Edge Trouble Could Be a Browns Issue

There's a lot of apprehension about the Bears facing Myles Garrett again after what he and the Cleveland Browns defense did to Justin Fields in his first career start during the 2021 season.

Nine sacks can leave scars.

Perhaps the apprehension should be on the other side of the field.

The Browns now have lost two starting tackles and they get to face Montez Sweat.

Massive Browns tackle Dawand Jones underwent a season-ending torn MCL in his right knee Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer Reported. Meanwhile, tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. has had season-ending surgery, although he has been out for a month because of his knee issues.

Jones, a rookie right tackle, had been the highest graded Browns tackle according to Pro Football Focus. He had been 45th out of 84 tackles in the league. That's 10 slots higher than the Bears rookie right tackle, Darnell Wright but not as high as second-year left tackle Braxton Jones (32nd).

Because the injuries were not new this week, their replacements have been getting time this year but not with a great deal of success. Geron Christian is the left tackle now and has the worst grade as a run blocker in the league. James Hudson III is the right tackle and has the worst overall grade of all tackles.

Sweat has now reached 10 sacks after his sack on Sunday, his first season with double digit sacks.

"Man, it was a goal that I've had ever since I got in the league," he said of double digits after the game. So it's definitely a big day for me."

It was the third straight game he has had at least one sack.

The trade for Sweat was initially blasted by some analysts but ultimately the Bears gave up only a second-round pick for a player who has elevated an entire defense. As a team, they have 11 sacks since his arrival for five games. Of those, all 11 came in the last four games as he has gotten to know the defensive scheme better. In their first eight games before the trade, the Bears had only 10 sacks.

Hand in hand with the sacks are the takeaways. They've produced 11 takeaways in the last three games after getting only nine in eight games before Sweat arrived.

It's the kind of impact they saw coming when they pondered the move.

"I think that's the standards of how we operate," coach Matt Eberflus said. "When you get a standard and you bring a guy in that has that talent and he plays to that standard, there's going to be more production. There's going to be more intensity.

"It's going to spread throughout the whole group. That's what we are starting to see. You play how you practice and he's been practicing his butt off and hustling in practice. His stamina is increasing and he's done a really good job with that part of it."

The Bears may need Sweat, DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green to be particularly effective because the status of defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is uncertain for the Browns game. Ngakoue, who leads the Bears with four sacks, suffered an ankle injury.

At least in protecting Fields, the Bears know they have a passer who is extremely mobile and a threat for big plays with his legs.

The Browns are protecting Joe Flacco, now revived from the NFL scrap heap on Nov. 20 for the Browns practice squad and a month from his 39th birthday. He is 49 of 89 (55%) since coming into a game Dec. 3 against the Rams in a 36-19 loss. He has five TD passes and two interceptions. Last week Flacco led a 31-27 win over Jacksonville with three TD passes (6.3 yards per attempt).

"He definitely likes showing off his arm and stepping into it and trying to deliver a deep ball and obviously they've got some receivers that can go deep," Bears safety Jaquan Brisker said. "And he gives them shots to do that, he definitely likes the deep ball."

They have to hope they have the edge rush to keep him from stepping into those throws.

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