How a 3-8 Browns squad might pose a greater challenge to Brock Purdy than any opponent the 49ers have encountered this season

Aman Sharma

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Why a 3-8 Browns team could hit Brock Purdy harder than anyone 49ers faced this year image

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

TL;DR

  • Cleveland's defense is the team's backbone, peaking in form with 10 sacks against Las Vegas.
  • Myles Garrett leads the NFL with 18 sacks, fueling the league's second-ranked pass defense.
  • Brock Purdy's accuracy issues and toe injury may be exacerbated by Cleveland's formidable pass rush.
  • Adverse weather and an interior defensive line shutting down escape lanes will challenge San Francisco's offense.

Despite Cleveland's record, their defense has been the team's backbone, and the squad enters Sunday's game in peak form for the season.

The unit overwhelmed Las Vegas, with 10 sacks in its most recent game, has become one of the league's most formidable defensive lines, particularly when playing on its home turf.

Dan Labbe, appearing on Orange and Brown Talk podcast, pointed out that this defense has kept the Browns afloat despite limited production on the other side of the ball, noting,

“(The Browns’ offense) can have empty drives, (they) can end every drive with a kick because give it back to your defense, they’re going to get you the football back most of the time.”

This contest arrives at a precarious moment for Brock Purdy. He tossed three interceptions versus Carolina, and Ashley Bastock thinks Cleveland's pass rush might exacerbate those problems.

“I think with the way Brock Purdy is playing right now and coming off this toe injury, I think there’s the chance to really rattle him up front,” she said.

Mary Kay Cabot shared a similar view, saying,

“I think that the Browns defense is going to give Brock Purdy and that offense the business.”

The Browns defense appears much more formidable than their record indicates, with anticipated rain and wind, and an interior defensive line featuring Maliek Collins and Mason Graham allowing Myles Garrett to apply maximum pressure.

The Browns' defense presents a formidable challenge, fueled by relentless pressure, opponent errors, and situational factors.

Cleveland's identity has changed as its interior linemen have shut down quarterback escape lanes, enabling Myles Garrett to maintain an unprecedented rate of pressure. Garrett tops the NFL with 18 sacks, 13 of which came in his last five contests, and the Browns boast the league's second-ranked pass defense and second-highest sack total.

The team's most recent home victory against San Francisco in 2023 served as a reminder of this squad's disruptive potential in adverse weather conditions, and Labbe recollected the defense's formidable appearance against the Raiders when he stated,

“That offensive performance by the Raiders was one of the worst I’ve seen covering a football game.”

Purdy arrives in Cleveland after a night where accuracy problems forced Kyle Shanahan to lean heavily on Christian McCaffrey. Purdy still completed 22 of 32 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, but his 6.0 yards per attempt marked one of his least efficient performances in a win.

Shanahan defended Purdy’s reads, attributing the interceptions to errant throws instead of poor judgment. San Francisco's worry stems from the fact that Purdy's only 2023 game with fewer than 7.0 yards per attempt was against this very same defense.

This week, the 49ers travel will contend with temperatures ranging from the high 30s to the low 40s, facing an opponent that recently achieved its best performance of the season.

Given Shedeur Sanders starting for Cleveland and McCaffrey's continued heavy usage, San Francisco requires Purdy to stabilize the offense. At 8-4 and positioned seventh in the NFC playoff standings, the 49ers can't afford additional turnovers.

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News Correspondent