CLEVELAND – Win No. 9 in the 49ers’ seemingly playoff-bound season came in 26-8 fashion Sunday. But it wasn’t looking too secure until a third-quarter swing.
The 49ers clung to a 10-8 lead when, well, let’s hear from referee Brad Allen.
“Boom, this way!” Allen shouted on a live mic as 49ers linebacker Luke Gifford recovered the Browns’ fourth-and-1 snap, which was botched by Harrold Fannin at the Cleveland 33-yard line.
What ensued was a 2-yard touchdown run by Brock Purdy, then a 7-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Jauan Jennings, with Matt Gay tacking on a 31-yard field goal in the final minutes.
Those 16 unanswered points after halftime allowed the 49ers (9-4) to cruise to a third straight win, their longest streak since a 3-0 start to the season.
The Browns (3-9) fell in the first home start for rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who won his debut last Sunday in Las Vegas; Cleveland hasn’t won back-to-back games since 2023.
The 49ers’ defense and special teams came through with plenty of highlights, too, in the team’s coldest game this season: 35 degrees at kickoff with a wind chill of 8 degrees amid 24-mph winds.
The 49ers now enter their long-awaited bye week, the latest ever in an NFL regular season; also idle will be the New England Patriots, the Carolina Panthers, and the New York Giants. No practices are anticipated as 49ers players likely will be excused after Tuesday’s strength and conditioning.
Purdy came alive late in the first half, finished with just 168 passing yards, committed no turnovers, and got sacked just once, when Myles Garrett notched his NFL-leading 19th sack.
About 1 ½ minutes before the fourth quarter, Purdy put the 49ers ahead 17-8 with a 2-yard, third-and-goal touchdown run, with Garrett biting on Purdy’s fake handoff to Christian McCaffrey. Purdy kept that drive alive with a 14-yard, third-down completion to George Kittle at the 4-yard line, but only after McCaffrey earlier converted a third-and-2 run.
Even after Purdy got sacked by Garrett to force a punt, the Browns muffed it and Darrell Luter Jr. recovered for the 49ers at the Browns’ 18-yard line. That led to Jennings’ signature third-down touchdown catch.
Gay’s field goal with 4 minutes left capped the 49ers’ scoring spree, which he actually began just before halftime when he banked in a 25-yard field goal for a 10-8 lead. That end-of-half scoring drive came to life thanks on Purdy completions to Ricky Pearsall (13 yards), Jennings (12) and Kittle (33 yards, at the 7-yard line).
The Browns had pulled ahead 8-7 when, after nine consecutive runs to midfield, Sanders floated a 34-yard touchdown pass to Fannin, who slipped past Gifford then beat Renardo Green and Ji’Ayir Brown to the goal line. Another 49ers’ gaffe — 12-men-on-the-field for a point-after kick — prompted the Browns to go for a two-point conversion that Quinshon Judkins scored off a direct snap for an 8-7 lead, 39 seconds before halftime.
The 49ers improved to 8-0 when leading at halftime.
McCaffrey put the 49ers ahead 7-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, capitalizing on Skyy Moore’s career-long 66-yard punt return to the Browns’ 16-yard line. After throwing away an option pass on second down, McCaffrey had a 12-yard catch to the 2-yard line, then ultimately punched in his eighth rushing touchdown in eight games (after none in the first four games). McCaffrey found a scoring lane between left guard Spencer Burford and center Jake Brendel.
McCaffrey finished with 53 yards on 20 carries, and 21 yards on four receptions.
On the injury front, the 49ers’ casualties included fullback Kyle Juszczyk (ribs), linebacker Nick Martin (concussion) and left guard Ben Bartch (foot). Juszczcyk, who notched his 300th career reception on the game’s first snap, was reported injured early in the fourth quarter. Martin sustained a first-half concussion on a fourth-down stop, and Bartch was lost to a foot injury late in the third quarter; Bartch had rotated with Spencer Burford for four games since coming off Injured Reserve.
The Browns ruled out right tackle Jack Conklin at halftime with a concussion, then defensive tackle Maliek Collins (a 2024 49er) got carted off early in the third quarter with a knee injury.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh’s unit looked vulnerable to screen passes and runs up the middle early in the game. But a slew of highlights offset those Browns yards.
Setting the tone, late in the first quarter, was safety Malik Mustapha combining with ex-Browns defensive tackle Jordan Elliott to stuff Judkins for a 1-yard loss on that fourth-and-1 run from the 20.
The 49ers’ first of three sacks on Sanders came early in the second quarter, but only after coach Kyle Shanahan nullified a third-down stop to accept an illegal-shift penalty on the Browns to set up third-and-15. That led to Clelin Ferrell’s sack of Sanders at midfield.
Ferrell later notched a second sack, and Keion White recorded his first full sack with the 49ers.
Sanders’ first home drive as the Browns’ starting quarterback ended with him overthrowing Jerry Jeudy, who was open past Brown some 35 yards downfield. Sanders’ final snap: a 6-yard run before he slid down in 49ers’ territory, on a fourth-and-26 play.
Sanders finished 16-of-25 for 149 yards with the one touchdown and no turnovers.
Mac Jones finished things off for the 49ers, taking a knee and cueing a Kendrick Bourne backflip in the victory formation.