Bears cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson was asked about rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders and looked down at a pretend watch on his right wrist.

“It’s about time he ran into some problems,” he said after Sunday’s 31-3 win against the Browns. “He’s a great young player. They’re a great young group that’s playing hard, physical. He’s just going against a lot of vets that have something to play for. …

“Sometimes you gotta teach a rookie how to stay in a rookie’s place.”

The Bears did Sunday. Sanders’ 30.3 passer rating was the sixth-worst by any quarterback with at least 10 passes in game this season. He finished 18-for-35 for 177 yards and three interceptions, and was sacked five times. The three picks came within a span of four possessions in the second half, which the Bears turned into 17 points.

“I’d like to have the majority of plays back for sure,” Sanders said.

Linebacker D’Marco Jackson grabbed the Bears’ first interception on a third-quarter play-action pass, and Gardner-Johnson picked off the third and returned it 32 yards to the Browns’ 22. In between, cornerback Jaylon Johnson had perhaps the unlikeliest interception of his NFL career.

About 10 minutes into the third quarter, Sanders dropped back and threw his best pass of the day toward the front right pylon. The ball hit receiver Jerry Jeudy in the chest for what seemed like a 24-yard touchdown. As Jeudy grabbed for the ball, Bears cornerback Johnson ripped it away from him, logging his first interception of his season without so much as turning to face the quarterback.

“That was my first, for sure,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of interceptions on the internet, and I always wondered how those happened.”

The Bears lead the NFL with 30 takeaways.

“You get what you emphasize,” Johnson said. “Every day we emphasize the ball.”

Notes

• D’Andre Swift ran 18 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns.

• Kicker Cairo Santos missed a 35-yarder in the second quarter when he hit the right upright.

• The Browns’ Andre Szmyt, a Vernon Hills High School alum, made a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter.

• Former Bears guard Teven Jenkins left the game with a shoulder injury.