Browns, Niners winners and losers: Special teams, offense fail again

The Cleveland Browns were still in the playoff hunt. Maybe not for a Wild Card seed, but the division title was just a few games away. No, really.

RELATED: BROWNS VS. 49ERS: SPECIAL TEAMS BLOW IT AGAIN

The San Francisco 49ers are a good team. Not great, but much improved since last season. And so far, they have beaten some other very good teams, such as the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. They also reside in arguably the hardest division in the league. Every team except one has a winning record. It is very possible to see three teams from this NFC West Division make the playoffs.

The Browns are still relying on their defense to keep them in games this year. The offense is struggling, but newly minted quarterback Shedeur Sanders has plenty of fans behind him to keep him going. This game was the first start in front of Browns fans.

In the end, Cleveland had minimal offense and plenty of special teams mistakes, as they were beaten pretty badly 26-8, in front of a sparse crowd.

So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?

BROWNIES

LB Carson Schwesinger -Cleveland’s entrant into the league’s top defensive rookie award played a great game. He is a sideline-to-sideline player. With 7:22 left in the second quarter, he filled the gap and nailed San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey for no gain. As the third quarter was winding down, he recognized the shuttle pass to McCaffrey for no gain at the Browns’ 18-yard line that then made it third-and-nine. On a first-and-goal in the final period, Schwesinger caught McCaffrey for a two-yard loss. Led all Browns defenders with 10 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit.

RG Wyatt Teller – The better runs from RB Quinshon Judkins came to Teller’s side, whether between the center and guard, or the guard and tackle. On Cleveland’s second play of the game, Judkins plowed through a hole between Teller and RT Jack Conklin for seven yards. Seven more yards on the next possession. With nine seconds left in the first stanza, RB Dylan Sampson went right behind Teller’s block of DT Kalia Davis and gained nine yards. Judkins gained eight yards in the second quarter when Teller pushed Davis to the inside. Four minutes later, it was Sampson’s turn as he netted an eight-yard gain behind Teller’s block. In the fourth quarter, facing a third-and-one, Judkins found the hole between Teller and RT KT Leveston and scampered 17 yards to San Fran’s 42-yard line. Teller’s pass protection was excellent as well. Davis finished the game with just one tackle and no other stats.

Pass rush – For most of the game, 49ers QB Brock Purdy was harassed and pressured by the Cleveland defense. DE Myles Garrett only got one sack, but the overall effort was there. DTs Maliek Collins and Mason Graham were in the backfield quite a bit, as was DE Isaiah McGuire before he became injured. After the good punt return set the Niners set up with great field position in the first quarter, the pressure from Collins forced Purdy to throw the ball away from the Browns’ two-yard line. The following play was just a one-yard gain by McCaffrey as the D-line stuffed him. Garrett nailed McCaffrey for a three-yard loss in the second quarter.

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FROWNIES

Offense – Punt, downs, punt, TD, punt, fumble, punt, downs, downs. Yards average per pass: 4.0. Yards average per rush: 2.8. Never got into the Red Zone. Total yards: 253. Third downs: 3-11. Fourth downs: 0-4. 149 passing yards.

49ers drive right before the half – Cleveland had just scored and was leading 8-7. K Andre Szmyt then sent a touchback, which placed San Fran at their own 35-yard line with 39 ticks remaining before halftime. 13-yard completion on a third-and-10 to WR Ricky Pearsall. 12 yards to Jauan Jennings. Then the killer throw to TE George Kittle for 33 yards with a first-and-goal with 15 seconds left. The 49ers went from their own end to Cleveland’s seven-yard line in 24 seconds?

Home crowd – It was billed as the first home game start for rookie QB Shedeur Sanders, who won his first-ever NFL start last week. So, all these new Browns’ fans who have been buying up all the #12 jerseys should have packed the place out, correct? Wrong. At kickoff, the stadium looked like it was at halftime and everyone was refilling their beer cup, getting a hot dog with some Stadium Mustard, or in the necessary. Where was everyone? Yes, the temp at game time was 35 degrees under cloudy skies and a southwest wind of 20 MPH. So, it was chilly. But chilly is just a spring day for Clevelanders. In the fourth quarter, the entire lower bowl was full and the upper sections were a sea of orange seats.

Lack of wide receiver play – This offense just isn’t using its receivers any longer. Any of them. Why? Jerry Jeudy led all receivers with 26 yards. No, really. Gage Larvadain had two catches for 23 yards. Ced Tillman had one target and no receptions. Isaiah Bond with one catch. Malachi Corley had no receiving stats.

