The result was a 26-8 49ers victory and a performance that answered few questions about Sanders’ long-term viability as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
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Sanders was virtually error-free on a day that produced his first real NFL highlight-reel pass. But Cleveland’s offense was stagnant and ineffective, while mistakes and turnovers doomed any chance of the Browns competing against the superior 49ers.
After throwing for 96 yards and a touchdown in the first half, Sanders did little in the second as Cleveland played from behind with a 17-8 deficit early in the third quarter. The Browns did not score after halftime, and Sanders suffered a sack on fourth-and-16 midway through the quarter that effectively ended the game.
Sanders misses a deep ball and hits another
Sanders finished his second NFL start completing 16 of 25 passes for 149 yards with 1 touchdown and no turnovers. He took three sacks for a loss of 34 yards. Cleveland produced 251 yards of offense as both offenses struggled in windy conditions on a 33-degree day with wind gusts reaching 36 mph.
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Sanders had a chance for an early touchdown, but he tackled Jerry Jeudy with a deep pass on Cleveland’s first possession. Jeudy broke free over the San Francisco secondary on third-and-5, but Sanders’ pass was out of reach.
The incompleteness caused a punt.
But Sanders had another chance to make a deep pass in the second quarter, and this time he made it.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. went wide down the left sideline on second-and-9 from the San Francisco 34-yard line. With pressure from his blind side, Sanders threw a pass that Fannin corralled at the 10-yard line and took to the end zone.
The touchdown was the second of Sanders’ career and the first that didn’t come thanks to a screen pass behind the line of scrimmage. The Browns went up 2 and made it after an extra point penalty put them at the 1-yard line. And the touchdown gave the Browns an 8-7 lead.
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The Browns stagnate after halftime
But that was the end of Cleveland’s highlights of the day. The 49ers closed the half with a field goal to take a 10-8 lead. Then mistakes and an ineffective offense doomed the Browns after halftime.
Cleveland punted on its first possession of the second half, then gave the ball away on a botched snap to Fannin in a wild fourth-and-1 formation.
The 49ers recovered the fumble and scored a touchdown on the next possession to take a 17-8 lead.
Then disasters struck again for Cleveland early in the fourth quarter. Punt returner Gage Larvadain muffed a punt after Cleveland forced a stop. The 49ers recovered and turned that turnover into another touchdown to take a 23-8 lead.
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And on the second-half drives, when Cleveland didn’t turn the ball over, it wasn’t effective. In five possessions after halftime, the Browns gained 60 yards of offense while recording two punts, a final fumble and two turnovers.
This story will be updated.