The Cleveland Browns gave up one long touchdown drive to open the game against the San Francisco 49ers, then essentially slammed the door shut en route to a 19-17 victory over the previously undefeated Niners.
“We say it all the time. We’re the best in the world, as a defense and particularly as a secondary,” Browns corner Greg Newsome II said after the victory, via the official team transcript.
The 49ers swiftly covered 84 yards in five plays for a touchdown in the opening drive, with 30 yards of assistance from Cleveland penalties. However, the Browns managed to restrict San Francisco to just 10 points and 161 yards of offense for the remainder of the game.
Newsome reported that when they reached the sideline, Coach Jim Schwartz remarked, ‘That’s their only one,’ in reference to the first drive. He said that everyone then began performing their regular duties, as they do in daily practice sessions. Newsome highlighted that the opposition did not present anything new and that they are a team that keeps to their usual strategies. He concluded by saying they simply did their job and it resulted in success.
On the following 12 drives, the Browns D forced four 3-and-outs, a 4-and-missed FG (following an offensive interception), and picked off Brock Purdy for the QB’s first INT of the season.
The Browns limited San Francisco to 215 total offensive yards, which is the lowest the 49ers have had under Kyle Shanahan. They also ended their streak of scoring at least 30 points in eight consecutive games.
“That’s the swagger we’re talking about. It’s the swagger that Jim has instilled in us and helped us exhibit,” stated Myles Garrett. “It’s not just in our defense, but across the entire team, and we’ve radiated that confidence all week. I believe you’re only witnessing the start of it and are just beginning to pay attention. However, we always maintain that level of energy, and we’re confident that we can compete with anyone, regardless of who’s on the field.”
Jim Schwartz, the new defensive coordinator for the Browns, has consistently outperformed Shanahan. With an 8-1 record against Shanahan-led offenses, Schwartz’s only loss was in 2008 when Shanahan was OC in Houston and gained a narrow 13-12 victory against Schwartz’s Titans. Over the course of nine games, Schwartz’s defenses have managed to limit Shanahan’s offenses to an average of 15.8 points, 319.4 total yards, 28.3 third downs, and 2.0 turnovers per game.
On Sunday, his defense managed to unsettle Purdy enough to induce some errors from the young quarterback. The quarterback for the Niners completed 12 out of 27 passes for 125 yards, secured a touchdown, an interception, and was sacked three times.
Yes, the Niners saw a host of playmakers go down Sunday, including Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel. Still, it’s not as if the Browns were playing with a stacked deck, given a practice squad quarterback P.J. Walker was under center (threw two INTs, including one that led to an 8-yard TD).
The Browns also got bailed out by rookie Jake Moody botching a 41-yard field goal that would have won the game for San Francisco after the defense allowed San Francisco to drive into range on the last possession. But sandwiched between the first and final drives, Cleveland’s defense commanded the contest.
“Garrett declared, “We are aware of our identities. We expressed ourselves to everyone, yet we knew our potential within our team. We simply continued to play the game as we knew we could. These guys possess a high level of confidence, and quite rightly so. We’re going to keep on playing.”
