What worked, what didn’t in Bears’ win over Cleveland?
The Bears beat the Browns 31-3 Sunday at Soldier Field for their most lopsided win of the season. Here are three moments that mattered. What worked? What didn’t work?
Three moments that mattered
1.“D” from D’Marco: Linebacker D’Marco Jackson, a waiver pickup by the Bears from the Saints in training camp, tipped a short pass from Shedeur Sanders and intercepted it in the third quarter. The Bears, whose offense had been stagnant since scoring 14 points in the first quarter, struck immediately, as QB Caleb Williams threaded a 22-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver D.J. Moore. Jackson earlier had his first sack as a Bear. His pick, also his first as a Bear, was one of three by the Bears.
2. Book it: Defensive end Austin Booker sacked Sanders for a 9-yard loss on third-and-8 from the Bears 31, knocking the Browns out of field-goal range just before the two-minute warning in the first half. Booker hadn’t had a sack in the past five games, and his big play helped the Bears maintain their 14-0 lead. He added a second sack in the closing seconds to keep the Browns out of the end zone.
3. OK, D.J.: Moore ran laterally across the end zone, Williams led him perfectly to the left corner, and the 3-yard touchdown reception hiked the Bears’ lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter. After Moore had only one catch for minus-4 yards against Green Bay last week, the play call hinted the Bears were looking to incorporate their top-paid wide receiver more into the game plan. He had catches of 15 and 25 yards later in the half and added a 22-yard TD reception in the third quarter.
Three things that worked
1. Swift start: Running back D’Andre Swift burst into the end zone from 6 yards out and celebrated with a right-handed fastball into the stands. The TD started the scoring and was just the start of Swift’s day. He added a 17-yard TD run in the third quarter and finished with 98 rushing yards, averaging 5.4 a carry.
2. Caleb: Williams was accurate and on time with delivering the ball for most of the first half after missing his first two throws, which included a screen that Kyle Monangai dropped. Williams completed nine straight passes at one point and finished the half 12 of 18 (67%), which also included a drop by Luther Burden III, for 190 yards. Williams finished the game 17 of 28 (61%) for 242 yards, two TD passes and no interceptions.
3. Special teams special start: Devin Duvernay returned the game-opening kickoff 52 yards, and while the Bears offense couldn’t capitalize, Tory Taylor’s 45-yard punt pinned the Browns at the 1. The Bears defense forced a three-and-out, and Duvernay’s 18-yard punt return led to Swift’s 6-yard touchdown run with 7:35 left in the first quarter, giving the Bears a 7-0 lead, which they never relinquished.
Three things that didn’t
1. Myles and myles: Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett is chasing history and almost achieved it against the Bears. He had 1.5 sacks, giving him 21.5 in 2025 and leaving him one shy of tying the single-season record, which is shared by Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt and Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.
2. Third-down: The Bears rang up 361 yards of total offense and 21 first downs, but they were only 5 of 13 on third down.
3. Red-zone execution, mid-second quarter: The Bears offense was humming on a second-quarter drive, looking to add to their 14-0 lead. They moved the ball to the Cleveland 7, then broke down. Tight end Colston Loveland’s first carry of the season resulted in a 2-yard loss, Garrett sacked Williams for a 9-yard loss, and Cairo Santos missed a field-goal try from 35 yards out.
What’s next?
The 10-4 Bears have a 7:20 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Soldier Field against the Packers. The Bears will be playing the Packers for the second time in three weeks and look to avenge their 28-21 loss Dec. 7 in Green Bay.