Sunday couldn’t have gone much worse for the 49ers. They took their first loss of the year in a 19-17 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Browns.
Super Bowls aren’t won in September or October, and San Francisco still sits tied atop the NFC with the Eagles and Lions, but there are a handful of things to take away from Sunday’s game that will matter long term.
Here are our eight takeaways from Week 6:
Injury bug bites
The 49ers entered Sunday with their health largely intact. That changed quickly Sunday when wide receiver Deebo Samuel left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. Left tackle Trent Williams also sustained an injury in the first quarter when he was rolled up on and hurt his ankle. Running back Christian McCaffrey was also compromised with an oblique and rib injury that ultimately forced him out of the game. Only Williams returned, but he was clearly hampered by an injury that left him in a walking boot after the game.
It’s unclear how long each one will be out, but they’re three of San Francisco’s most important players, so any amount of time they’re out would be tough to overcome.
Win streak snapped
The 49ers had won 15 regular season games in a row entering Sunday. Sunday’s loss was their first since Week 7 of last season when they got blown out by the Chiefs 44-23 at home. A 15-game win streak tied the franchise record for most consecutive regular season victories, set by the 1989-90 teams.
A bad Brock game
Brock Purdy on Sunday was very bad. His offensive line certainly didn’t help, and it was clear he struggled with the rain, but even after the rain subsided and when he had time to throw there were a ton of uncharacteristic mistakes. He was off target on intermediate and deep throws and missed a couple open receivers down the field for what could’ve been game-changing plays. Purdy finished with the worst statistical output of his career. He completed just 44.4 percent of his throws for 125 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Purdy was good on the final drive and got the 49ers into field goal range, but for 58 minutes he simply wasn’t good enough.
Penalty problem
San Francisco couldn’t get out of its own way. While the officiating wasn’t great, there were too many self-inflicted wounds on the penalty front for the 49ers. They committed 12 penalties for 105 yards, including a pair of, albeit questionable, fouls on the Browns’ game-winning drive.
Moody's misses
There were more problems for the 49ers on Sunday than their kicking game, but it’s glaring when the No. 99 overall pick kicker misses two field goals in a 19-17 loss. Moody pulled a 54-yard try wide left in the first quarter. Then his 41-yard game-winning try was pushed wide right.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s management of the clock didn’t help the rookie kicker since the 49ers never used their final timeout and settled for a not easy field goal. Shanahan said they wanted to keep their timeout in case they botched the snap or hold, but there were opportunities for them to run at least one more play where they could’ve spiked it and held their timeout. It was an odd sequence to close it, but Moody has to nail the 41-yarder. That’s why they drafted him, and his first high-pressure kick failed.
Turnover battle busted
A strange phenomenon happened in Cleveland. The 49ers won the turnover battle and lost. That happens in the NFL, but San Francisco hasn’t lost a game where they won the turnover battle since Week 1 of the 2020 season. Browns QB PJ Walker threw two interceptions, and Purdy threw one. That typically signals a San Francisco victory, especially since both of their INTs gave them great field position. The 49ers also won the points-off-turnover battle 7-0. This isn’t liable to become a trend, and winning in the TO margin will more often than not lead to a win on the scoreboard.
New RB2?
Jordan Mason appears to have overtaken running back Elijah Mitchell on the team’s RB depth chart. Mason was the first RB off the bench to spell McCaffrey, and he received a lion’s share of the snaps once McCaffrey went out. Mason contributed 27 yards and a touchdown on five carries. In the last two games he’s up to 15 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns.
One glaring issue
The 49ers offensive line was a significant problem Sunday. Significant enough that it’s the thing most likely to hold the team back from winning a Super Bowl. They’ll face some very good pass rushers and defensive fronts in the NFC playoffs, and it was clear Sunday that after Week 6 that front is playing at a high enough level. Whether it’s a trade or their current starters making a leap, the 49ers need to see an improvement from their offensive front.
