The Browns struggled to generate offensive pressure against a stout Bears' defense, scoring three points and turning the ball over three times.
Cleveland fell to Chicago 31-3 on Dec. 14 at Soldier Field as the Browns dropped their 11th game this season.
QB Shedeur Sanders threw for 177 yards, including 42- and 47-yard passes to WR Isaiah Bond. TE Harold Fannin Jr. added 48 yards on seven catches while WR Jerry Jeudy caught two passes for 22 yards. Sanders led the Browns with 24 rushing yards while RB Quinshon Judkins gained 21 rushing yards on 11 carries.
The Browns' defense allowed 31 points for the second consecutive week, including 14 each in the first and third quarter. LB Carson Schwesinger led the defense in tackles with 14 total tackles, while LB Mohamoud Diabate had eight total tackles and S Ronnie Hickman added seven total tackles. DE Myles Garrett tallied 1.5 sacks and DE Alex Wright picked up a sack, bringing him to four this season. DT Shelby Harris added half a sack.
Key Moments
Myles Garrett records 1.5 sacks to bring his season total to 21.5 sacks
With the Bears at the Browns' 8-yard line on third-and-goal, Garrett sprinted past Bears OL Ozzy Trapilo and sacked QB Caleb Williams as he tried to escape through the pocket. Garrett ended Chicago's chances of taking a 21-0 lead with his 21st sack of the season. Bears K Cairo Santos missed the 35-yard field goal on fourth down, clanging the ball off the right upright and keeping the Bears' lead at 14-0.
Garrett notched a half sack and his 21.5 this season in the fourth quarter, combining with Harris for the sack. On third-and-15, Garrett ran past Trapilo again and met Harris as the pair sandwiched and sacked Williams to the ground for a loss of eight yards. The sack moved the Bears from the Cleveland 46-yard line to their own 46-yard line and forced their fourth punt of the game.
The game was Garrett's sixth multi-sack game this season and puts him a sack away from tying the NFL single-season sack record of 22.5 with three games remaining in the season. He added four total tackles and three quarterback hits in the loss.
Bears turn Browns' interceptions into points
The Browns received the ball back with 8:53 left in the third quarter and a chance to narrow the Bears' lead to one possession, but it was cut short by Chicago's defense. Sanders threw a pass over the middle but Bears LB D'Marco Jackson tipped the ball into the air and made the interception. Jackson was taken down at the Cleveland 22-yard line. A play later, Williams rolled out to the right and fired a pass past two Browns defenders to WR DJ Moore for a touchdown, giving the Bears a 21-3 lead in the third quarter.
On Cleveland's next offensive possession, Sanders threw his second interception. CB Jaylon Johnson picked off a pass that fell through Jeudy's arms in the end zone, setting the Bears up at their own 20-yard line. Chicago moved down the field with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that was finished by a 17-yard touchdown run by RB D'Andre Swift.
With 9:10 remaining in the fourth quarter, Sanders tried to loft a pass to Fannin but Bears S C.J. Gardner-Johnson leapt up to make the interception. He returned the turnover for a gain of 32 yards to the Cleveland 22-yard line. The Browns' defense forced Chicago to lose a yard combined on the next three plays and Santos made a 41-yard field goal to give Chicago a 31-3 lead.
Bears score on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter
The Bears' offense was stopped for a three-and-out on their first possession of the game but found the end zone on their second and third possessions to take an early lead.
Swift ran for 21 yards on four carries, including a 10-yard run to put Chicago in the red zone on the Bears' first scoring drive of the afternoon. He recorded his first rushing touchdown of the game with a 6-yard run to put the Bears up 7-0 with 7:35 left in the first quarter.
The Bears' second scoring drive of the game was aided by two consecutive long gains on pass plays by Williams. TE Colston Loveland gained 24 yards and moved the Bears past midfield to the Cleveland 48-yard line. Williams and WR Luther Burden connected for 40 yards, putting the Bears in the red zone. Three plays later, Williams found Moore in the back of the end zone and giving the Bears a 14-0 lead.
Game Highlights
Shedeur Sanders fires a deep pass to Isaiah Bond for a 42-yard gain.
Myles Garrett sacks Caleb Williams on third down for his 21st sack of the season.
Alex Wright records his fourth sack of the season, forcing a Chicago turnover on downs.
Andre Szmyt makes a 50-yard field goal to put the Browns on the board.
Shedeur Sanders fights off a sack and connects with Harold Fannin Jr. for a first down.
Shedeur Sanders finds Isaiah Bond down the field again, this time for a 47-yard gain.
Scoring Plays
CHI 7, CLE 0 | D'Andre Swift 6-yard run | 7:35 1Q
CHI 14, CLE 0 | DJ Moore 3-yard pass from Caleb Williams | 1:29 1Q
CHI 14, CLE 3 | Andre Szmyt makes 50-yard field goal | 10:03 3Q
CHI 21, CLE 3 | DJ Moore 22-yard pass from Caleb Williams | 8:39 3Q
CHI 28, CLE 3 | D'Andre Swift 17-yard run | 0:46 3Q
CHI 31, CLE 3 | Cairo Santos makes 41-yard field goal | 7:30 4Q
What's Next
The Browns return home in Week 16 as they host the Bills on Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. as the first of two consecutive home games at Huntington Bank Field.
