Bears and Browns In-Game Blog: Pregame

Pregame

• Maybe a chance for Dominique Robinson to show he can rush the passer today as he's active for the first time since the Raiders game. He had 20 plays on defense that day without showing up on the stat board. So it's been six straight weeks. Did practice squad work only and tutelage from guys like DeMarcus Walker, Justin Jones and Montez Sweat help any? The Bears need to see something from the fifth-round pick if he does get some defensive reps. The Yannick Ngakoue injury is bigger than the Bears have talked about. You need someone who comes off the other edge and pressures to help out Montez Sweat, who will now attract even more double-team blocking.
• Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone was fined for a hit he made on the sidelines on Darnell Mooney that drew an unncessary roughness penalty. He was fined $10,927 for the hit that occurred at the end of Mooney's 28-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter of a drive that led to a 46-yard Cairo Santos field goal. The play occurred one play after Anzalone had been penalized for defensive holding. However, the Lions received no fines for hits made on Justin fields in the game that infuriated the Bears, but failed to draw penalties. Also, a hit made on DJ Moore late along the sidelines that went unpenalized failed to draw a fine.
• Rainy day in Cleveland. Will it be a game like the rain in Chicago at the 2022 season opener? Bears beat the 49ers that day. 
• The debate continues to rage between Justin Fields and drafting Caleb Williams.  Go ahead and bang your head against the wall but you're going to be doing it until at least just before free agency if not longer. The Bears are not going to do or say anything that will affect what they could get in exchange for Fields if they decide to trade him and letting word go out about this to anyone would be doing this. Also, if they're planning to keep him and trade the pick for more picks, they're not saying anything about it until the time they do it. Last year this was in March. This year it could be then or even just before the draft at the end of April.