Bear Digest

The key matchups suggesting Bears could struggle against Browns

Myles Garrett is not the only issue for the Bears as they try to get back on track following last week's loss at Green Bay.
Gene Chamberlain|
Carson Schwesinger and Devin Bush, at linebacker, can make running on the Browns almost as tough as passing on them.
Carson Schwesinger and Devin Bush, at linebacker, can make running on the Browns almost as tough as passing on them. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

A change came over the Cleveland Browns offense when Shedeur Sanders took over at quarterback.

An attack mired in 5-yard passes and three-and-outs now is getting the quick strike they lacked before. It presents a serious challenge to Dennis Allen's Bears defense after Green Bay was able to easily move the ball for big strikes and touchdowns last week.

"Just through film of watching other teams, I feel like he's a very solid quarterback and who's got a lot of potential,” Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson said.

Sanders was inexplicably left on the sidelines last week for the two-point conversion attempt using a wildcat formation, or Cleveland might have one more win.

“I think he's doing a great job as a rookie. He was able to sit in and soak in that offense over the course of the spring and the summer and early in the season," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "You can tell that that's probably benefited him to a degree, because now he's able to go out there and let it loose.

”He does a great job of extending the play and  creating on his own as well."

Cleveland's offense has 16 pass plays 25 yards or longer in 13 games and Sanders is responsible for 10 of them even though he has played only the last 3 1/2 games.

"So last three weeks, you kind of feel a little bit of a spark there on offense with Shedeur out there,” Johnson said.

There are matchups Sanders can exploit, just as there are problems on the opposite side of the football for the Bears, including one major issue.

Here are the matchups for the Bears to worry about against Cleveland.

T Ozzy Trapilo vs. DE Myles Garrett

In this case, substitute any Bears offensive lineman with the possible exception of Joe Thuney and there can be problems blocking. Trapilo has done a solid job as rookie tackles go, ranking 36th overall on the list of 82 Pro Football Focus has evaluated. He's 45th as a pass blocker and hasn't allowed any sacks. The Bears will, no doubt, try to get him help going against the best pass rusher in the NFL. Garrett has three forced fumbles and 64 pressures besides the 20 sacks he's made. He is PFF's highest graded pass rusher and No. 3 edge rusher against the run out of 112 graded. Trapilo has been building up to this by facing Micah Parsons and several other top pass rushers, but this is the supreme test.

CB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson vs. TE Harold Fannin Jr.

The Bears are not going to be able to play as much man-to-man and blitz as in other games because Sanders' scrambling could torch them. He's also good at throwing against man-to-man coverage. Instead, their slot cornerback is going to draw a lot of the coverage responsibility for Fannin because of where he lines up in the Browns offense. With 59 catches, Fannin is one reception behind Tyler Warren of the Colts for most catches by any rookie, wide receiver or tight end.

LB T.J. Edwards vs. RB Quinshon Judkins

Judkins leads all rookies in rushing yards and it isn't close. Despite running behind a faltering offensive line all year, Judkins has used a quick burst and good strength to gain 784 yards on 210 attempts with seven rushing touchdowns. He's 119 yards ahead of Ashton Jeanty and 136 ahead of the Bears' Kyle Monangai among rookie running backs. In other years, Edwards has been a problem but his run stopping ranks only middle of the pack according to PFF. The Bears already had extreme difficulty stopping Jeanty and now they face someone outperforming the highly touted Bears rookie. Edwards has had injury issues with his hamstring off and on throughout the year.

TE Colston Loveland vs. LB Devin Bush

When Bush is allowed to play in zone coverage, the shorter areas are locked down.

The former Steelers and Seahawks linebacker might be enjoying his best all-around year. Bush is ranked fourth in the league among linebackers, according to PFF. They have him 12th against the run and third against the pass from 88 defensive players.

Loveland has been getting open more often and has made great strides, but Bush makes this more difficult unless they somehow find time to get Loveland downfield.

RB Kyle Monangai vs. LB Carson Schwesinger

The Browns' rookie has excelled at a position difficult for young players to handle. He is graded 23rd among 88 linebackers and seventh among all linebackers at tackling by PFF. They rate him 19th among 88 defending the run with a physical but heady style of play. The Browns are the toughest team to gain rushing yards against running up the middle according to NFLGSIS, at 2.0 yards a rush. Schwesinger and Browns linebackers are key reasons. Monangai (3.0) and D'Andre Swift (3.1) rank in the top eight for yards gained before contact, but neither is above the league average for yards after contact (1.9), per Stathead/Pro Football Reference. They could find yards before contact harder to find against a front with these linebackers and Garrett.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.