The San Francisco 49ers travel to Cleveland in an NFC West versus an AFC North matchup on Sunday. The 8-4 Niners look to add to their two-game win streak against the Browns. If the 49ers are looking to improve to 9-4 heading into their bye week, they must stick to the Keys to Victory.
Stop the Run
The 49ers' defense will face a challenging running game led by rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. Judkins has 667 yards, averaging 3.8 yards per carry, with seven touchdowns on the season. Now that the Browns have made a change at the quarterback position with Shedeur Sanders, the 49ers must zero in on taking away the run to force Sanders to become one-dimensional.
The defense must play fundamentally sound when trying to stop the run by wrapping and tackling. Judkins is a powerful running back, and the big hits won't get the job done. Dee Winters and the other linebackers will have their hands full with Judkins if they can't stop the run. This will also allow Sanders to open up the game with play-action passes and take shots down the field against the 49ers' secondary.
Stop the run, win the game.
Don't Sleep on the Tight Ends
The Browns have a pair of tight ends that could be game changers if the 49ers' defense falls asleep. Their leading pass catcher is rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. He leads the team with 462 yards, 48 receptions, and two touchdowns. David Njoku has 42 receptions, 288 yards, and three touchdowns. The Browns' tight ends are players who keep the chains moving.
49ers' safeties Ji'Ayir Brown, the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and Jason Pinnock will have their hands full in covering this pair of tight ends, who play an intricate role in the Browns' offense. The defense must eliminate explosive plays by the tight ends to be successful against the Browns.
Run an Efficient Offense
Everyone likes explosive plays. A healthy Brock Purdy thrives off of explosive plays downfield. Last week against the Panthers, Purdy threw three interceptions attempting to push the ball downfield, and some say it should have been five.
Expect the 49ers to come out running the ball. Also expect them to get into a rhythm early with a more efficient passing attack. Purdy was 6-of-7 early in last week's game, and the team scored a touchdown to wide receiver Jauan Jennings to cap off the drive.
The Browns have a good secondary and will look to capitalize on mistakes by the 49ers' offense. If the dink-and-dunk passes are working, don't change the game plan. In the words of Brock Purdy's pre-game speech in week 12, "take what the defense is giving you."
Expect an efficient run offense on the road, especially if there's a chance of inclement weather. If the 49ers play efficient football, they will be victorious.
A 9-4 record sounds better than an 8-5 one going into the bye week. The 49ers control their destiny to this year's playoffs, and they have an opportunity to continue on that journey this weekend against the Browns if they stick to the Keys to Victory.