NFL Week 3 | Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears Preview

Garrett Bush of 92.3 The Fan and John Kosko of Pro Football Focus breakdown the NFL Week 3 | Browns vs. Bears Preview. Garrett Bush and John Kosko also recap the Browns Week 2 matchup with the Houston Texans. The Browns are coming off a 31-21 Week 2 victory over the Houston Texans. There are trends on both sides of the ball that trigger pause. It’s important not to overreact, but injuries, an absent pass rush, soft perimeter coverage and unproven receivers are all worry me. Without Jarvis Landry, the Browns passing game centered around its tight ends. Harrison Bryant, Austin Hooper and David Njoku combined for 12 catches and 107 yards. Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and rookie Anthony Schwartz caught just three balls for 42 yards. Peoples-Jones wasn’t targeted again after his first-quarter fumble. Same for Schwartz following the interception he caused by stopping his post route in the second quarter. Baker Mayfield dislocated his shoulder on the turnover trying to tackle Texans safety Justin Reid. Mayfield didn’t miss a snap despite leaving briefly for the locker room. However, Kevin Stefanski admitted it altered his play calling, as he prioritized protecting Mayfield from more hits. That didn’t hinder Mayfield from rushing for a touchdown on the following drive, which eliminated the Texans’ lone lead of the game. The Browns scored three touchdowns and a field goal on their next four drives. Thanks to a 33-yard Demetric Felton screen and Nick Chubb’s 26-yard fourth-quarter rushing touchdown, Cleveland held on. Mayfield rushed a career-high eight times, a sign he felt a need to take over. He only gained 10 yards, but several of his escapes were timely, including the touchdown run and a 4-yard scramble on a fourth-quarter third-and-2. Chubb scored off right guard the next play. The Bears forced Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow into three fourth-quarter interceptions and held him to 207 yards passing on 19 completions and 30 attempts. More on that later. I suggest it’s Hollywood Higgins’ time. He’s always been Mayfield’s small-wins savior, opening against any type of coverage and securing contested catches. With limited trust in DPJ and Schwartz -- plus no Landry -- Higgins provides needed familiarity. I’ll write more about Higgins and the absent pass rush later this week. Until then, let’s preview the Browns’ Week 3 opponent. Chicago comes to FirstEnergy Stadium after beating the Bengals, 20-17. It’s unknown whether rookie quarterback Justin Fields will start, but expect the Browns to plan for it. What to expect from the Bears Chicago’s defense made Sunday difficult for Burrow and the Bengals. The Bears turned Cinncinati over four times: three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Those turnovers resulted in 13 points. Linebacker Roquan Smith housed his interception by reading Burrow on a quick-game throw intended for Tyler Boyd. Fields completed 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards and an interception. He looked like a rookie but made some plays with his feet. With under three minutes to play, Fields scrambled for 10 yards on a third and 9 to ice it. Cleveland didn’t bother Tyrod Taylor on Sunday. Even rookie Davis Mills led a 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to pull Houston within three. Joe Woods’ defense isn’t in sync. Fields provides a get-right opportunity, but the element of surprise worries me. Myles Garrett admitted the Browns’ defense was caught off guard by the Texans’ first-half game plan. What we learned Chicago is better than Houston and Cleveland is a 7.5-point favorite. Let’s see how the Browns heal this week. Trust in Stefanski to scheme a better game plan. Again, I think playing Higgins more should spark a passing game that relied too heavily on tight end passes, short throws and screens. Chubb and Hunt are capable of carrying the Browns offense through any fourth-quarter lead. Chubb averaged 5 yards per carry after first contact and should see his touches increase this week. It’s clear the Browns want to protect him from unnecessary harm. But if Odell Beckham Jr. and Landry both do not play, then then someone has to be explosive. That’s what Chubb does. Creating a pass rush and expanding the passing game are the keys to victory. It’s clear the Browns won’t blow out many teams, if any. But sound football wins and the Browns are exactly that, offensively at least. #week3 #nfl #browns #bears #objreturn #fields