Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns were still in the playoff hunt. Maybe not for a Wild Card seed, but the division title was just a few games away. No, really.
RELATED: BROWNS VS. 49ERS: SPECIAL TEAMS BLOW IT AGAIN
The San Francisco 49ers are a good team. Not great, but much improved since last season. And so far, they have beaten some other very good teams, such as the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. They also reside in arguably the hardest division in the league. Every team except one has a winning record. It is very possible to see three teams from this NFC West Division make the playoffs.
The Browns are still relying on their defense to keep them in games this year. The offense is struggling, but newly minted quarterback Shedeur Sanders has plenty of fans behind him to keep him going. This game was the first start in front of Browns fans.
In the end, Cleveland had minimal offense and plenty of special teams mistakes, as they were beaten pretty badly 26-8, in front of a sparse crowd.
So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?
LB Carson Schwesinger -Cleveland’s entrant into the league’s top defensive rookie award played a great game. He is a sideline-to-sideline player. With 7:22 left in the second quarter, he filled the gap and nailed San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey for no gain. As the third quarter was winding down, he recognized the shuttle pass to McCaffrey for no gain at the Browns’ 18-yard line that then made it third-and-nine. On a first-and-goal in the final period, Schwesinger caught McCaffrey for a two-yard loss. Led all Browns defenders with 10 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit.
RG Wyatt Teller – The better runs from RB Quinshon Judkins came to Teller’s side, whether between the center and guard, or the guard and tackle. On Cleveland’s second play of the game, Judkins plowed through a hole between Teller and RT Jack Conklin for seven yards. Seven more yards on the next possession. With nine seconds left in the first stanza, RB Dylan Sampson went right behind Teller’s block of DT Kalia Davis and gained nine yards. Judkins gained eight yards in the second quarter when Teller pushed Davis to the inside. Four minutes later, it was Sampson’s turn as he netted an eight-yard gain behind Teller’s block. In the fourth quarter, facing a third-and-one, Judkins found the hole between Teller and RT KT Leveston and scampered 17 yards to San Fran’s 42-yard line. Teller’s pass protection was excellent as well. Davis finished the game with just one tackle and no other stats.
Pass rush – For most of the game, 49ers QB Brock Purdy was harassed and pressured by the Cleveland defense. DE Myles Garrett only got one sack, but the overall effort was there. DTs Maliek Collins and Mason Graham were in the backfield quite a bit, as was DE Isaiah McGuire before he became injured....
