This sums up perfectly why the Browns are 3-11 after being totally outplayed by the Bears, 31-3, on Dec. 14: Somehow, the wristband play-card Shedeur Sanders refers to before calling a play in the huddle fell off on the sideline before he went onto the field for the Browns’ second offensive series . It caused the Browns to take a delay of game penalty before he realized something was wrong. “There was a miscommunication early,” coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters in his postgame news conference. “We got that fixed pretty quickly.” The error didn’t really affect how the game unfolded, but it symbolizes the way this season has gone. The Browns have lost three straight games and six of seven. The only team they beat in the stretch was the 2-12 Raiders. There were some highlights from the frigid afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago. • Myles Garrett added 1.5 sacks to his franchise record and now has 21.5 with three games to play. He needs 1.5 more to break the record of 22.5 set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt in 2021. • Isaiah Bond caught passes of 49 and 42 yards from Sanders. • Linebacker Carson Schwesinger recorded 14 tackles, polishing his case for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Those positives do not mask everything that went wrong. Sanders played behind a makeshift offensive line, and he paid the price. He was sacked five times and hit 10 other times. The only starter on the offensive line still standing from the season opener is left guard Joel Bitonio. By the time the game ended, Garrett Dellinger, who started the week on the practice squad, was playing right guard in place of injured Teven Jenkins, who started in place of injured Wyatt Teller. Beginning with Sanders’ first start when he engineered the 24-10 win over the Raiders on Nov. 23, the final portion of the season became about deciding whether Sanders is good enough to be the Browns’ quarterback of the future. The loss to the Bears clouded the question after his three-touchdown, 364-yard performance against the Titans last week. Sanders threw three interceptions. Two were misguided decisions by Sanders. One slid through the hands of Jerry Jeudy in the end zone when the Bears were leading, 21-3. Instead of Jeudy catching the ball to make the score 21-10, the Bears turned the takeaway into an 80-yard touchdown drive to put the game away. “That’s going to happen,” Sanders said. “I’m not one to ever kick somebody when he’s down. He understands it’s a big play. I’m sure he’s hard on himself. There’s no need for me to do that.” The Browns rushed for only 50 yards, and 24 of those belonged to Sanders. The Bears did not respect the Browns’ rushing attack, which made defending Sanders easy for the team that increased its NFL-most interception total to 21. The Bears, trying to win the NFC North, played with more effort. Injuries have decimated the Browns, but the lack of effort from certain players is a concern about how they should be judged looking ahead to 2026. Defensive back Myles Harden seemed reluctant to tackle in the cold weather. Once again, the Browns gave up a long kick return to open the game. Devin Duvernay returned the opening kick 52 yards to the Cleveland 47. The defense forced a three-and-out, but it set the tone for the game. The vaunted Browns’ defense missed too many tackles defending the run for the second straight week. The Bears rushed 33 times for 142 yards. The Bears pinned the Browns inside the 1 on the punt following Duvernay’s long return. Before the ball was snapped for Cleveland’s first offensive play, Harold Fannin was called for a false start. Quinshon Judkins rushed for one yard, and then the Browns were penalized for 12 men in the offensive huddle. The needless penalties are two more examples of why the Browns can’t get out of their own way, just like walking onto the field without the correct play-card on the quarterback’s wrist. Browns running back Quinshon Judkins carries against the Bears on Dec. 14 in Chicago. (Erin Hooley - The Associated Press) Bills at Browns When: 1 p.m., Dec. 21 Where: Huntington Bank Field Records: Bills 10-4, Browns 3-11 TV: WOIO/CBS ...read more read less