Sunday Dawg Chow (12/14): Time to put the Bears into hibernation!

The Cleveland Browns will be looking for just their second win of the season against a team with a winning record when they take on the Chicago Bears this afternoon at Soldier Field.

It won’t be an easy task, as Cleveland has not won in Chicago since 1969, and enters the game with four of the five starting offensive linemen from Week 1 sidelined with injuries. And the lone man still standing, left guard Joel Bitonio, is questionable with injuries to his back and knee, which might not be feeling so well on a day where the windchill is expected to be around minus-2 degrees.

Even though they did not win last week, Cleveland’s offense showed a nice spark, especially with the growing connection between quarterback Shedeur Sanders and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Today may not be a day for the passing game, but it would still be wise to keep an eye on Fannin, especially in the red zone.

There will be a lot of action going on this afternoon, both on the shores of Lake Michigan and across the league, so let’s get the day rolling with the latest news about the Browns and the NFL with the Sunday Dawg Chow.

Dawgs By Nature:

• Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears Week 15 Predictions – Cold weather, but same goal: evaluating Shedeur Sanders (Chris Pokorny) – The Browns are beat up on offense and defense, but the goal remains the same this week.
• Browns roster moves: Waive ’24 draft pick, elevate 2, rule another OL out Saturday (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns roster continues to see changes for Week 15 vs. the Bears ,with Zak Zinter out, Jamari Thrash waived.
• The Browns are developing Shedeur Sanders the right way (Curtiss Brown) – The Cleveland Browns are developing rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders the right way by bringing him along slowly, allowing him to get the necessary mental reps, and asking for additional help in order to be successful.
• Cleveland Browns fans debate whether Myles Garrett will break the NFL sack record (Chris Pokorny) – Myles Garrett needs 3 sacks in his final 4 games to set a new mark of excellence.
• Browns history: Dub Jones’ record day against the Bears (Thomas Moore) – Even though they have not played that often, the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears have had some memorable games over the years. But only one falls into the category of historic, and that was the very first meeting when halfback Dub Jones scored six touchdowns against the Bears, a record that still stands to this day.
• 2026 NFL draft: Big potential Browns QB target returning to school (Jared Mueller) – The 2026 NFL draft class could have very few top-ranked QBs for the Cleveland Browns, as LaNorris Sellers plans to play another season in college.
• 2026 NFL offseason dates finalized, including NFL free agency, draft (Jared Mueller) – The NFL has set the key dates for the offseason, including the start of free agency and more.
• Deadline looms for Browns QB Deshaun Watson (Jared Mueller and Curtiss Brown) – The Cleveland Browns have a decision to make on Deshaun Watson after not doing so for Week 15.
• Browns history: DE Paul Wiggin passes away at 91 (Thomas Moore) – Cleveland Browns defensive end Paul Wiggin, who played 11 years with the team and was a member of the 1964 NFL Championship squad, passed away on Friday. He was 91.

Cleveland Browns:

• Quinshon Judkins trying to ‘make it happen’ on Browns failed 2-point try (Beacon Journal) – There have been multiple theories on what the exact play call was for the Browns’ second failed two-point conversion play late in their Dec. 7 loss to the Tennessee Titans. There have been multiple attempts to get at least one of the primary participants to say what they assumed was going to happen.
• Myles Garrett: ‘The money didn’t mean much to me’ this season as he nears the NFL sack record (cleveland.com) – As Myles Garrett nears the NFL single-season sack record and NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, he explained why he didn’t let up after signing his blockbuster $40 million-a-year extension in March.
• Shedeur Sanders is evolving before our eyes, and he’s been particularly impressive in 2 ways (Terry Pluto) – In a season of despair and disappointment, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has suddenly given Browns fans a reason to care again. The unexpected rise of Sanders as a legitimate quarterback prospect might be the best thing to happen to the Browns in 2024.
• Rookies — even good ones — make winning hard (Browns Zone) – The reliance on rookies has made winning consistently in 2025 difficult, if not impossible, for the Cleveland Browns. Young players are prone to mistakes — they’re called rookie mistakes for a reason — especially in pivotal moments.
• Shedeur Sanders went from No. 4 on Browns’ depth chart to starter, and he’s been making steady progress since (Chicago Sun-Times) – Cleveland quarterback Shedeur Sanders is in a much more difficult spot than Tom Brady was. The Browns have a history of mismanaging the quarterback position.

NFL:

• What does Geno Smith’s injury mean for the Raiders? (ESPN) – Geno Smith has added another chapter to his roller coaster season as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. In last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos, Smith suffered a right shoulder injury, which will keep him out of Sunday’s road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Which means it is Kenny Pickett time!
• Colts to start Philip Rivers vs. Seahawks just days after QB came out of retirement (NFL.com) – Dadgummit, Philip Rivers is officially returning to an NFL roster. More than four years after playing his last snap, Rivers will be elevated from the Indianapolis Colts practice squad to the team’s active roster to start against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported Saturday.
• Kyle Pitts changed the conversation about his future, but he’s not talking about it for now (The Athletic) – Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons didn’t want to talk about his future Thursday night, but everyone else will after the last three weeks.