Special teams – The Larvadain fumble on the punt was inexcusable. You have one job. How did all the Cleveland tacklers end up bunched in the center on the punt return after the Browns’ first possession? San Fran returner went through one hole, and it was all green ahead of him. If not for the hustle of TE Blake Whiteheart, it was six points. Only an average game for P Corey Bojorquez, who had four kicks for an average of 44.5 yards per punt with none downed inside the 20. Larvadain fielded three punts for three yards with an average of 1.0 yards per return. Really? Corely’s decision to field the kickoff while going out of bounds at the five yard line was another special blunder.

S Ronnie Hickman – Right before the half, LB Devin Bush picked up Kittle, then passed him off to the deep zone, to which Hickman was slow to pick him up. Kittle then grabbed the pass on Cleveland’s seven-yard line for a 33-yard gain and an extra three points going into the locker room. On a third-and-nine in the third quarter, Hickman played off Kittle too much, and the talented tight end converted for 14 yards to the Browns’ four-yard line. With 12:35 remaining in the game, Hickman was blasted away by OT Spencer Burford as McCaffrey gained eight on the running play.

Third down efficiency – This should be a rubber stamp each game. The Browns went 3-11.

Fourth down efficiency – OMG. Zero for four attempts. Who should we fire?

The play that changed the entire game – Cleveland was down 10-8 as they had the ball first in the second half, played five downs, and then punted. San Fran then punted after a failed possession. The Browns had the ball on their own 24-yard line. An eight-yard completion to Jeudy. Judkins for one yard. On third-and-one, Judkins was stuffed going left. That made it fourth-and-one at their own 33-yard line. Out trots the punter Bojorquez? The offense remained on the field. Behind by two. In the third quarter. In their own portion of the field. TE Harold Fannin, who was a high school quarterback, fumbled the snap, which negated any chance of getting the first down. Nine plays later, the 49ers scored a touchdown, the atmosphere of the contest swung wide, and the game was never in doubt from that point on. Who was responsible for this decision?

Field position – Back in the origins of the game of American Football, if a team didn’t get anywhere on first or second down, oftentimes they would punt in order to drive the other team further back, and play a field position game. Today, the Browns started on average at their own 21-yard line. San Francisco started an average on their own 41-yard line. Yikes.

Injuries – DT Collins went out with a knee injury, RB Sampson hurt his calf, RT Conklin went into concussion protocol, DT Shelby Harris left the game, C Ethan Pocic hurt his leg but returned, QB Shedeur Sanders went out a play, McGuire did not return.

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Milk Bones – Gobble till you wobble

TE Blake Whiteheart – Admittedly, Whiteheart is used more for his blocking skills on the offense, but his rundown of KR Skyy Moore after the Browns’ first possession was extra special. When Moore busted through the opening and turned a bit towards the left sideline, Whiteheart was still in the middle of the pack. He turned upfield, but Moore had four yards on him at midfield. Bojorquez tried to tackle Moore at the 42-yard line, which slowed him down enough for Whiteheart to catch up. Whiteheart then had the angle and ran like he had a K-9 after him before making the solo tackle. The definition of “hustle.”

RB Quinshon Judkins – Had several good runs and was able to find some tight holes. His first touch of the game was for seven yards, and with 5:47 left in the second quarter, he found an eight-yard gain. The two-point conversion from the Wildcat was all Judkins’ effort. In the final quarter, he found a seam between Teller and Leveston and gained 17 yards. Finished with 23 carries for 91 yards and a 4.0 yards per carry average.

QB Shedeur Sanders – Plenty of good plays, and plenty of bad as well. He missed badly on the overthrow to Jeudy early in the game as the receiver had three steps on S Ji’Ayir Brown on a third-and-three. The touchdown pass completion to Fannin as time was winding down in the first quarter was incredible, as Sanders had his arm hit by DE Robert Beal just as he released the throw. Sanders almost had an interception in the fourth quarter on an attempt to WR Isaiah Bond, but it was dropped. Still needs to learn to throw the ball away instead of going backwards in an attempt to avoid the pass rush. Two sacks were a result of this. Finished going 16-25 for 149 yards, one TD, zero picks, a 6.0 yards per catch average, sacked three times, and a 93.6 QB rating.

DE Myles Garrett – First half, not much going on. He made several good tackles on run plays in the second half and got a single sack. Garrett’s counterpart was 11-time Pro Bowler LT Trent Williams, who has allowed just three sacks all season. Garrett faked out, then made an inside move as Williams was recording it for Instagram. Five tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and three QB hits.

Who are your winners and losers for Week 13?

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