NFL Week 6 Awards: 49ers’ lethargic loss to P.J. Walker's Browns shows they aren’t perfect team
They were likely never going to go 17-0, but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who thought the San Francisco 49ers would lose to the Cleveland Browns Sunday. If there was even a singular person who actually believed in Cleveland’s chances, they seemed delusional about it once it was clear that a horrible backup like P.J. Walker would start against the 49ers’ ferocious defense.
And yet, there the Browns were, upsetting the 49ers 19-17 in easily the most shocking individual result of this still-young NFL season. What happened? Why did the 49ers drop the ball after looking like an absolutely perfect buzzsaw en route to a 5-0 start?
As always, it’s never so simple to blame just one person.
For one, Brock Purdy had one of his worst games as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, completing just 12-of-27 passes for 125 yards while throwing one touchdown and his first interception of the season. The Browns’ defense deserves a ton of credit for rattling Purdy. But there were more than a few throws Purdy left on the field, potentially reigniting the questions about whether he is actually good enough to elevate the 49ers’ stacked offense against equally good defenses.
Emerson intercepts Purdy! Browns looking to take the lead
: #SFvsCLE on FOX
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/B4mQvLOt8O pic.twitter.com/nu4pZOKc1v— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2023
Injuries played a part, too.
San Francisco’s do-it-all offensive Swiss Army Knife Deebo Samuel would leave the game with a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, after suffering an ankle injury, left tackle Trent Williams tried to battle, even though it was clear he wasn’t 100 percent. None of this absolves the defense, either. The 49ers should’ve feasted on a woefully mismatched quarterback like Walker. It’s inexcusable that they let his one genuine safety valve — receiver Amari Cooper — carry the Browns’ offense.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t highlight Jake Moody, San Francisco’s highly-drafted rookie kicker, for missing the game-winning chip-shot attempt in the final moments:
THE BROWNS WIN ON THE 49ERS MISSED FIELD GOAL. #SFvsCLE pic.twitter.com/QbSddKlcTX
— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2023
The 49ers are probably going to be fine. By no means does one loss define what remains one of the NFL’s true Super Bowl contenders. But we thought this team was an unmitigated juggernaut headed toward a historic season.
As it turns out, they’re a bit more fallible and flawed than we believe. Even the “best” team in the league can still fall short on any Sunday. That’s something evergreen to keep in mind later this winter.
Alas, the rest of Week 6’s NFL Awards here at For The Win is a doozy. We’ve got backup running backs creating touchdowns with monster blocks. We’ve got an announcer intentionally avoiding an announcer jinx. We’ve got a superstar receiver ready on a moment’s notice for a creative touchdown celebration.
Heck, who am I kidding? We’ve got everything. Let’s dive in.