In Week 3, the Cleveland Browns took on the Chicago Bears with both teams coming off a win and a record of 1-1. Chicago started their prized first-round draft pick, QB Justin Fields, for his first NFL start. Despite this, Cleveland took care of business at home, dominating the Bears by a score of 26-6. Let us dive into the stars of the game, take a look at the return of star WR Odell Beckham Jr., and other key aspects for the Browns victory.

Game Details

In the win, the Browns turned in a total team effort. Starting with the offensive side of the ball, QB Baker Mayfield played solidly while under pressure the whole game, going 19/31 with 246 yards and a touchdown pass to TE Austin Hooper. He finished the game with a QBR of 105.2 and has a 74% CMP through the first three weeks of the season. Mayfield spread the wealth once again, connecting with six different pass catchers, led by Beckham Jr. and HB Kareem Hunt. Hunt led the charge on offense with 155 total yards and a rushing TD. While they did not force a turnover, the Browns defense was as dominant as you can be, sacking Fields nine times in the victory. DE Myles Garrett had 4.5 of those, a franchise record.

On the short end, the Bears had nothing going on offense. Fields had a miserable day, completing just six passes with no touchdowns. The leading receiver on the Bears was Allen Robinson, who had just two catches for 27 yards. HB David Montgomery struggled as well, carrying the rock ten times for just 34 yards and no touchdowns. On a positive note, the Bears defense looked impressive in this game. Chicago sacked Mayfield five times, led by Khalil Mack, who registered two of those in the losing effort.

The Return of OBJ

It was a long wait, but the wait finally came to an end in Week 3 of 2021. The return of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns after suffering a torn ACL in Week 7 of last season. With WR Jarvis Landry going down with an injury in Week 2, Beckham’s presence was that much more needed in this game and going forward until Landry returns. In his first game back, OBJ led the Browns in receiving yards (77) and was second in catches with five, trailing only Kareem Hunt (6). After the game, Odell spoke to the media and stated that he “never got his legs under him” and was “exhausted” at the game’s end. These are all expected after a major story, but his presence was felt on the field. Look for Beckham Jr. to build off this game and continue to work his way back to the elite receiver he was before his injury.

Browns Defense Dominates

While yes, we grazed over the easy statistics for the Browns defense, what they did in Week 3 was truly incredible. Along with the nine sacks, Myles Garrett and crew held the Browns to ONE net passing yard… that is not a typo. The Browns also held them to a 30% CMP and 3.5 YPC. Their longest play of the game was a 48-yard pass interference that should have been an interception, but a suspect call by the referees erased that. Chicago was held to 47 yards of offense, six first downs, 1-12 on third and fourth down while having the ball for just over 20 minutes of game time. It was a truly dominating performance by the Browns defense and was needed badly after a poor showing the first two weeks of the season.

Rough Day at the Fields for Chicago

The way you can describe Justin Fields first NFL start… forgettable. Fields finished with a final line of 6/20 with 68 yards and no touchdowns, while also rushing three times for 12 yards. You can blame head coach Matt Nagy, Fields, or whoever you want to blame, this was an utter embarrassment by the Bears offense and for Fields. Fortunately, but unfortunately, Fields is not alone with his struggles as a rookie. Out of the four rookie QB’s who have started a game (Lawrence, Wilson, Fields, Jones) they have a combined nine passing TDs to a whopping 17 INT’s, sporting a combined record of 1-9. It has not been easy for the rookie quarterbacks in 2021.

Looking Ahead

Heading into Week 4, the Bears will look to avenge their loss as they host their division foe, the Detroit Lions (0-3) who are looking for their first win of the season. For Cleveland, they will have a tough task, traveling to Minnesota to take on Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings (1-2), who are coming off an impressive win over the Seattle Seahawks. To add to the drama, this will be Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski’s first game back in Minnesota after holding the offensive coordinator job there from 2018-2019 before being the head coach in Cleveland.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Schedule from nfl.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

For the first time since Super Bowl LII, QB Nick Foles took on QB Tom Brady. The only difference was that both quarterbacks are now in different uniforms. Foles is now a Chicago Bear and Tom Brady is now a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Like the last matchup, Foles got the best of Brady in a hard-fought, 20-19 victory. Let us dive into how this game went down.

Game Details

With two good defenses matching up, this game was expected to be low scoring and it met expectations. Tampa Bay got out to a commanding 13-0 lead from a Mike Evans touchdown and two field goals. After the second field goal, Chicago responded with a 75-yard drive resulting in a David Montgomery rushing touchdown. With just under two minutes until halftime, Buccaneers RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn coughed up the ball, giving the Bears good field position. Chicago cashed in when Nick Foles connected with TE Jimmy Graham who made an outstanding one-handed grab for the touchdown. With a score of now 14-13, Brady led Tampa Bay down the field, but had to settle for a field goal. The teams would trade field goals once more after this, making the score 19-17. With 2:21 to go, Foles played hero ball again led Chicago down the field where, again, the Bears settled for three. The score was now 20-19 and would stay that way until the end, giving Chicago the victory to move to 4-1 while Tampa Bay falls to 3-2.

