An inside look at Sunday’s Week 6 game between the Browns and 49ers at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland.
marquee matchup
Kyle Shanahan’s offense vs. Jim Schwartz’s defense
In baseball terms, Jim Schwartz owns Kyle Shanahan.
The two have met eight times as coordinators and head coaches. Schwartz won seven of those meetings, including six in a row. Including the 2021 matchup when Schwartz was a defensive assistant at Tennessee, the winning streak will be seven.
In nine meetings so far, Schwartz has held Shanahan to just 15.8 points per game, and only once has he allowed more than 20 points.
Coming into this game, the Browns’ defense was allowing a league-low 196 yards per game, 70 fewer than the 266 yards per game of Baltimore and San Francisco.
“They rush the passer on every play and then they react to everything,” Kyle Shanahan said when asked about the challenges of playing against Cleveland. “It’s a problem that Myles Garrett has combined with Schwartz’s scheme and the guys around him. It’s obvious why they’re a top defenseman right now.
“When you have the D-line, downhill linebackers that they have, it’s better to have some good corners, and they have very good corners. They do a lot of one-on-one interviews. They will mix in some zone. But if he plays man-to-man this much and also has the league’s No. 1 pass defense, he should also have some good corner kicks. ”
Jack’s selection: Cleveland’s defense will be the 49ers’ toughest challenge this season.
Offense is a bigger problem for the Browns. Cleveland will be without starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Nick Chubb and left guard Joel Bitonio.
Unless San Francisco turns the ball over or shows up, they will eventually tire out Cleveland and the 49ers will advance to 6-0 on the season.
49ers 19 Browns 6
four downs
ball security: One thing that could negate the 49ers’ personnel advantage in this game is turnovers.
San Francisco is just 1-10 so far in 2021 in games in which it has turned over the ball more than its opponent. Even if he doesn’t, the 49ers still have a 29-3 record.
Cleveland’s defense has been very good through the first four weeks, forcing just three turnovers. Meanwhile, their offense has turned the ball over at least once in each game this season.
I understand Miles.: Leading the Browns’ defense is pass rusher Myles Garrett. The defensive end recorded 5.5 of Cleveland’s 12 sacks and hit opposing quarterbacks 13 times.
Garrett moves around the formation, but 121 of his 166 snaps came while lined up on the right side of the defense. If this pattern holds true Sunday, Garrett will likely spend most of the day facing off against All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams. The veteran left tackle has allowed just four pressures and four rushes in 162 pass-blocking snaps.
Mr. Unrelated: A win on Sunday would give Brock Purdy the second-highest winning streak in NFL history at 11. The current record is held by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Bean Roethlisberger, who won 15 games in his first start.
The second-year quarterback has broken several records this season and could set another one in Cleveland.
Purdy has completed 236 passes since throwing an interception in the third quarter of the 49ers’ win over Las Vegas on Jan. 1. He is 14 passes away from breaking Alex Smith’s franchise record of 249 passes.
Cleveland’s only interception this season came when safety Grant Delpit picked off Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first quarter of a 26-22 loss.
all pro fred: Fred Warner has 674 tackles in his career. He needed just two tackles Sunday, passing NaVorro Bowman for fourth in tackles in franchise history.
Warner will have ample opportunity against Cleveland’s run-heavy offense.
The Browns are tied for fourth in the league with 32.8 rushing attempts per game.
Cleveland lost star running back Nick Chubb for the season after suffering a knee injury in Week 2 against Pittsburgh. In the last two games, they have used Pierre Strong, Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt, averaging just 3.1 yards per rushing attempt.