Bears report card: Team grades in NFL Week 15 win over Browns

CHICAGO — Bears head coach Ben Johnson stated in no uncertain terms that his team would play its best football in December. He made that proclamation in training camp with great confidence, even with a jaded fan base raising an eyebrow at such a claim.

Sure enough, Johnson was right.

Sunday’s 31-3 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns made his claim good. The Bears were dominant, with quarterback Caleb Williams coming to life, the offensive line in firm control and the defense generating three takeaways to bring their season total to 30. Yep, you read that right. They have that many.

They played possibly their best football of the season on a cold day at Soldier Field, so their grades deservedly are highly across the board in this Week 15 Bears report card:

Rushing offense

D’Andre Swift was super efficient all game, totaling 98 rushing yards on just 18 carries. That’s 5.4 yards per carry behind an offensive line that bullied folks up front.

There was no better run than Swift’s 17-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter, when he slashed through the Browns’ defense and broke several arm tackles on his way to the end zone.

Kyle Monangai wasn’t as good with his opportunities (11 carries for 33 yards), but the Bears ran well in 33 attempts for 142 yards. It felt like they could’ve run 50 times, had Williams not been on a heater. Overall, one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks lived up to its potential.

Grade: B-plus

Passing offense

It wasn’t long ago that Johnson said the Bears were winning in spite of its passing game, not because of it. That was not the case on Sunday. Williams completed 60% of his passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 112.5 passer rating. The Bears dealt with Rome Odunze’s loss well, after the top wideout suffered a setback with his foot injury during pregame warmups.

DJ Moore had an excellent game, with four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Luther Burden had six catches for 84 yards, including a 40-yard catch and run that set the tone for this Bears win. Williams completed some passes only he could execute, including a dime to Moore that was as improbable as they come.

If Williams continues to play like this, the Bears could make a legitimate playoff run.

Grade: A

Rushing defense

The Bears defensive front shut the Browns run game down, with Quinshon Judkins averaging just 1.8 yards per carry. Cleveland could get the ground game going and was forced to largely abandon it after falling behind by multiple scores early in this one. That was key to this victory, especially early on. T.J. Edwards was instrumental in that effort, with a team-high nine tackles and one for a loss.

Grade: A-minus

[READ: Five Bears who improved their stock in NFL Week 15 win over Browns]

Passing defense

The Bears sacked Shedeur Sanders five times. They intercepted three of his passes, with Jaylon Johnson, D’Marco Jackson and C.J. Gardner-Johnson each snagging one. Austin Booker led the way with two sacks, and Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter and Jackson logging one each. Pass defense gets easier when a team falls behind multiple scores and becomes one dimensional, but the Bears capitalized on some golden opportunities. The best part about those three picks: The Bears turned those takeaways into 17 points, with touchdowns scored after picks on consecutive drives.

Grade: A-plus

Special teams

Cairo Santos missed a 35-yard field goal. He never misses from such a short distance, but the Bears were up by a significant margin, so it didn’t have a negative impact. He connected from 41 yards out late in the game. Tory Taylor put three punts inside the Browns’ 20-yard line and Devin Duvernay had an explosive 52-yard kickoff return to set the Bears up well. While special teams weren’t spectacular, that phase of the game was solid and cause any harm during what was a rout in the second half.

Grade: B

Coaching

Ben Johnson did an excellent job of keeping the Bears locked in on Cleveland despite the fact the game was sandwiched by two games against the rival Green Bay Packers. His game plan largely negated Myles Garrett, who still had 1.5 sacks on the day. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen had Sanders guessing most of the day, with a solid pass rush that is heating up as the temperatures turn cold. The Bears were a favorite and acted like one, easily earning the season’s 10^th win. They’ll need one or two more to reach the playoffs, but this game was an important step in the right direction.

Grade: A

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