3 Keys to a Bears Victory Over the Browns

The (5-8) Chicago Bears head to Cleveland to take on the (8-5) Browns on Sunday. This game holds massive importance for the Bears because a win keeps their playoff hopes alive. Although that sounds insane after the Bears’ horrific start to the season it is true. As they have been playing better the past month and look to continue their momentum against the Browns.

However, in order to continue their momentum quarterback Justin Fields needs to exercise some demons against the Browns. The last time these two teams faced Fields’ finished the day 6/20 passing with one net passing yard after getting sacked nine times. The was, however, his first career start and it was obvious there was no game plan for Fields. This time around will be different since Fields has more experience.

These three keys will give the Bears the best chance to defeat the Browns on Sunday.

Slow down Myles Garrett

Photo Credit: Matt Starkey/ Cleveland Browns

The Bears' offensive line will have their hands full on Sunday, blocking star defensive end Myles Garrett. So far this season, Garrett has 13 sacks, 32 quarterback hurries and 14 quarterback knockdowns. Those are some elite numbers; however, Garrett has been playing through a shoulder injury for the past three weeks and has not recorded any sacks. Nevertheless, his presence on the field is still enough to warrant attention because if he is left one-on-one, he will still get to the quarterback.

That is why the Bears must double-team block Garrett all day. Double-teaming him can be done by chipping or by keeping the running back in the backfield to block. In this case, it would be smarter to chip Garrett with tight end Marcedes Lewis because it wouldn’t take a player out of a route. That would give Fields the maximum number of targets to throw the ball to. If the Bears don’t use Lewis to help block Garrett, they will need to have a different plan. As long as the blocking can hold Garrett off then the Bears have a chance to win the game.\

Let Justin Fields throw deep

Photo Credit: Chicago Bears

The Bears need to give Fields chances to attack the Browns deep during this game. This may sound counterintuitive after talking about Myles Garrett and his dangerous pass rush, which has led to the Browns having a dominant secondary this season. However, the Browns had to put strong safety Grant Delpit on injured reserve this week and may be missing their other starting safety, Juan Thornhill, due to a calf injury. On top of that, their best cornerback, Denzel Ward, has been a limited participant in practice this week with a shoulder injury and could be a game-time decision. All those injuries mean the Browns have a weakened secondary that is easier to attack.

The easier-to-attack secondary should allow the Bears to throw deep, playing into Fields’ strengths as a passer. Since Fields throws a pretty deep ball, giving him a few chances to throw deep against the Browns would be a smart idea. If Fields connects on the deep passes it will help build his confidence which he will need against this Browns team. Attacking the Browns with deep passes will also lighten up the box, making it easier to run the ball. That also helps with lessening Myles Garrett’s impact on the game. If the Bears successfully implement throwing deep passes into their game this week against the Browns can impact the game significantly.

Bears’ Pass Rush Pressures Quarterback Joe Flacco

Photo Credit: Chicago Bears

Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has led the Browns to two victories since becoming their starter two weeks ago. In those games, Flacco has thrown for five touchdowns and two interceptions with a 55.1% completion percentage. That's decent for a quarterback who came off his couch to play. However, at 38 years of age, Flacco is not mobile. This means any pressure he faces ends in sacks or throwaways. That's a problem for the Browns heading into this week with a backup offensive line against the Bears.

Recently, the Bears' defensive line has been better at pressuring the quarterback. However, the defense just suffered a season-ending injury to defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Losing Ngakoue hurts the Bears pass rush the rest of the season because it means there will be more of a rotation at that defensive end spot in his absence. Nonetheless, the pass rush needs to get home this week against the injured Browns' offensive line. If the pass rush can't get home, then Flacco will pick the Bears defense apart,