SANTA CLARA — When it comes to the absences of quarterback Deshaun Watson and pass rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns’ practice, there’s no doubt which player the 49ers should be more focused on for Sunday’s game.
Garrett could be the key if the Browns (2-2) are to upset the 49ers (5-0) in their first visit to Cleveland since 2015.
“He’s one of the most talented guys anyone’s seen,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday of Garrett. “The style they play on defense is very similar to ours: they rush the passer on every play and then react to everything else.”
P.J. Walker, not rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson of UCLA, will start ahead if Watson can’t play a second consecutive game because of a rotator cuff injury, the Browns announced. Prior to last weekend’s bye, Watson was somewhat of a surprise scratch against the Baltimore Ravens, so Thompson-Robinson drew the start and threw three interceptions in a 28-3 home loss.
“It doesn’t really change too much for us,” defensive end Nick Bosa said of their preparation.
Garrett did not practice Wednesday because of a foot injury. The 49ers must anticipate facing him, however.
“Him combined with (defensive coordinator Jim) Schwartz’s scheme and the guys around him, it’s a problem,” Shanahan said. “It’s obvious why they’re a top defense right now.”
No defense is allowing fewer yards per game than the Browns’. Then again, no defense was allowing fewer points a week ago than the Dallas Cowboys, who subsequently lost 42-10 in Sunday night’s visit to Levi’s Stadium.
Garrett has 5 1/2 sacks this season, and all came in their three home games; he got shut out in a 26-22 loss at Pittsburgh on Sept. 18. He has 80 sacks since entering the NFL as the 2017 No. 1 pick, and one sack came against Jimmy Garoppolo in the Browns’ 2019 loss at Levi’s Stadium.
“He’s as good as it gets,” Bosa said of Garrett. “His get-off is as quick as it comes. His power is really good. His changeup off those two things are really all he needs.”
“This guy, it’s power, and you know what’s coming, but you have to block him,” right tackle Colton McKivitz said. “Strong, powerful rusher, long arms, big. It’ll be a fun test.”
Four of Garrett’s sacks this year came when lining up against the left tackle. That would pit him for the first time in his career against Trent Williams, who allowed no pressures in eight pass-rush matchups in Sunday night’s sack shutout of the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons.
Williams has not allowed a sack all season; Purdy’s been sacked five times in the past four games, after McKivitz yielded three sacks in the opener to the Steelers’ T.J. Watt.
Right guard Spencer Burford said he and his fellow linemen will take the same weekly approach against Garrett as they do every week in terms of following proper assignments, technique and, simply, “just make sure we keep him off Brock any way we can, to neutralize him as a player.”
Garrett plays over 75 percent of the Browns’ snaps, so he’s also part of a stout rushing defense yielding 3.22 yards per carry (second-fewest in the league) and 71.8 yards per game (fourth-fewest). The Browns may allow the league’s fewest total yards (196.8 per game) and passing yards (125.0), but they’ve produced just one interception through four games; Purdy has thrown 235 passes since last getting intercepted (on New Year’s Day).
“When you have the D-line they have and downhill linebackers, you better have some good corners, and they have very good corners,” Shanahan said. “When you play that much man-to-man and you’re also the No. 1 pass defense in the league, you have to have very good corners.”
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk agreed: “They play hard, they play fast, and in their back end, they have guys we’re well aware of at cornerback and safety.”
RANDY GREGORY DEBUTS
Defensive end Randy Gregory debuted in practice, three days after getting traded from the Denver Broncos, who’ve lost 6-of-22 games since Gregory arrived as a free agent from the Cowboys.
“I’ve always been a part of winning cultures, all the way back to Pop Warner football. To not being in a winning culture is tough on me mentally, especially when I’m one of those guys they’re looking to make plays,” Gregory said. “Being able to step in where there is a winning culture, obviously they have a lot on the line and they’re seeing the big picture from me, I want to slide in where I belong.”
Bosa said of Gregory: “He just needs to get the scheme stuff down and he should be a big help to us in the pass rush and run game. He’s a (heck) of a pass rusher and super physical.”
PRACTICE REPORT
Left guard Aaron Banks (right shoulder) was limited after Sunday’s injury. … Running back Elijah Mitchell (knee) remains out but is not wearing any support sleeve on either knee. … Williams, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and tight end George Kittle rested.
Other than Garrett and Watson, the Browns also practiced without guard Joel Bitonio (knee), tight end David Njoku (hand, face burns), and wide receiver Amari Cooper (rest).
STAT CORNER
Purdy became the first quarterback since at least 2016 to throw four touchdown passes in a game while outside the tackle box, a feat reported by the NFL’s NextGen Stats. Shanahan didn’t know what to make of that stat, considering Purdy’s passes weren’t designed bootlegs but rather he was pressured out of the pocket.
“There’s a lot of weird stats I don’t know about that people have these days,” Shanahan said. “But when you’re the first one to do it, it must be something pretty good.” Officially, Purdy is 10-0 as a regular-season starter, with a 121.1 passer rating that’s unmatched in NFL history through 10 starts.
NOTES
The 49ers are seeking their 16th consecutive regular-season victory, a streak that coincides with McCaffrey’s insertion to the starting lineup following his trade last October from Carolina. McCaffrey, himself, has a franchise-record streak on the line, in that he’s scored in 14 straight games, including playoffs. … The 49ers offense and defense have been so complementary that it’s translated to a plus-99 point differential, and only eight other teams in NFL history have been so dominant in a 5-0 start, according to The Associated Press’ Josh Dubow. Six of those teams went on to the Super Bowl, and three won it (Washington 1991, Los Angeles Rams 1999, New Orleans Saints 2009). When the 2019 49ers started 5-0, they did so with a plus-83 point differential en route to an 8-0 start, the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the conference’s Halas Trophy and, ultimately, a Super Bowl defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs.
