CLEVELAND — It took Montez Sweat only five games to become the Bears’ sacks leader.
The defensive end recorded 2 ½ in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Browns, including a strip-sack of quarterback Joe Flacco in the first quarter. He has six sacks with the Bears after posting 6½ with the Commanders before the late October trade. Amazingly, he leads both teams in sacks.
The Bears beat up on a depleted Browns offensive line — they had four sacks and helped the back seven intercept three passes. They were playing their first game without Yannick Ngakoue, who went on injured reserve with a broken ankle Wednesday. Dominique Robinson was active for the first time since the Sweat trade and played in his place in certain packages. DeMarcus Walker played both tackle and end on pass downs.
“Whoever’s out there, whoever’s in front of me, I plan on dominating my opponent,” Sweat said. “I expect everybody else to do the same.”
Things turned into the fourth quarter, though. The Browns, who had 44 plays for 182 yards through three quarters, ran 23 plays for 195 yards in the fourth. They scored 13 fourth-quarter points after scoring seven in the first three.
Browns quarterback Joe Flacco had a 144.5 passer rating in the fourth quarter.
“It’s very frustrating,” Sweat said. “Especially in a close game like then when you’re leading most of the game and letting it slip out, slip through our fingertips at the end.”
