3 Takeaways from Bears' Week 15 Loss vs. Browns
The Chicago Bears suffered another heartbreaking defeat in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Chicago conceded 13 fourth-quarter points on the road and had a game-winning Hail Mary pass slip through Darnell Mooney's hands as time expired.
The Week 15 defeat mirrored the Bears' Week 11 loss to the Detroit Lions in which they completely fell apart in the final 15 minutes.
Joe Flacco did not do anything special during the Browns comeback. He made one deep throw to Amari Cooper that resulted in a touchdown and led two drives that ended in field goals.
Chicago's offense had no answer for the Cleveland defense once that unit sensed a comeback was possible.
The only good news for the Bears is that the loss kept them in the top five of the 2024 NFL draft order with their own pick and Carolina's selection that is still at No. 1.
Another Blown 4th Quarter Lead
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The Bears defense crumbled once the fourth quarter began.
Cleveland's comeback started after a turnover on downs that was caused by a fourth-down sack of Justin Fields at Cleveland's 33-yard-line.
The Browns kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive and then held the Bears to three consecutive punts.
Flacco's 51-yard pass connection to Cooper and a field goal on two straight drives allowed the Browns to move ahead by three points.
Cleveland's comeback looked eerily similar to the one the Bears gave up four weeks ago. The Lions scored 17 fourth-quarter points to win in Week 11.
The second horrible final 15 minutes in four weeks showed there are still growing pains the franchise is going through to close out games with a young team.
Chicago Offense Only Produced One Touchdown
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Chicago somehow led after three quarters despite a porous offensive showing.
The Bears' only offensive touchdown, scored by Cole Kmet, came after an Eddie Jackson interception brought the ball down to the one-yard-line.
The Bears needed four plays to score their lone offensive touchdown of the contest.
Chicago's other touchdown occurred on a pick six in the third quarter. Its only other offensive points came on a third-quarter field goal.
Fields and Co. had trouble moving the ball for most of the day, which is why Cleveland's comeback may not have been a surprise to some people who watched the game.
The Browns worked out their own offensive struggles and picked up a few key stops in the process.
Chicago almost made up for its atrocious offensive day on the last play of the game, but Mooney let the ball slip through his hands in the end zone.
Successful Hail Mary Would Have Provided Boost for Rest of Regular Season
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Mooney had the ball in his hands in the end zone while he fell to the ground as time expired.
The gut-wrenching finish to the game hurt some Bears fans more than Cleveland's comeback.
Chicago was one play away from earning its sixth victory and having a small glimmer of hope that it could make a last-gasp effort at a wild-card berth in the NFC.
A win could have provided some much-needed confidence for an offense that has been inconsistent throughout the season.
The Bears have not won consecutive games this season, and if they had beaten Cleveland, they could have had a three-game winning run on their hands with the Arizona Cardinals up next in Week 16.
Instead, the Bears were left playing out the what-ifs in their minds and can only console themselves with the thought of having two top-five draft picks.
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