The Cleveland Browns dropped a winnable game at home, falling 26-8 to the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup far closer than the final score suggests. Despite brutal late-November weather and constant field-position disadvantages, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders delivered a composed and efficient performance in his first-ever home start in front of the Dawg Pound.
Sanders finished 16 of 25 for 149 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a strong 93.6 passer rating. He protected the ball, extended plays when necessary, and showed growing command of Kevin Stefanski’s offense. The issue wasn’t Sanders — it was the field position he was forced to deal with all afternoon.
On the other side, Brock Purdy posted near-identical numbers, completing 16 of 29 for 168 yards and one touchdown with an 83.7 rating. Cleveland’s defense held Purdy to 5.2 yards per attempt and made San Francisco work for every yard.
Browns Lose 26-8 to 49ers as Special Teams Collapse Overshadows Shedeur Sanders’ Home Debut
Team Stats Reveal Just How Close This Game Was
Despite the lopsided final score, the Browns matched the 49ers in nearly every meaningful statistical category:
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Total Yards: 49ers 252, Browns 253
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Yards per Play: Browns 4.2, 49ers 3.9
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Rushing Yards: Browns 138, 49ers 91
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Time of Possession: 49ers 30:10, Browns 29:50
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Total Plays: 49ers 64, Browns 60
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Passing Yards: 49ers 161, Browns 115
Where the Browns collapsed:
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3rd Down: 49ers 11/17, Browns 3/11
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4th Down: Browns 0/4
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Turnovers: Browns 2, 49ers 0
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1st Downs: 49ers 19, Browns 15
Cleveland out-rushed the 49ers, matched them in total offense, and stayed even in time of possession — but repeatedly lost on critical downs.
Special Teams: The Mistakes That Changed Everything
Cleveland’s special teams were the decisive factor. A series of breakdowns turned an even contest into a multi-score loss:
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A long punt return allowed San Francisco to start inside the red zone
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A muffed punt deep in Browns territory
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A kickoff fielded at the 6-yard line and carried out of bounds, burying the offense
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Multiple punt coverage failures
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Missed blocks on a key 4th-and-1 attempt
These errors produced repeated short fields for the 49ers, while Sanders was forced to start drives pinned near his own goal line.
The defense did enough. Sanders did enough.
Special teams did not.
Final Thoughts
The Browns didn’t lose because of their rookie quarterback. They didn’t lose because of the defense. They lost because special teams utterly collapsed in a game where Cleveland otherwise matched San Francisco nearly step-for-step.
This was a winnable game — perhaps one Cleveland should have won. Instead, a complete breakdown in the third phase overshadowed a promising Sanders performance and turned a tight contest into a 26–8 defeat.
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