Bears vs. Browns: 3 things to watch in this Week 15 matchup
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Bears will go for their third straight win Sunday in Cleveland and try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. And Justin Fields is hoping this trip back to Ohio is much better than his last one. I'm Marshall Harris, and here are three things to watch when the Bears visit the Browns.
Let's start with QB 1. This is, in many ways, both a redemption opportunity and a growth check for Fields. He made his first ever NFL start in Cleveland, and things did not go well. He was sacked 9 times, 4.5 times by defensive monster Myles Garrett. But Fields has not thrown an interception in three games since coming back from his thumb injury, and he has better weapons around him now than he did then. The expectations are much higher because this is his third season, and because if the Bears win the playoffs remain a possibility.
Our second thing to watch is the Bears' pressure up front. They've lost defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to a broken ankle, and now it's time to see who steps up opposite of Montez Sweat, who is earning every bit of his big payday with 3.5 sacks in the last three games. That hole needs to be filled, and DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green, and Dominique Robinson will all get a shot to make an impact. The increased pressure up front has led to the Bears creating 11 turnovers over the last three games. The Bears' 15 interceptions on the season is second only to the 49ers' 17. They need to win the turnover battle to have a chance.
Our final thing to watch has been a constant all season: No. 1 wide receiver DJ Moore. Moore saw double-digit targets during his last time out. That's back-to-back games with 10 or more targets after only hitting double digits once in the Bears' first 11 games. But it's more than that. Moore had three rushing attempts and ended up running for a touchdown and catching one as well. It's almost like offensive coordinator Luke Getsy got the memo to get the ball in his best skill player's hands by any means necessary. What a concept.
If the Bears can do that again, maybe they'll be 6-8 at the end of the game, and fans will be thinking thoughts they would not have been able to comprehend when the Bears were 0-4.
The Bears kick off with the Browns at high noon on Sunday.