Browns snap counts: Analyzing personnel usage from the loss vs. 49ers

The Cleveland Browns' season is likely over with Sunday's 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The AFC North has been a mess this season, but sitting at 3-9 with and trailing the division-leading Ravens and Steelers by three games with five to go is almost certainly too tough of a climb for Cleveland. The Athletic's playoff simulator gives the Browns a less-than-one percent chance to make the postseason, and an 86 percent chance to finish the year with between four and six wins total.

The rest of Cleveland's season will likely be centered around answering questions regarding the future trajectory of this team. It certainly feels like the Browns' coaching staff will be attempting to save their jobs over the final month of the year, and while the team's 2025 draft class has provided several pieces worth building around, the Browns will need to find out just how much work they need to do at the quarterback position this offseason.

Let's take a look at how the Browns used their personnel in Sunday's loss, as they prepare to head into the final stretch of this season.

The 100%ers

• Offense (2): OT Cam Robinson, G Joel Bitonio

It's a remarkably small club this week. Starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not on the field for two of the Browns' 63 offensive snaps -- including one where Dillon Gabriel replaced him, after Sanders seemed to suffer an injury after attempting a slide in the fourth quarter -- and no player on defense played more than 95% of Cleveland's defensive snaps.

Offense

Backup guard Teven Jenkins, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns this offseason, played a season-high 54% of the snaps, as the Browns rotated him in and out with starter Wyatt Teller on Sunday. Teller played 49% of the Browns' offensive snaps. Elsewhere on the offensive line, KT Leveston played 57% of the snaps, as starting right tackle Jack Conklin was limited to 44% due to his entrance into concussion protocol.

Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., once again, led all skill position players in snaps, playing 92% of Cleveland's offensive snaps. That contrasted with veteran David Njoku, who at 51% was significantly out-snapped by Fannin for the second-straight week. At wide receiver, the usual duo of Jerry Jeudy (84%) and Cedric Tillman (63%) led the way, with Malachi Corley (37%), Gage Larvadain (29%), and Isaiah Bond (29%) splitting the rest of the reps almost evenly again.

In the offensive backfield, Jerome Ford (22%) narrowly returned to his RB2 duties, eking out rookie Dylan Sampson (19%) in the snap counts this week. Quinshon Judkins (60%) led the backfield, of course.

Defense

Despite not having a player hit 100% this week, the Browns' defense had six players who were on the field for more than 90% of the snaps: S Grant Delpit, LB Carson Schwesinger, and CB Tyson Campbell all played 63 snaps (94%), while S Ronnie Hickman and CB Denzel Ward hit 62 snaps (93%), and star defensive end Myles Garrett played a higher-than-usual 61 snaps (91%).

Outside of Garrett, seven (!) more defensive linemen played over 30% of the Browns' defensive snaps, as ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi mentioned in the above post on X: DT Mason Graham (73%), DE Cam Thomas (57%), DT Shelby Harris (48%), DT Maliek Collins (39%), DE Isaiah McGuire (33%), DT Mike Hall Jr (33%), and DT Sam Kamara (30%). After being a key part of Cleveland's defensive line rotation on Sunday, Collins unfortunately suffered an apparent season-ending injury in the loss to the 49ers.

McGuire, who had been the team's primary option at defensive end opposite of Garrett in Alex Wright's absence, trailed Thomas in snaps this week.

Special teams

Three Browns players tied for the team lead in special teams snaps this week with 15 snaps (71%): DE Cam Thomas, CB Myles Harden, and S Donovan McMillon. Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Christopher Edmonds were also active often, playing 62%, while usual special teams participants in Hickman, Delpit, and tight end Blake Whiteheart also all played over 50% of Cleveland's special teams snaps.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns snap counts: Analyzing personnel usage from the loss vs. 49ers