CLEVELAND – The NFL’s two franchises with arguably essentially the most contrasting quarterback lineage conflict Sunday in a uncommon assembly on the shores of Lake Erie.
On this rendition of the 49ers (8-4) vs. the host Browns (3-8), the QB pairings are Brock Purdy vs. Shedeur Sanders.
Spoiler alert: the quarterbacks possible received’t dictate the result amid inclement climate (rain, snow, 20-mph wind, temps within the 30s, yikes).
Sanders is trying to win his first dwelling begin, having simply change into the primary Browns rookie quarterback up to now 18 tries to win a beginning debut; Cleveland beat the host Las Vegas Raiders 24-10 final Sunday.
Purdy is trying to change into the 49ers’ first successful quarterback in Cleveland since Joe Montana in 1984, as a part of their greatest Tremendous Bowl-winning staff in franchise historical past.
Since that 41-7 victory – present Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame seniors finalist Roger Craig ran for 2 touchdowns – the 49ers have gone 0-4 in Cleveland. The quarterback matchups:
Sept. 13, 1993: Steve Younger (49ers) vs. Bernie Kosar (Browns). Rating: 23-13.
Dec. 30, 2007: Chris Weinke vs. Derek Anderson, 20-7.
Dec. 13, 2015: Blaine Gabbert vs. Johnny Manziel, 24-10.
Oct. 15, 2023: Purdy vs. P.J. Walker, 19-17.
To keep away from a fifth straight loss in Cleveland, listed here are the 49ers’ 5 keys:
1. RUN BETTER
Coach Kyle Shanahan gave a fabulously sarcastic response Friday when a reporter requested for the 49ers’ weatherproof sport plan. “Can’t give you our secrets,” Shanahan mentioned earlier than quipping, “but we’re going to air it out, throwing it every play. The harder it rains, the more we’re going to throw.”
Of us, they’re going to run. And that received’t shock Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who’s 8-1 towards a Shanahan-called offense.
“We’re run-blocking our best of the year, so far,” proper sort out Colton McKivitz mentioned. Shanahan bolstered that in Friday’s assembly together with his offense earlier than flying to Cleveland.
“Everyone has bought in now, and everyone sees the value in blocking and straining as hard as we can,” McKivitz added. “November and December are where your season is made, so I’m glad we’re all coming together right now. It’s going to be raining and snowing, typical Cleveland, but if we need to throw the ball, we can do that, too.”
Previous to yielding simply 60 speeding yards final sport to the woeful Raiders, the Browns’ three earlier video games noticed them permit a median of 163 speeding yards and 33 carries per sport (to the Patriots, the Jets and the Ravens).
The 49ers are averaging solely 99.2 speeding yards per sport, their lowest mark since 2015 (96.5 ypg.). However that common jumps to 143.8 speeding yards of their 4 wins since Oct. 19 towards Atlanta.
2. BALL SECURITY
This actually is the No. 1 consider any sport, and the 49ers are recent off a sport with severe ball-security points. In fact, there have been Purdy’s three interceptions thrown earlier than halftime, and he has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 8:7 this season.
Inclement circumstances will gas considerations about Purdy’s previous climate video games. In that 2023 shedding go to to Cleveland, he was simply 12-of-27 for 125 yards, however don’t overlook him ending 3-of-4 to arrange a last-seconds area aim, which Jake Moody missed from 41 yards. (Sidebar: Matt Homosexual would be the 49ers’ kicker this sport.)
“If it’s some kind of rain or if the ball’s wet, I mean, it does change the mindset of taking care of the ball,” Purdy mentioned. “But, at the same time, you do have to drop back, you’ve got to throw it on time. And if it’s not there in time, let’s be smart with the ball.”
Christian McCaffrey hasn’t misplaced the ball amid a NFL-high 298 touches this season, however he fumbled final sport on the 49ers’ 18-yard line and McKivitz recovered. McCaffrey additionally didn’t lose a fumble in Week 4 towards Jacksonville.
The 49ers’ protection, after one interception by 12 video games, has a pair in every of the previous two video games.
3. BEWARE OF GARRETT
Browns defensive finish Myles Garrett clearly poses the largest menace to the 49ers’ possessions. He leads the NFL with 18 sacks, and he’s pressured three fumbles.
“Obviously I think he’s the best in the league at what he does and you have to have a game plan ready for him and more than anything understand I can’t be holding onto the ball too long,” mentioned Purdy, whose blindside can be protected by three-time All-Professional left sort out Trent Williams.
Whereas Williams expects Garrett on his facet 85% of the snaps, McKivitz has carried out his homework for dealing with Garrett. “He has speed, length and good bend to turn the corner,” McKivitz mentioned. “He’s putting on a show so far this year.”
4. RATTLE SANDERS
Sanders emerged from final Sunday’s beginning debut in Vegas with a message: “A lot of people wanted to see me fail and it ain’t going to happen. It ain’t going to happen.”
Individuals noticed Sanders infamously slide within the draft to a fifth-round flier by the Browns, and he opened camp as a fourth-string possibility. The 49ers are cautious of the play-making potential and resiliency he confirmed at Colorado.
“He’s mobile, he’s got a big arm, tremendous confidence,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh mentioned. “… You anticipate someone like him who’s got that confidence, who has that skill set, he’s just going to get better and better every week.”
Sanders’ father, Deion, received NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr honors with the 1994 49ers staff that received the Tremendous Bowl – and he additionally received over a teenage fan in Kyle Shanahan, who’s in his ninth 12 months because the 49ers coach and proudly admits he wore a Deion Sanders jersey day by day throughout that playoff run.
“It is weird just because he was my hero growing up,” Shanahan mentioned of this matchup.
5. THE OTHER ROOKIE
Sanders isn’t the Browns’ rookie that’s most regarding. Relatively, it’s operating again Quinshon Judkins, a 5-foot-11, 221-pound, second-rounder out of Ohio State
Of his seven speeding touchdowns, six have come within the Browns’ three wins, together with two scores final Sunday on the Raiders and three towards the Miami Dolphins.
After debuting in Week 2, he’s rushed for 667 yards with a median of three.9 yards per carry. That’s not bonkers however he’s on the Thirty first-ranked offense that generates 258.5 yards general per sport.
The 49ers can be with out arguably the perfect run-stopping defensive finish they’d left, as Sam Okuayinonu (ankle) is sidelined with earlier casualties Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams and Yetur Gross-Matos. Linebacker Curtis Robinson wants higher productiveness than final Sunday’s beginning debut, when he had three tackles and two missed tackles.
