And then there was one... one unbeaten left in the NFL, that is. The San Francisco 49ers no longer have a zero in the loss column after their Week 6 trip to Cleveland to face the Browns, even though Cleveland was without Deshaun Watson for the game.
A missed field goal in the final seconds was the ultimate gut-punch for the 49ers as it would've given San Francisco a 20-19 lead with little chance of Cleveland having the opportunity to retake the lead. However, the overall story for the Niners in this game was a completely sloppy effort wholly in contrast to what we'd seen basically through the entire first 20 quarters of the 2023 season.
It was a frustrating day to be a 49ers fan, especially with a scuffle breaking out before kickoff -- it just looks worse to lose a game after things began like that. However, as we look back at the loss, there are some clear 49ers to blame for how things played out and why San Francisco took its first loss of the year.
4. Jake Moody missed the 49ers game-winning FG, but also another
We clearly have to start with Jake Moody with this conversation. The rookie kicker had the opportunity to win this game after one of the 49ers' best drives of the afternoon, getting him a relatively pedestrian 41-yard try to essentially win the game (and from a great position between the hashmarks).
Moody hooked it just a little too much as it sailed wide right of the goalposts, giving Cleveland the ball back and allowing the Browns to run out the clock for the win.
That would probably be enough to blame Moody in its own right, but what hurts the rookie kicker further is that was also his second missed field goal of the day as he setn a 54-yard attempt in the first quarter wide left. The first miss also forced the 49ers to not get on the scoreboard after the defense came up with an early turnover.
What makes all of this look that much worse for the 49ers and Moody is the fact that San Francisco used a third-round pick in this year's draft on the former Michigan kicker. That's normally blasphemous in terms of draft value, and it looks that much worse when that kicker then costs you a winnable game with a pair of field goal misses.
3. Steve Wilks failed to adjust properly to the Browns offense
There's not a specific defender for the 49ers who really deserves a ton of blame. Yes, Deommodore Lenoir fell down in coverage, which led to a 58-yard reception for Browns WR1 Amari Cooper. Moreover, Cooper also Mossed another cornerback in Charvarius Ward for a big gain later in the game. And there were several costly penalties from the defense, though some more warranted than others.
Where you can pretty clearly point the blame, though, is defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
Make no mistake, Wilks has been great leading up to this point in the 2023 season after replacing DeMeco Ryans. That was not the case on Sunday, however.
The Browns were starting PJ Walker at quarterback and remain without Nick Chubb in the backfield. To say the offense was hamstrung even before the opening kickoff would be an understatement. And yet, they found enough offensive success to keep moving the ball and, obviously, get the win against San Francisco.
One notable area where Wilks failed the Niners in this game was adjusting to Cleveland's screen game. Whether it was Kareem Hunt, David Njoku, or a number of other players, the 49ers simply let the Browns get chunk yardage on numerous screens in this game. Furthermore, San Francisco was also unable to slow down Jerome Ford, who had 84 yards on the day while averaging 4.9 yards per carry.
We know how dominant the 49ers defense is capable of being when it's operating at its best. Wilks did not have the unit doing that in what was a sloppy game overall made slightly better by forcing a couple of turnovers. Without those changes of possession, though, one could argue that the 49ers wouldn't have even had a chance to win this game.
2. George Kittle was a complete non-factor for the 49ers offense
We'll talk a bit more about the effects of injuries for the 49ers in a bit. But the TL;DR version is that San Francisco was without wide receiver Deebo Samuel for most of this game and running back Christian McCaffrey for essentially the entire fourth quarter and part of the third. When that happens, you expect the other big-name weapons in the offense to step up.
For the Niners, that should've been tight end George Kittle. Unfortunately, the gritty pass-catcher was anything but against the Browns, barely even making a whimper against one of the NFL's best defenses.
Kittle was targeted only twice for the entire game, reeling in just one of those for a reception and managing only a single yard with that catch. For a eam that needed someone to step up and make a play, the tight end was about as far from doing that as possible.
Again, it's crucial to note that the Browns have one of the best defensive units in the league. They clearly did a great job of blanketing Kittle, getting after Brock Purdy, and limiting the 49ers offense in this matchup. Having said that, when you have one of the best players at his position, the expectation should be for him to win even in difficult circumstances. The importance of that increases tenfold when the offense is shorthanded.
This wasn't entirely Kittle's fault, it should be noted. Having said that, it's jarring to see how little impact he had on this game statistically. It's also difficult to not consider that a little more production could've helped push the Niners ahead for the victory.
1. Brock Purdy played his worst game since taking over as 49ers QB1
In all honesty, this was a massive game for the "Brock Purdy is a system quarterback who's not actually that good" crowd.
Purdy lost two of his biggest weapons throughout this game due to injuries. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel left the game after only playing eight snaps and then Christian McCaffrey suffered an oblique injury that he tried to return from but was ultimately ruled out with early in the fourth quarter. And frankly, it showed when you watched the 49ers quarterback.
For all of the good things Purdy has done since being forced into action last season and then claiming the starting job, there might be some truth to the idea that Kyle Shanahan and some of the best skill position players in the NFL have helped him tremendously. After all, with that group a tad depleted -- albeit against a great Browns defense -- Purdy was just 12-of-27 for a mere 125 yards, one touchdown, and his first interception in 248 attempts.
Even if McCaffrey and Samuel miss time beyond the end of this Week 6 game, I do expect Purdy to ultimately bounce back. He's proven his moxie and ability, particularly within the Shanahan system in San Francisco. Adjustments will be made to whatever the personnel available is.
However, there's also no denying that Purdy's worst performance to date in the NFL played a pivotal role in his team taking its first loss of the season.
