On Sunday, December 14, Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears will face one of the strongest defenses in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. Now, even the Browns’ defense hasn’t been able to translate into wins, and they’re coming into the game with a 3-10 record, while the Bears have a 9-4 record.
But, don’t let the Browns’ record of wins and losses fool anyone. They have star defensive end Myles Garrett in the fold, who has clocked 20 sacks, 53 tackles and three forced fumbles during the 2025-26 season alone, according to ESPN research.
So, Johnson and Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle have been smartly mapping out a strategy to contain Garrett on Sunday. The only way quarterback Caleb Williams is going to get the time to make good decisions and throws on the field is if the Bears keep Garrett at bay, and that’s the plan. On Thursday, December 11, Doyle gave insight into how the team is getting ready to take on Garrett.
Chicago Bears Take on the Cleveland Browns With a Keen Strategy
Speaking to the media on Thursday, December 11, Doyle explained that the team is trying to simulate Brown in practice. But, he admitted that it was a “very unique challenge,” because Brown is such a different player.
“There are not a lot of guys like him,” Doyle said. “You’re trying to simulate it as best you can on scout teams… [but] those guys don’t grow on trees. He’s a guy that we’re very aware of.”
He added, “You study a lot of tape during the week and just having a plan to handle him. The main thing is we maintain focus on that player throughout the game; we know where he is and have a plan for how to handle him.”
A Chicago Bears Rookie to Take On a Cleveland Brown Veteran
Doyle also said that the team has a solid left tackle in rookie Ozzy Trapilo to take on Garrett. Trapilo has already been up against some of the strongest edge rushes in the league this season, such as the Raiders‘ Maxx Crosby and Packers’ Micah Parsons.
“He’s a rookie, so he’s watched these guys from afar for a long time,” Doyle said. “The first thing is going in and feeling like you belong in the game, and he has performed well enough that he can feel confident going into the game.”
He added that the team is working with Trapilo to help with “understanding how to prep during the week; what he needs to be watching, his set pattern, what his plan is on third down and equally how he’s going to handle the stuff on base downs.” He added that it’s the same as “a quarterback going through a game-plan process and understanding how he prepares during the week.”
So, the team is putting in the hard work. If they beat the Browns, their shot at getting to the postseason increases, and even though it’s not by much, it’s something. If the Chicago Bears pull off a win, they’ll have a 69% chance of making it to the postseason. They currently have a 61% chance, according to NFL research, and that will fall to 43% lose against the Browns.
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