San Francisco 49ers: Three key position battles in week 5 vs. Browns
Recently the Browns have drafted very well acquiring players like quarterback Baker Mayfield and edge defender Myles Garrett. To complement its young core, this offseason the team added wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and defensive lineman Olivier Vernon.
The combination of rising stars and proven veteran players is the reason for all the optimism surrounding Cleveland. San Francisco’s roster isn’t exactly chopped liver, as the team possesses a handful of up and coming players as well. Young bucks like DeForest Buckner, Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel have shown plenty of potential giving reason for 49ers fans to feel optimistic as well.
Monday night will come down to which team is able to turn potential into production. If the Red and Gold are going to win, it will be a result of the following position battles.
49ers Defensive line vs. Browns Offensive line
Cleveland has heavily invested in its skill positions, however, that leaves the team with a glaring weakness: offensive line. The unit has allowed 12 sacks, ranks 24th in pass blocking and 21st in the running game, according to Football Outsiders. With these rankings, San Francisco’s front seven should be licking their chops in preparation for Monday night.
Guard Eric Kush has surrendered 11 pressures on the year which is tied for the sixth most among AFC guards, and seven of DeForest Buckner’s nine quarterback pressures have come from the right side. Also among guards with at least 73 snaps, Kush’s PFF run blocking grade is in the bottom 15 of the league. Look for the Red and Gold to exploit this mismatch on Monday night.
While the 49ers have an advantage on the interior, the edges will be a much more competitive battle. The Browns starting right tackle, Chris Hubbard, returned to action last week and didn’t allow a single pressure against a team that was averaging over two sacks per game. Throughout his career, the lineman has been outstanding in pass protection and this season is no different.
After being cast away from Los Angeles and Detroit, Greg Robinson has revived his career in Cleveland. In 2018, the tackle allowed career lows in both sacks and pressures, so he’s not the same slouch the 49ers were able to take advantage of a few years ago.
Edge defenders Dee Ford, Nick Bosa and Ronald Blair III have combined for 29 pressures, so San Francisco certainly isn’t heading into the game with a clear disadvantage on the outside. However, it’s imperative that the entire unit needs to win their one-on-one matchups. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has a passer rating of 90.9 with a clean pocket, but that mark drops to 43.4 under pressure. Obviously, getting after the quarterback will go along way for the defense.
49ers Cornerbacks vs. Browns Wide Receivers
Re-uniting college teammates has paid off for the Browns, as Beckham and Landry have combined for 39 catches and 636 yards on the season. With these two leading the way, Cleveland might have the best receiving core in the NFL. Luckily the 49ers secondary has an effective one-two punch of their own.
Ever since his second year in the league, Richard Sherman has been considered an elite cornerback and this year is no different. According to Pro Football Focus, he allows 0.45 yards per snap in pass coverage, and that mark is the seventh best among cornerbacks (minimum 42 snaps). The veteran typically stays put at left cornerback, but with Ahkello Witherspoon’s injury, it would behoove the Red and Gold to have Sherman follow Beckham throughout the game.
K’Wuan Williams started his career in Cleveland, so he has a chance to make his former team pay for letting him go. As a nickel corner, he has been a pleasant surprise for San Francisco, allowing a passer rating of 47.6 when targeted in slot coverage, third lowest in the NFL (minimum 27 slot coverage snaps). However, Williams faces his toughest test to date on Monday.
Over the last few years, Jarvis Landry has established himself as one of the premier slot receivers in the league. This season he possesses the fifth highest yards per route run when lined up inside (minimum 35 snaps). Given both Williams’ and Landry’s success, this might be the most interesting and important matchup of the game.
San Francisco’s Offensive Tackles vs. Cleveland’s Edge Rushers
In his third season, Myles Garrett is emerging as a premier pass rusher. Through week four, he is tied for second in the NFL with six sacks and has a total of 18 quarterback pressures. Clearly the up and coming superstar is a problem for San Francisco, but the Browns pass rush goes beyond Garrett.
While Olivier Vernon only has one sack on the year, he is still a very disruptive pass rusher with 15 quarterback pressures. With 22 sacks in the three previous seasons, you have to think the former Giant will start converting pressure into sacks. For the 49ers, hopefully he waits at least one week to flip that switch.
After an extremely impressive rookie campaign, tackle Mike McGlinchey is on his way to replicating that effort. The Notre Dame product has only allowed three pressures on the year, so he should match up well against Garrett and Vernon. However, McGlinchey is far from the team’s biggest concern.
With Joe Staley on the shelf for at least a few more weeks, San Francisco turns to rookie Justin Skule at left tackle. In his first start against Pittsburgh, the young lineman only allowed two pressures, but was called for three penalties. Hopefully some of Staley’s coaching during the bye week has rubbed off on Skule, if not, the 49ers offense will struggle to move the ball.
Follow our contributor Matt Holder on twitter @Mholder95 and Sports Illustrated 49erMaven @49ersMavenSi.
