In a stunning, albeit mistake-filled upset, the Cleveland Browns topped the San Francisco 49ers 19-17 on a rainy Midwest afternoon.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan once again failed to defeat old nemesis Jim Schwartz, Cleveland's defensive coordinator, whom he's 1-8 against lifetime, a matchup decided less on scheme than on pure survival.
Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers' 19-17 loss against the Browns.
49ers finally have an ugly game
No part of Sunday's loss was pretty. Purdy threw his first interception of the year. Penalties gouged the Niners throughout the screen. In the second half, the Niners' first four drives resulted in -12 yards. For the first time this year, San Francisco couldn't get out of its own way.
Without the stabilizing presences of running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel, the offense never really got in a rhythm. San Francisco was consistently unable to get their offense ahead of the chains, which resulted in the Niners going 3 of 12 on third downs, with an average of 11.2 yards to go on those downs. That inefficiency let the Browns' elite defensive line tee off on QB Brock Purdy, who recorded an interception, 3 sacks, an intentional grounding penalty, and a career-worst 55.3 passer rating.
For awhile, it looked like the defense would keep the Niners in a 'bodybag' game. Browns backup QB P.J. Walker threw two picks and was sacked twice without throwing a touchdown, being held to under 200 yards by the stingy Niners D. But the defense also allowed 160 rushing yards (4.7 YPC), which contributed to them losing the time of possession game by 6 minutes.
The cherry on top was the (overly) penalized game - San Francisco alone racked up 12 penalties for 105 yards. The most damaging of these came during the Browns' final scoring drive to put them up 19-17 late in the 4th quarter, when 49ers safety Tashaun Gipson and cornerback Charvarius Ward were penalized for infractions that very likely did not occur. Gipson's in particular came on a 4th down attempt by the Browns that would have likely ended the game, but instead gave Cleveland an automatic first down that they capitalized on for the winning score.
Injury bug finally bites
Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel were the highest profile victims of injury on Sunday's game, both of whom spent the second half in the locker room. McCaffrey suffered an oblique injury that he unsuccessfully tried to play through in the third quarter, while Samuel was officially ruled out with a shoulder injury by halftime.
McCaffrey's blood-soaked exit (thanks to elbow lacerations early in the game) portended the first seriously damaging injury report of the season. Trent Williams sustained an ankle injury early in the game that sent him out for a series, while George Odum suffered a thigh injury that removed him from the game.
Along with Dre Greenlaw's pre-game inactive designation, the Niners spent a big chunk of the game without much of their top-end talent. The 49ers must certainly play better to avoid being dragged down to the level they performed on Sunday, but getting their offensive stars healthy as soon as possible is a must for San Francisco.
Moody under a microscope
49ers kicker Jake Moody was in the center of the drama at the end of the game, after being tasked with a 41-yard field goal that would have given San Francisco a 20-19 win. But after Cleveland called a final timeout to ice the rookie kicker, Moody pushed the attempt wide right, allowing the Browns to walk off with a home underdog win.
While that miss was particularly impactful, Moody had opportunities to prevent that situation from arising earlier in the game. Moody chipped in a 25-yarder in the second quarter, but also missed an admittedly more difficult 53-yard attempt in the first that would have given the Niners a two-score lead.
Moody will be examined closely in future games, especially in the high-pressure situations he failed to convert on Sunday. Some have criticized the 49ers for not re-signing free agent and playoff stalwart Robbie Gould. Despite selecting Moody with a 3rd round draft pick this year, the Niners will have to evaluate him as the season moves forward and decide if Moody is capable of anchoring a playoff team this year.
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