T
he San Francisco 49ers are hard at work in preparing for a big Monday Night Football tilt against the Carolina Panthers in week 12 but already, one of their future opponents made a big personnel move ahead of their matchup. Set to hit the road for a game against the Cleveland Browns in week 13, the Browns revealed who would be their starting quarterback for the game. On Monday morning, the Browns announced that rookie Shedeur Sanders would get his second consecutive start agains the 49ers in week 13.
With Deshaun Watson out for the season rehabbing a torn achilles, and both Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett getting traded, the Browns have only two quarterbacks on their active roster that are both rookies– Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel, who became the starter after Flacco got traded, suffered a concussion in week 11 which forced Sanders into action. Putting together a promising start this past weekend, the Browns elected to stick with Sanders even though Gabriel is now healthy.
Sanders Starting Against the 49ers
Sanders starting against the 49ers is actually a full circle moment for him and his family. The son of Hall of Fame Deion Sanders– a Super Bowl champion with the 49ers in 1994– Sanders will get his second career start against the franchise that his father once suited up for. Throwing for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 24-10 win over the Raiders, Sanders became the first Browns quarterback since 1995 to win their first career start. Showing a lot of promise, the Browns look like a different team with Sanders under center.
For the 49ers, they cannot afford to take this game for granted. Last facing the Browns back in 2023– the season that they made the Super Bowl– the 49ers were unable to come away with the win, losing 19-17 on the road in the first of a three game losing streak. And while the 49ers are a better team on paper than the Browns, a good Browns defense is very capable of disrupting the 49ers’ flow, which could cause issues.
49ers’ Remaining Schedule
After taking on the Browns, the 49ers will go into their bye week, so a win is pivotal. If the 49ers beat the Panthers and the Browns and are sitting at 9-4, then they can use the bye week to try and get even healthier as they make a push for the playoffs. But a loss to either the Panthers or the Browns, or even both, puts the 49ers in a major frenzy entering their bye week with a tough slate of games still remaining.
After the 49ers face the Browns and go on their bye week, they will end their season with games against the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, the last three are all contenders for the playoffs. If the 49ers are able to do well against those teams, it will say a lot as they prepare for a deep playoff run of their own.
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