CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears were rolling along and on top of the NFC before they got tripped up at Green Bay last week.
They'll get their shot at payback when Jordan Love and the Packers visit Soldier Field next week. But before they can turn their attention toward the rematch with their rivals, they'll need to deal with Myles Garrett when they host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
“Some people will call this a classic trap game or whatever it may be," safety Kevin Byard said. "I don’t really believe in trap games in the league. I think every single week you have to bring your best ball regardless of records.”
The Bears (9-4) had won five straight and nine of 10 before losing 28-21 at Green Bay last week, when Caleb Williams got intercepted in the end zone in the closing minute. They fell behind the first-place Packers in the NFC North and plummeted all the way from first to seventh in a crowded conference race.
With little room for error, they can't afford to look past Garrett and the Browns. The four-time All-Pro has 20 sacks and needs just 2 1/2 to match the NFL single-season record shared by New York Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (2001) and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt (2021).
“We have goals, and we know what’s out in front of us," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "And so, it’s just that awareness that every game matters. Every game matters. That’s where this week, you go from an emotional rivalry game, like we just played. This week is equally important. We need this win. We desperately need this win.”
The Bears secured a winning season for the first time since the 2018 team won the NFC North when they beat defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia in Week 13. Their most recent trip to the playoffs came two years later, and despite a big jump in Johnson's first season, a postseason appearance is no sure thing.
The schedule takes a tough turn after this week, with the final three games against the Packers, at San Francisco and against Detroit at home. The Bears and 49ers have identical records, and the Lions (8-5) pounded Chicago in Week 2.
Cleveland, which has lost two straight, is last in the AFC North. The Tennessee Titans outlasted the Browns 31-29 last week.
Rookie Shedeur Sanders is coming off the best performance of his young career. The former Colorado star, who fell to the fifth round in the draft, threw three touchdown passes, ran for a score and finished with 364 yards against Tennessee. He joined Joe Burrow as the only rookie QBs in league history with at least 350 yards passing, three TDs and a rushing TD in a game.
Sanders could be challenged this week. Though the Bears tend to give up big chunks of yards, they also lead the league with 18 interceptions and 27 takeaways.
“That’s a statistic that lets you know that they’re a good team," he said. "But I think when you approach each and every week, I think you know that the defenders are capable of catching an interception.”
Williams, Sanders meet again
Williams and Sanders had quite the showdown when USC visited Colorado in 2023.
Williams completed 30 of 40 passes for 403 yards and six touchdowns, and the Trojans won a shootout, 48-41. Sanders was almost as good, finishing 30 of 45 for 371 yards and four scores.
“It was a good atmosphere, good game," Williams said. "We ended up coming out with the victory and Shedeur was a hell of a player.”
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Williams hopes for a similar outcome this time. It wouldn't hurt if he ended his string of inconsistent performances. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has completed fewer than 60% of his passes in six straight games and is at 57.8% for the season.
Lined up
The Bears have faced their share of elite pass rushers, including Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby and Green Bay’s Micah Parsons. But Garrett poses a different challenge.
He has sacks in seven straight games — and 16 in that span. Three times this season he has recorded three or more in a game, and he had five in a Week 8 loss at New England.
The O-line shuffle
Cleveland will have its ninth different offensive line starting combination Sunday with center Ethan Pocic lost for the season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in last week's loss to Tennessee. Luke Wypler will get the start.
Right guard Wyatt Teller will miss his second straight game and right tackle Jack Conklin remains in concussion protocol. Teven Jenkins is expected to start at right guard against his former team while KT Leveston would be at tackle if Conklin can't go.
Bundle up
With the National Weather Service predicting a high temperature near 14 on Sunday, this could be one of the coldest games at Soldier Field.
Chicago's coldest home game by temperature was 2 degrees with a minus-13 wind chill against Green Bay on Dec. 22, 2008. The coldest by wind chill was minus-15 against the Packers on Dec. 18, 1983, when the temperature was 3.
Running on empty?
After allowing Tennessee's Tony Pollard to run for a career-high 161 yards last week, it doesn't get any easier for the Browns' run defense. The Bears are averaging 152.6 yards on the ground, second-best in the league, and have a formidable duo in D'Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai.
AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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