four different quarterbacks start and win games in the same season. … In his home debut, QB Joe Flacco passed for 311 yards last week. Flacco, who played 11 seasons in Baltimore and signed with the Browns on Nov. 20, is 10-2 as a starter in Cleveland. … TE David Njoku had his first two-TD game last week. He’s already reached his career high in receptions (59). and needs 40 yards to set high in yards (639). … P Corey Bojorquez is averaging 51.5 yards per kick. He switched the field in a key moment last week with a 72-yarder. … K Dustin Hopkins is 8 of 8 on FGs beyond 50 yards. His 31 makes overall are a club single-season record.
FANTASY TIP: With Garrett bearing down on him, Fields will want to get rid of the ball quickly and that could mean big things for TE Cole Kmet, who has 61 catches and five TDs. Cleveland’s linebackers have had issues with tight ends. Jacksonville’s Evan Engram had 11 catches for 95 yards and two TDs last week.
