CHICAGO (670 The Score) – As the Bears prepared all week to host the lowly Browns, head coach Ben Johnson reiterated a consistent message to his team.
“We desperately need this win,” Johnson said before the Bears took the practice field Wednesday at Halas Hall.
They played like it Sunday. The Bears took care of business by routing the Browns, 31-3, on a frigid day at Soldier Field. They didn’t fall into a trap in a game wedged between two showdowns against the Packers, and they played like the 10-win team that they are. Johnson had his team focused all week, and the Bears delivered a business-like performance Sunday.
Quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 98 yards and two scores and the Chicago defense hauled in three interceptions while frustrating Cleveland rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
It was a complete performance by the Bears, the type of effort that’s expected from teams that want to make deep playoff runs.
“It’s always next-game mentality with Ben,” said Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson, who recorded an interception and a sack on Sanders. “And really just being 1-0, not looking too far ahead.
“The guys were extremely locked in, trying to get that next win for us to continue on what we got going.”
The Bears (10-4) will likely need 11 victories to reach the postseason, Johnson said earlier in the week. With tough games against the Packers, 49ers and Lions looming in the final three weeks of the regular season, the Bears felt they had to earn a win Sunday.
It turned into a get-right game in more than just the win column. Receiver DJ Moore had four catches for 69 yards and two touchdowns, becoming a focal point of the offense a week after he had just one catch for negative-4 yards in Chicago’s loss at Green Bay.
Moore shrugged off his low output against the Packers, stressing that he cares most about team success. On Sunday, he was a big part of that. The highlight of the day came when Williams hit Moore for a 22-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. Williams rolled out to his right and extended the play along the sideline, then found Moore in stride between double coverage in the back of the end zone.
“I can make any throw,” Williams said when asked if that decision was a risk.
Williams became the first Bears quarterback since Jay Cutler in 2014 and 2015 to post back-to-back seasons with 20 touchdown passes. That’s a rather low bar for a franchise with a troubled quarterback history, but the numbers also represent Williams’ growth in his second NFL season.
On the other side of the ball, the Bears defense continues to make big plays. With their three interceptions Sunday, the Bears now have an NFL-leading 30 takeaways this season. The 30 takeaways are their most since 2018.
Those are all signs of the Bears’ all-around progress. Johnson has directed a turnaround in his first season on the job, but he also knows that teams are defined by how they finish.
Next Saturday night, the Bears will host the rival Packers at Soldier Field with first place in the NFC North on the line. The game could go a long way toward determining which team gets the No. 1 seed in the NFC and sets itself up best in the playoffs.
The Bears know the challenges grow from here, and they understand the importance of each game.
“We’re ready,” Williams said. “We’ve played teams that have a bunch of wins, we’ve played teams that don’t, we’ve played close games, we’ve played games where we’ve beaten teams by a lot, we’ve had (games) where we had to win with special teams, offense, defense, running the ball, whatever the case. I feel like we’re ready for just about anything.
“We’re going to go out there and fight, I do know that, and I like our chances – us vs. anybody.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.