The Chicago Bears are set to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. Coming off a tough one-score loss to the Green Bay Packers, the 9-4 Bears are looking to regain the top spot in the NFC North. After allowing the Tennessee Titans to get their second win of the season, the 3-10 Browns had their sights set on the draft already.
Under no circumstances should the Bears lose to the Browns. A loss like that could tank what has been, based on expectations, an incredible season up to this point. Given the NFL’s demanding schedule, this match against Cleveland could be the difference between hosting a playoff game and watching it from the couch come January.
Although the trajectory of the Bears suggests that they will be great for a long time under Ben Johnson in the long term, they want to reach that short-term goal of making the playoffs earlier than expected. This matchup against Cleveland, despite each team’s place in the standings, is going to be a challenge. This is why the Bears will win and won’t win the football game:
Why the Bears will win
The Bears will win the game because they are a significantly better team and their record proves it. They are multiple years ahead of the Browns in their rebuild. Chicago has a quarterback, coach, and weapons on both sides of the ball that Cleveland is still aspiring to get.
Both teams are dealing with injuries, but the Browns are missing a large chunk of their offensive line. This will allow the Bears to establish a pass rush, which has been an area of weakness for them this year. If they can gain some confidence with a big performance against this lackluster opponent, big things could be ahead down the road.
Ben Johnson will earn the 10th win of his NFL coaching career, less than one full year in, as the Bears take down the Browns in a big way due to all of the factors mentioned above. Johnson’s predecessor didn’t have many more than that in three years on the job.
Why the Bears won’t win
The Bears are a young team with a rookie head coach. All of the pressure on them to beat this lousy Browns team could come crumbling down on them. It won’t be for a lack of effort, that just can happen to a team like the Bears, who are trying to take the next step into being elite.
Coming off a loss to the Packers, the Bears could see this game become a letdown type of matchup. Whenever you are supposed to beat someone, it is never as easy as it seems. The term “trap game” exists for a reason, and this game has “trap game” written all over it.
The Browns also aren’t as bad as their 3-10 record suggests that they are. They are in almost every game they play, they have a great defense, and their roster plays hard on every snap. Don’t forget, the Browns beat the Packers earlier in the year for one of their three wins.
A loss like this will likely spell doom for the Bears and their playoff chances, but it won’t be the worst thing for the rebuild. Sometimes, if a loss like this is suffered by a team much worse, you’ll never take them lightly again. Do the Bears need that lesson shown to them? This Sunday will be a great indicator of that.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
