The Cleveland Browns entered their Week 15 contest against the Chicago Bears riding a wave of optimism after having their best performance of the season on offense against the particularly woeful Tennessee Titans. Sure, they ultimately didn't achieve the grand point of the whole ordeal — which is to win — but Shedeur Sanders was dynamite, throwing for 364 yards, three touchdowns, and just one interception in the Titans game.
It seemed like the perfect performance to build from.
Then the whistle blew in Chicago, and it was a smackdown for 60 minutes that could not seem to end fast enough. The offense was dreadful, totaling just 192 yards in the contest. It was a smorgasbord of disaster all afternoon on that side of the ball, be it turnovers (three), sacks (five), and more than just a few what-the-heck moments.
In particular, the offensive line appeared to wish they were elsewhere, as they allowed Sanders to be pressured on 48 percent of his drop backs, according to ESPN Research via Daniel Oyefusi. This is obviously an astronomical figure — but it gets even worse. The Bears defense had been the NFL's 31st-ranked unit rushing the passer all season long. Somehow, the Browns made that same defensive line look like All-Pros.
From ESPN Research: The Bears pressured Shedeur Sanders on 20 of his 42 dropbacks (48%), their highest pressure percentage in a game this season. Chicago entered ranked 31st in the NFL with a 24% pressure percentage on the season.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) December 14, 2025
Sanders has been pressured on 46% of his…
While there is certainly an injury component to this mess, as the Browns were without Wyatt Teller and Ethan Pocic, as well as the perennially injured Jack Conklin, there are still legitimate gripes to be had for all parties. The offensive line in particular has dealt with these musical chairs all season long, and it seems that a group featuring Canton-bound Joel Bitonio and the always serviceable Cam Robinson should be able to hold up at least somewhat better than historically bad levels.
The Browns' offensive line has reached an embarrassing new low
Oh, and don't be fooled into thinking it was just not the O-Line's day. If anything, it hasn't been their year. Shedeur Sanders currently boasts a mind-boggling 46 percent pressure rate on the season, a trend that, if it continues through the rest of the year, will be the highest yielded pressure rate since ESPN started gathering the statistic in 2009, per Oyefusi.
There are adverse situations, and then there's what the Browns trot out onto that field with Sanders every Sunday. This is hardly the way to evaluate a young player to find any evidence of franchise-QB worthiness. It exposes the conundrum this franchise finds itself in far too frequently.
Is the problem the quarterback: his decision-making, turnovers, or accuracy? Is it the receiving corps: their ability to get open, catch the ball, or make plays once they've secured it? Or is it the offensive line and their inability to give the signal-caller time to scan the field, in tandem with not opening many holes for the run game? Hmm... maybe it's even the coaching staff; they're failing the players by not preparing them adequately for NFL-level football.
The problem is that the defendants are guilty on all counts, folks. On offense, no one is absolved of blame for this abomination. It's an organization-wide failure, and one that is going to require significant mitigation to return to a respectable product Browns fans deserve.
As another lost season concludes, it is the hope of Browns fans everywhere that whoever is in charge come decision-making time can make some better evaluations on the side of the ball that has been neglectfully depleted over the last few years.