Bears Film Study breaks down the “avoid Garrett” game plan

If you're choosing to dream big, Sunday's 31-3 victory over Cleveland might have similar vibes to Bears 36, Falcons 0 on Nov. 24, 1985. If you know, you know.

One team building playoff momentum. The other wishing it was anywhere else besides the windy shore of Lake Michigan.

But this Bears team has four losses, the '85 squad had zero (at the time). So this is not the same, though late-season easy victories should always be appreciated. Let's check the film for some short topics this week:

Plan for Garrett

For most of the day, the Bears played a predictable game of keep away. More accurately, it was stay away — from Browns edge Myles Garrett. The Bears repeatedly ran away, or Caleb Williams rolled away, from Garrett's side of the field.

This wasn't hard, because Garrett likes to line up extremely wide. There were times he was closer to the Bears slot receiver than the left tackle. He moved over to the right side a couple times and once the Bears tried to throw a screen over his head, but it didn't connect.

Garrett finished with 1.5 sacks, closing in on the single-season NFL record. To say rookie tackle Ozzy Trapilo held his own against the league's most fearsome rusher would not be accurate.

There were many times when Trapilo barely got a finger on Garrett as he sprinted past. It was mostly the game plan that kept Garrett from posting monster numbers. Besides running or rolling away from him, the Bears almost always sent a tight end or running back to give help.

One time Colston Loveland came in from the blind side and knocked Garrett to the turf. More often, someone would just step in front of Garrett at the start of the play, so he wouldn't get a full head of steam off the line of scrimmage. At least once, they mixed things up by having D'Andre Swift deliver a chip in the backfield.

With all the talk this week of Williams calling his blockers, “The Avengers,” the pass protection has been fragile. Williams has saved at least 10 sacks, maybe closer to 20, with his ability to scramble out of trouble this season. The coaching staff has brought needed help.

Fantastic fill-in

On the list of Bears season-savers, cornerback Nahshon Wright remains No. 1, but linebacker D'Marco Jackson is rising quickly.

The third-year pro from Appalachian State played primarily on special teams for the Saints the past two years. In his fourth start of the season Sunday, he had a sack, interception and led the Bears in tackles.

Jackson's performance brings to mind a complaint we've mentioned here before. If the Bears can get this type of performance from a random free agent, why are they paying Tremaine Edmunds $17.4 million, third-highest on the team?

That money would have been better spent on an edge or left tackle.

Special performance

This is a good week to credit some special-teamers, particularly Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who came off the practice squad to contribute a couple kick coverage tackles, plus a key block on Devin Duvernay's game-opening 52-yard kickoff return. Reeves-Maybin, 30, is actually a nine-year NFL veteran, playing mostly for the Lions.

Other standouts were Jonathan Owens and Jaylon Jones, a couple guys that haven't logged many defensive snaps this fall. Daniel Hardy also had a block that helped spring Duvernay. Include special teams coordinator Richard Hightower on the list of jobs well done this fall.

Best play

The longest play of the day for the Bears was the 40-yard completion to Luther Burden late in the first quarter.

Burden and Moore ran intersecting deep routes, with Burden basically setting a screen for Moore, then popping open over the middle — sort of a screen-and-roll football style. Questionable legality, but it worked.

The Bears usually can't run plays like this because they take a long time to develop and the protection breaks down. On this snap, the Browns rushed five, the Bears kept six in to block, while two tight ends floated out as additional options, and both were wide open.

Oh, and most importantly, Garrett was on the sideline for this play.

Worst play

How did Cleveland slot receiver Isaiah Bond get matched against linebacker T.J. Edwards for a 42-yard pass play in the second quarter? Well, both C.J. Gardner Johnson and Jaquan Brisker blitzed off that side of the line, while Edwards was lined up inside, over the B-gap, and retreated to chase the 5-11 receiver. Needless to say, a shaky plan.