CLEVELAND — A dominant Browns defense, combined with wet weather, has made for one of the ugliest first-half Bears offensive showings all year.
Their own stout defense has kept them in the game, though; the Bears and Browns are tied at 7 at halftime Sunday.
Quarterback Justin Fields went 12-for-21 for 101 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The pick came on a Hail Mary that Fields threw into the end zone as the half ended.
Bears safety Eddie Jackson, who told the Sun-Times earlier this week he was “licking my chops” to intercept Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, did just that about two minutes into the second quarter. Jackson caught the pass at the 28 and sprinted up the right flank for the end zone — and was stuffed at the 1.
The Bears offense took advantage — eventually, after an almost comical series of plays.
Running back D’Onta Foreman was stuffed for a three-yard loss on their first play. The Browns had too many players in the huddle on the next play, which moved the ball two yards forward. The Browns then committed pass interference in the end zone, giving the Bears the ball back at the 1. On first and goal, the Browns again had too many men in the huddle.
Foreman then ran up the middle for no gain. Tight end Cole Kmet was whistled for a false start that moved them back to the 6, and Fields threw wide — and high — of Darnell Mooney to make it third down.
Fields dropped back, slipped out of the grasp of Browns superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett and rolled up the left sideline. He rifled the ball to Kmet, who was running right to left across the back of the end zone. The tight end got both feet down for a touchdown. The Bears technically — not counting penalties — needed four plays for a 1-yard scoring drive.
The Browns countered by marching down the field, but only after cornerback Jaylon Johnson dropped a would-be interception when the ball hit him in both hands. The Browns used trickery on fourth-and-2 from the Bears’ 19, bringing in rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson to throw a screen pass that went for five yards. Three plays later, the Browns tied the game when Flacco rolled right and found tight David Njoku for a two-yard touchdown. He was being face-guarded by safety Jaquan Brisker.
Flacco went 14-for-23 for 140 yards and a 74.5 passer rating in the first half.
