Browns: 3 things Cleveland has to do to de-claw the Bears

The Browns have the Bears on Sunday.

The Browns are heading to Chicago for a showdown with the Bears. It’s a matchup of 1-1 teams and an early test for the team on both sides of the ball. While the defense will again be asked to do something, anything, against a bad offense it’s actually the Browns’ offense that will have the biggest task.

The Bears’ defense is the first “good” defense they’re going to be facing. While the Chiefs’ defense can cause issues and the Texans are stout, they aren’t teams built around the defense. The Bears are.

Being able to handle them will surely be a task for the Cleveland offense and will be an opportunity for Baker Mayfield to continue to quiet his critics.

These are the three things the Browns need to do to defeat the Bears

Pressure Justin Fields

So far none of the quarterbacks from the 2021 NFL Draft class have shown anything worth getting excited over and that’s not going to be too different for Justin Fields. He looked awful in his Week 2 relief duties and there’s no reason to suspect the Browns defense, as bad as they’ve been, can’t rattle Fields. To do so, however, they’re going to have to get pressure on him. There are no excuses. Myles Garrett knows he’s going to be double-teamed, he’s paid like a man who’s expected to still make plays. He hasn’t been. That needs to change against the Bears. Jadeveon Clowney needs to play like he’s not a bust. The Browns have to make Fields feel the fire. No more excuses.

Work the tight ends in

While the return of Odell Beckham Jr. is a big deal, the Browns can ill afford to rely on him for this game. The Bears are 8th in the league in sacks and 8th in the league in tackles for a loss. They’re averaging a sack 9.7% of the time, which is 3rd best in the league. The Browns should work in the tight ends on soft underneath routes to start the game. Making sure Baker Mayfield has a clean pocket is imperative, and quick passes to the tight ends will help disrupt the defense’s rhythm.

Don’t give up on the run

The Bears rank fifth in the league in fewest rushing yards given up. Yes, it’s only been two games, but they’re holding opponents to 3.3 yards per carry and could very easily be among the best defenses in the league again against the rush. While they were 15th in total rushing yards given up, they only gave up 4.1 yards per carry, which was 8th best in the league. The Bears, like the Texans, are going to attack the line of scrimmage early and often, but like against the Texans, the Browns have to be willing to run the ball late into the game. Even if there are struggles in the first half.