CLEVELAND, Ohio — After 11 games of stellar run defense, the Browns suddenly looked vulnerable against Tennessee, surrendering two explosive touchdown runs that had defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz comparing his unit to the “Keystone Cops.” Now Cleveland faces perhaps its stiffest challenge yet — a Chicago Bears offense that boasts the NFL’s second-ranked rushing attack and an offensive coordinator known for exploiting weaknesses.

Last Sunday’s defensive performance against the Titans left many questioning if Cleveland’s previously dominant run defense had sprung a leak at the worst possible time. Tony Pollard gashed the Browns for 161 yards, including touchdown runs of 65 and 35 yards, exposing potential issues with edge containment that hadn’t previously been apparent.

“I’m really curious now, a few days removed from the defensive performance against the Titans, how this Browns defense is going to bounce back, especially against the run,” Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock said on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “You do have to wonder with Ben Johnson, obviously one of those great younger offensive minds, what they are going to take from that game and try to implement.”

The timing couldn’t be worse for Cleveland’s run defense to show vulnerability. The Bears enter Sunday’s game with the NFL’s second-ranked rushing attack, averaging 152 yards per game, and they’re led by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, widely regarded as one of the league’s brightest offensive minds.

“It is absolutely a copycat league and they already come into this game with the number two rushing attack with 152 yards per game. So it’s not like they have to try to manufacture some kind of a running game,” Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot pointed out. “They have the running game and all they have to do is look at the Titans film to see what the blueprint is and how they did that.”

What makes this matchup particularly concerning for Cleveland is that, unlike many modern offensive coordinators who are pass-first strategists, Johnson built his reputation in Detroit around a powerful running game. The Bears have continued that approach this season with D’Andre Swift (837 yards) and Kyle Monangai (648 yards) forming a potent one-two punch in the backfield.

“I think it was Jim (Schwartz) that said this. They kind of allowed the Titans to continue running the football. And we know that Ben Johnson from his time in Detroit, we always think of these great offensive minds as like the passing game, but he’s always been a run the football guy,” Orange and Brown Talk host Dan Labbe explained. “This is a guy that’s going to run the football and if he sees some blood in the water and he sees some opportunities, he’s going to get after it in this run game.”

The loss of defensive tackle Maliek Collins has clearly impacted Cleveland’s run defense, prompting the team to bring back Mo Hurst — a move that suggests the coaching staff recognizes the need for immediate reinforcements. Whether Hurst can make an immediate impact remains to be seen, but his familiarity with the system could help shore up the interior defense.

Sunday’s game will reveal whether last week’s struggles were an anomaly or the exposure of a more significant issue. If the Browns can’t fix their run defense quickly, they risk allowing the Bears to control the game’s tempo and potentially wear down a Cleveland defense that has been the team’s strength all season.

With brutal weather conditions expected in Chicago, stopping the run becomes even more critical. If the Bears can establish their ground game early, it could be a long, cold day for a Browns defense looking to prove that last week’s struggles were just a blip and not a blueprint for future opponents.

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