The Cleveland Browns upset the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. It was the biggest upset win for the Browns since the team defeated the New Orleans Saints in 2010. The win helped galvanize a downtrodden team, suffering from injuries to offensive leaders. From Amari Cooper to Wyatt Teller, we break down the Browns’ studs and duds from this game.
The Browns started the game fighting, quite literally during an exchange between 49ers’ wide receiver Deebo Samuel and Browns’ safety Juan Thornhill. It’s unsure what was said, but the pregame festivities set the intensity for the game. The game was a hard-hitting, action-packed mud fight. Even the refs were frazzled at times.
The Browns’ defense led the effort against the 49ers. The number one-ranked Browns’ defense knew this was a title fight for the best defense in football. They came out victorious, shutting down a top-3 49ers offense and reigniting a debate around their franchise quarterback. If only every win could inspire an opponent to have an identity crisis. I thought Brock Purdy did a good job of getting rid of the ball quickly.
He avoided Myles Garrett and Dalvin Tomlinson who lived in the backfield all day. The box scores won’t represent that fact. But 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams called Myles Garrett a future Hall of Famer. That’s high praise coming from the best left tackle since Joe Thomas retired. This week’s Studs and Duds showcases the box score stuffers, in both the good and the bad ways.
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