Chicago Defense Dominates

For a couple of seasons now, the Chicago Bears have been led by their defense. This year, it has been much of the same and they showed up on primetime for a big win. While only allowing 19 points, Chicago gave up just 339 total yards and forced Tampa Bay to a 4-14 third-down conversion rate. LB Khalil Mack had a huge game, sacking Brady twice while also recording a pass breakup. LB Danny Trevathan led the way with seven tackles. While only totaling three sacks, Chicago was getting pressure on the quarterback all night long, forcing Brady to make inaccurate throws and lose his rhythm. If Chicago’s defense can play like this, they will be in contention for a playoff spot, no matter how mediocre the offense plays.

The Kicking Game

In a game where the defense controls the flow of the game, kicking and special teams becomes that much more important and was a big reason in deciding the outcome tonight. After the second quarter, no touchdowns were scored, while four field goals were kicked through the uprights. The last one came from Bears K Cairo Santos, who drilled a 38-yard field goal to put the Bears ahead for good. Both kickers combined to go 6/6 for field goals and 3/3 on extra points. Santos kicked in two, while Buccaneers K Ryan Succop knocked in four. In a game where points are hard to come by, special teams can stick out like a sore thumb, and a clutch field goal was the reason why the Bears were able to come out on top, even though Tampa Bay kicked two more field goals than Chicago. Look for both kickers to continue their success in their next games.

Fourth Down?

For his entire career, QB Tom Brady has been known for his arm talent, ability to win, and most importantly, his football IQ. Tonight, Brady made an enormous error and one that cost them the game. After a fourth-down pass to Cameron Brate went incomplete, the Bears celebrated, while Brady thought he still had another down. If he knew it was fourth down, would have he made an easier throw? Went through more of his reads? Or still, sling the ball down the field and up the seam? 

“Yeah, he knew, he knew” head coach Bruce Arians stated after the game.

If he knew then, why the confusion? It was a very confusing scene, but one that ultimately cost them the game. Brady finished the game 25/41 for 253 and a touchdown, adding up to a passer rating of 86.7.

Looking Ahead

Moving on to Week 6, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) have an enormous conference-matchup, hosting the Green Bay Packers (4-0) who will be coming off a bye. As for the Bears (4-1), Chicago will be traveling to Carolina to take on Teddy Bridgewater and the Panthers (2-2), with the hopes of staying in the pace of the Packers in a fight for the NFC North division leader.

Info from profootballreference.com

Bruce Arian’s interview from nfl.com

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas

It is amazing how times can change so fast in the NFL. Just two years ago, the Chicago Bears were 12-4, NFC North Champions, and if it were not for the “double doink”, the Bears would have won at least one playoff game. Also, Mitch Trubisky had a career year in 2018, prompting many to put high expectations on him and the Bears. Some had them as Super Bowl contenders, while others had Trubisky winning MVP.

Fast forward to 2019, the Bears and Trubisky both regressed, as Chicago finished the season with a mediocre 8-8 record, missing the playoffs. This prompted the Chicago Bears to decline his fifth-year option and trade their fourth-round pick for Jaguars QB Nick Foles.

Many do not have high expectations for the Bears in 2020, but with the roster they have and a quarterback to battle Trubisky for the starting spot, the Chicago Bears may work their way back as playoff contenders. Let us look into how the Bears can get themselves back into the mix.

Defense

While most of the discussion surrounded the offenses poor play last year, the defense that was the best in the NFL in 2018 was almost just as good in 2019. Statistically, Chicago gave up 324.1 yards/game, which was 8th in the NFL. Despite not being as dominant as 2018, a defense as talented as the Bears should not miss the playoffs. For the Bears to make the playoffs, all they need is decent quarterback play, and Nick Foles may provide that if he starts. If Foles just manages the game well, the defense is talented enough to make plays to win games.

Division

This may not be directly how Foles helps the Bears get back into playoff contention, but it shows again that the Bears do not need great quarterback play to get back to the playoffs. The NFC North, for lack of a better word, is weak. The Lions are rebuilding and might fire their coach, Aaron Rodgers is not getting any younger and an underwhelming offseason may come back to bite them, and Minnesota is facing a lot of change in their offense, losing their coordinator and one of their best wide receivers. Nick Foles is more than capable of finding ways to win. That is why he won a Super Bowl two years ago, with one of those playoff wins coming against Chicago. For them to have a chance to win the division, Foles must do what he does best, not turnover the ball and play within himself. That was the problem last year with Trubisky, he got away from what he does best which caused him to struggle. 

Foles Can Help… By Not Playing

In some cases, if Nick Foles does not play, that can be a good thing for the Chicago Bears. If Foles does not get the nod and he never plays a snap, that means Trubisky is playing well and the Bears are winning. Both quarterbacks have been open to the competition, but mentally for Trubisky, the trade for Foles may be just what he needed. With the former Super Bowl champion lurking behind him, Trubisky should be extremely motivated and focused coming into the 2020 season, which is why I would not be surprised if Trubisky has a big year if given the keys to the offense. Another way Foles can help if he is not playing is his veteran presence. Foles has proven that he can be a leader as a backup, which is something that Trubisky can learn from if he is the starter. A positive influence could make a positive impact on the Bears and Trubisky, which can result in him returning to his 2018 form.

My Take

With my take, I believe the Chicago Bears are talented enough to make the playoffs and are going to be a huge sleeper going into this season. With a record of 8-8, they just need to be a little better. Two more wins is a 10-6 season and a playoff berth. If Nick Foles can play the way he played in 2018 or if a motivated Trubisky can play like he did in 2018, the Bears can be scary. All in all, this is still a team with a major question mark as the season nears.

Stats from profootballreference.com

-By: Richie Dordas