Bears @ Browns
Final Score: Browns 20, Bears 17
Writer: Mike Miklius (SIRL0INofBEEF on Twitter)
A wise Bears beat reporter once said, “It’s amazing they keep doing this. Every week you think ‘I can’t believe they lost like that. I’ve never seen a team lose in this way.’ and they keep doing it again and again. They keep inventing new ways to lose.” Man does this ring true today. Chicago and Cleveland were locked in a defensive struggle early with neither team scoring in the first quarter. Chicago capitalized on a Joe Flacco interception to make it 7-0 and the Browns answered with a touchdown drive of their own for the 7-7 halftime score. The Bears picked off Flacco two more times in the third quarter, returning one for a score and a 17-7 lead heading into the fourth. So how did Chicago fall apart? Well, Cleveland scored a field goal to start the half. Three punts later, and Cleveland found the endzone–tying the game at 17. Another Bears punt was followed by a Cleveland field goal and the 20-17 lead. Justin Fields threw a Hail Mary as time expired, hitting an uncovered Darnell Mooney on both hands in the endzone. He bumbled it away, kicked it, and saw it intercepted for the loss.
Three Up
- Joe Flacco – Joe Flacco played a mostly ugly game, but he ended with 374 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as well as the win.
- Defense – Both defenses were excellent. Both squads gave their opponents fits and both should be trusted heading into the fantasy playoffs.
- David Njoku – David Njoku was everywhere today. He was catching balls left and right and felt like the engine of the Browns’ offense
Three Down
- Robert Tonyan – Robert Tonyan saw a deep shot, he had a step on his defender, and the ball hit him perfectly on the hands. He dropped it
- Darnell Mooney – Darnell Mooney saw a deep shot, he had a step on his defender, and the ball hit him perfectly on the hands. He dropped it. Okay, this wasn’t literally the same play. He was laying pon the ground, but again wide open and cost his team a vital score.
- Bears regime – The Bears were riding a hot streak and Coach Matt Eberflus, OC Luke Getsy, and QB Justin Fields were hoping they saved their jobs. Instead, we are left scratching our heads and wondering what comes next.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Justin Fields: 19/40, 166 Yards, TD, 2 INT | 7 Carries, 30 Yards
Justin Fields played decently against a strong defense. Sure, the completion percentage is ugly. His weapons didn’t help him though. Fields hit Robert Tonyan deep for an easy touchdown, but Tonyan dropped the ball. He had a step or two on his defender and just blew it. I can’t explain it. Fields also hit Darnell Mooney late on a crazy Hail Mary. Mooney was lying on the ground and the ball perfectly found his hands. He kicked the ball away into an interception. Honestly, It looked like it was going to go down as the greatest catch in Bears history but instead goes down as a pick. Both of Fields’ interceptions came on the pre-half and game-ending Hail Mary plays.
Fields still looks a step late in his decision-making and still looks hesitant to throw to NFL-open weapons–as we hear announcers remind us weekly. This loss might have also sealed the fate of everyone in Chicago. The playoff dream is all but dead.
Missed Opportunities
- A deep shot to a wide-open Robert Tonyan that should have been a touchdown was instead dropped.
- A game-ending Hail Mary was dropped by Darnell Mooney and instead became an interception
Running Back
Roschon Johnson: 5 Carries, 36 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 24 Yards
Roschon Johnson ran well today but did a lot of his damage on third-and-long plays. I recall at least four targets on third-and-long. That being said, Roschon is a smooth pass-catcher and should see a larger role next season. All this work–while padding his stats a bit–isn’t an accident. I still like his back-mate more as a runner, but Roschon draws lots of praise in pass protection and is clearly the best pass-catcher in Chicago’s backfield.
Khalil Herbert: 6 Carries, 8 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Khalil Herbert was a complete non-factor today. I don’t remember any stand-out play as you could probably guess from this statline. He has been a complete blank since returning from injury and it’s hard to trust him in any way. Herbert cannot be relied on, though I would change my opinion quickly if we saw even one healthy contest. Until then, I’m out.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DJ Moore: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 52 Yards
DJ Moore saw a deep ball to start the game and I loved the play. They caught Cleveland off guard but it was underthrown and fell harmlessly despite Moore having a step on his defender. Other than that, Moore made some nice catches on a quiet day. I’ve said this before, but it’s hard for anyone to have a big day when the team has 166 passing yards.
Cole Kmet: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 23 Yards, TD
Cole Kmet’s touchdown came on a Justin Fields scramble play. He left the pocket, ran to his left, and found Kmet with a great throw. Kmet was also locked in on the catch. Watching Kmet, I feel like he is simultaneously almost elite but also, as a friend put it, looks like a newborn baby trying to do things on the field. He makes a great catch and then blows a big block or falls offside on a touchdown-scoring play. I like Kmet, but I’m starting to accept him for what he is: good, but not great.
Darnell Mooney: 8 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Darnell Mooney dropped the game-winning Hail Mary…that’s all I need to say here. He was knocked to the ground, and by some miracle, the ball came right to his hands. He botched it, kicked the ball, and saw it intercepted. Mooney, in the span of a second, went from hero to scapegoat. That’s the way the ball bounces sometimes.
Robert Tonyan: 1 Target
Robert Tonyan had one target–a deep shot right on his hands. He dropped it and cost the Bears a long touchdown. He never saw another look.
Velus Jones Jr.: 2 Carries, 23 Yards
Tyler Scott: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 49 Yards | 1 Carry
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback
Joe Flacco: 28/44, 374 Yards, 2 TD, 3 INT | 1 Carry, -1 Yards
Joe Flacco had a mostly ugly game, but he gets the win and a pair of touchdowns to smooth out the bumps. His first pick was a deep shot stolen by a Bears safety. The second was the pick-six by a linebacker; the ball bounced off his receiver’s hands and right to the defender. The last one was a deep shot intended for David Njoku. His first touchdown came from two yards out and his second tied the game late; it was a 51-yard sideline shot to Amari Cooper. Joe Flacco is okay, but not great. A good offense would have left him in the dust today. Still, it was enough today.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson: 1/1, 5 Yards | 0 Carries, 0 Yards
Running Back
Jerome Ford: 8 Carries, 20 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 11 Yards
Like with Chicago, there wasn’t much to be had in this backfield either. Jerome Ford took the ball six yards on his first carry and had a nice nine-yard gain on the team’s second drive. That was about it. This is what happens when two excellent defenses–paired with mediocre offenses–match up.
Kareem Hunt: 7 Carries, 8 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
What can be said about a 7-carry, 8-yard day? Like Ford, Kareem Hunt was bottled up and didn’t have the workload to get going. That’s all I can say here, and hope the ground game gets going more next week.
Pierre Strong Jr.: 2 Carries, 2 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amari Cooper: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 109 Yards, TD
Amari Cooper made his day on two plays: a 42-yard shot and his 51-yard touchdown. The touchdown was thrown into a tight window. A defender was trying to jump the pass, another waited just ahead, and a third was close by. Cooper caught the ball, outran the first guy, dodged the second, and danced down the sideline for the score.
David Njoku: 14 Targets, 10 Receptions, 104 Yards, TD
David Njoku had a pair of longer catches–31 and 34 yards–but otherwise had to work for every yard. I kept seeing him catch more short balls, trying to keep things moving. His touchdown came from two yards out. Njoku is an important weapon for the Browns and one I imagine Flacco will continue to lean on moving forward into the playoffs.
Marquise Goodwin: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 57 Yards
Cedric Tillman: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 52 Yards
Elijah Moore: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Jordan Akins: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Harrison Bryant: 1 Target