The Cleveland Browns are not an opponent the Bears should take lightly, even if they are missing players at just about every position. The Bears have hopes to win the division and make the playoffs, so this is not a game they can afford to lose. The Browns, however, are just hoping the start of the 2026 season can come sooner. The Browns still have much left to play for, and Myles Garrett, trying for the sack record, is one big factor that can disrupt the Bears’ getting a much-needed win. The Bears are clearly the better team, but the Browns have matchups they still can take advantage of.
Here is my analysis of how the Bears stack up against the Cleveland Browns at every position:
Quarterback
Shedeur is coming off the best performance in his small sample size this season as a starter against Tennessee. Shedeur has brought energy to this offense and made it way more of an explosive unit. The obvious answer is Caleb Williams, mainly because of the big gap in experience. Caleb Williams is the more talented quarterback and has a higher ceiling as well. Williams still has had his fair share of mistakes this season, and he hasn’t had the perfect year 2 to the level of his counterpart, Drake Maye. I have hope that sometime soon, both quarterbacks featured in this matchup will be in contention for being top ten quarterbacks in the NFL. I believe both quarterbacks will have impressive showings and have a touchdown battle in this one, just like their days in college, when Shedeur was at Colorado and Caleb at USC.
Running back
Quinshon Judkins has been the best rookie running back in the NFL this season and is on pace for a 1000 rushing season. Teams have played the Browns offense differently and have stacked the box, making it more difficult for Judkins to have dominant performances. I like what he has done this season, but with his poor offensive line starting 5 going into this game, I think he will have limited production versus the Bears. The Browns will be without Maliek Collins, a huge loss to their interior, and with how the Bears’ offensive line has been playing, I see the Bears’ running backs having great success. Kyle Monangai has been just as effective as Judkins all while sharing carries. I think Monangai will be the better rookie running back on the field in this one. D’Andre Swift will also find his own success, and the recipe of two running backs being equally effective on the ground will come into place for another week for the Chicago Bears. I see both Swift and Monangai running for over 50 yards on the ground, and Judkins running for less than 60 yards.
Playmakers
The Browns have the worst set of playmakers on offense than any other team in the NFL. Harold Fannin Jr. has been a special surprise this season and has been the best tight end in his draft class as of late. He and Shedeur Sanders are building a great rapport. Jerry Jeudy is a nice receiver, but this season has been a huge disappointment. He still can have 100 yards receiving on any given Sunday. The Bears’ weapons are the clear favorites in this matchup. Even without number one receiver Rome Odunze out, D.J. Moore, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Cole Kmet are a great bunch of playmakers. Caleb Williams has the necessary pieces for him to have a great day against a great defense, and Sheduer will have to get as much out of his connection with Fannin Jr. to have success against an underrated Bears defense. I think this will be a game where rookies on both sides dominate. I think Fannin Jr. will have the big game for the Browns. For the Bears, it will be another rookie tight end that is on the rise, with Colston Loveland and dynamic rookie receiver Luther Burden, who lead the Bears in receiving yards in this game.
The Trenches
The Browns will be without 4 of their 5 starting offensive linemen for this game, and their 5th starting linemen, Joel Bitonio, is questionable. Ironically, the Bears will have to face former Bear Tevin Jenkins, who will get a chance to start. It sounds like Shedeur Sanders will be running for his life, and the Bears’ defensive line has a great matchup ahead of them. The Bears’ offensive line has had 4 of their main key starters play every game, and Ozzy Trapilo has fit in very well alongside the core 4. There are not many better offensive lines than the one in Chicago. The Bears have the clear edge on that position. Myles Garrett carries the Browns’ defensive line as the best unit in this one. Even if the defensive line featured one man in Myles Garrett, I would still take that unit over what the Bears have.
Linebackers
With the Bears’ linebackers group still missing Tremaine Edmunds, I would give the edge to the Browns. Carson Schwesinger has been elite all season as a rookie and has finally given the Browns stability at the linebacker position. Myles Garrett is so dominant and deserves all the recognition he gets. Carson Schwesinger deserves more credit for how good the browns have been this year. With T.J. Edwards getting back in the swing of things, I would say Carson Schwesinger is the best linebacker in this game. Devin Bush and Jerome Baker are quality linebackers to follow Schwesinger’s lead.
Secondary
The Browns’ secondary on its best day is just as good as the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately for the Browns, they will be without stud cornerback Denzel Ward. Ward can lock down an entire side of the field by himself. Tyson Campbell is a nice addition to complement Ward, and the Browns have solid safety play with Grant Delpit. Without Ward, this secondary is easily getable. The Bears, on the other hand, have two players who will more than likely get All-Pro nods. Jaylon Johnson might be on a pitch count in this game as well, but the Bears will get Tyrique Stevenson back, making this secondary deeper than it has been in past games. The Bears have the better secondary and will provide their opponent with the toughest matchup.
Special teams
The Bears have been a great special teams unit over the last few games, and Richard Hightower deserves massive credit for how the Bears have performed in that category. I think the Bears’ special teams unit gives them the edge in many matchups, and this week versus the Browns is no different.
Coaching
Kevin Stefanski has won two Coach of the Year awards in his tenure in Cleveland. Stefanski has seen great success in Cleveland, restoring this team to being a competitive team in the AFC. That has not been the case for the last two years. This season, Stefanski gave up play-calling duties, and this Browns offense has still been a complete mess. Stefanski has not handled his quarterback situation that well this season, and to say Stefanski still deserves grace because of his previous success is an injustice for this franchise. The Browns have a lot of problems on this team; Kevin Stefanski is not a solution to any of them. Ben Johnson, on the flipside, has turned the Bears from a team that didn’t know how to win to a team that is now a legit playoff team this year. In my opinion, as things currently stand, Ben Johnson is a better coach than Kevin Stefanski. I think Ben Johnson will get the best of Stefanski this week and make Stefanski’s seat even hotter.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: How Bears stack up against Browns – positional comparisons
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
