The Cleveland Browns are 2-2 in the 2023 NFL season following a 28-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 1.
They defeated the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans in Weeks 1 and 3, but fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ravens in Weeks 2 and 4. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson earned his first start during Cleveland's matchup with Baltimore. He threw for 121 yards and three interceptions while completing 19 of his 36 pass attempts in the home loss.
“Nobody likes losing, especially me. I'm a big winner and that's what everybody was hoping for today, including myself,” Thompson-Robinson said, via Cleveland.com Browns reporter Irie Harris. “So, like I said, we got a lot to clean up. I have a lot to clean up. Going out there for the first time and now actually getting some tape to watch on myself to see what I need to correct. But, yeah, there's definitely a lot to clean up.”‘
The Browns will face the San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Oct. 15. The Niners defeated the Dallas Cowboys in a 42-10 victory at Levi's Stadium in Week 5. San Francisco gained a total of 253 receiving yards and 170 rushing yards in the victory. Linebacker Fred Warner finished the game with eight tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection and one quarterback hit.
What are some bold predictions for the Browns when they face the 49ers on Sunday?
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3. The Browns offense will record at least 210 passing yards
Cleveland has earned a total of 799 passing yards during the 2023 season. The figure put it behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets for last place in the league, according to NFL.com. The Browns recorded a season-high 263 passing yards during their 27-3 victory over the Titans. Wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Browns leading receiver during the 2022 NFL season, ended the game with 116 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
The 49ers are in 13th place in the NFL after allowing a total of just over 1,010 passing yards during the 2023 NFL season. The allowed 140 passing yards during their win over the Cowboys last Sunday. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed 14 of his 24 pass attempts and threw three interceptions in the matchup at Levi's Stadium. Receiver CeeDee Lamb led the squad with 49 receiving yards on four receptions. Dallas receiver KaVontae Turpin caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Prescott with 7:45 remaining in the second quarter.
2. The Browns defense will slow down the 49ers passing attack
The Browns defense ranks first in the NFL with 125 passing yards allowed per game, according to ESPN. Their three passing touchdowns allowed put them on pace with the Houston Texans at the top of the league. The Ravens garnered 186 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in their win over Cleveland, including 80 yards from Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews.
“When you have the D-Line they have, the downhill linebackers, you better have some good corners and they have very good ones,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said, via All 49ers. “They play a lot of man-to-man coverage. They'll mix in some zone. But, when you play that much man-to-man and you're also the number one pass defense in the league, you've got to have some good corners.”
The Niners offense has recorded 246.2 passing yards per game, putting it in eighth place in the league ahead of the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 252 yards and four touchdowns in San Francisco's win over Dallas.
1. The Browns will defeat the 49ers by a one-score margin
Cleveland must find a way to regain its footing with a win over an undefeated 49ers squad. Cleveland's defense may play an important role in Sunday's matchup after they have allowed 15 points per game in four games played, putting them on pace with the Ravens for the second-fewest in the NFL.
“This game, to me, is the biggest challenge we've had so far,” Shanahan said, via Joaquin Ruiz of NBC Sports. “I thought that was going to be Dallas, too, going into it.
“But you look at this, and (Cleveland's) defensive numbers just jump out. You see very much that they're number one or two in everything. Red zone is the only thing they're not, but that's only because they've had eight plays there all year. But everything else is top-notch.”
The Browns must find ways to keep constant pressure on the 49ers and tap into their run game's potential when facing San Francisco in Week 6. If they can, they may take a key win against the Niners before moving on to face the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Oct. 22.
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