Myles Garrett is having an incredible 2025 NFL season.
From Week 1 through Week 13, he’s had nearly zero bumps in the road, showcasing a state of play that’s unmatched by anyone else in the league. He enters Sunday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers with 44 tackles, 26 for a loss and 18 sacks. He’s also tacked on 27 quarterback hits.
That mark of 18 sacks leads the NFL by a large margin, while also being the Browns’ record for most in a season, with multiple weeks still remaining until the regular season concludes.
“Being able to have a franchise record, I kind of expect that of myself and will continue to set the bar higher and higher,” Garrett said. “And I feel like I had an angel watching over me today [on Sunday].”
However, while Garrett is thriving on the gridiron, the 49ers are not. Well, at least not recently.
On Monday, Nov. 24, the 49ers played host to the Carolina Panthers, beating them 20-9.
But the storyline didn’t come from the win, it came from the strugglesome play of quarterback Brock Purdy.
He completed 23 passes on 32 attempts for 193 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. So far this season, that’s his worst performance, shooting the offense’s confidence down a few notches. Purdy and the 49ers had to play in unfavorable weather conditions on Monday, but unfortunately, the weather won’t be any better in Cleveland on Sunday.
It’s expected to be snowy and cold, with temperatures dropping below 40 degrees.
“Any quarterback in the NFL, if it’s some kind of rain or the ball’s wet, it does change the mindset of taking care of the ball,”Purdy said after Monday’s game. “But at the same time, you do have to drop back, you’ve got to throw it on time and if it’s not there in time, let’s be smart with the ball. I don’t know, I think it just depends on how hard it’s raining and really what the conditions are when we get there in the moment.
“But I’ve played in rain before, and I’ve made it happen before, I’ve gotten the job done before in it, so I’m not going to be afraid or change anything in terms of my preparation going into the week.”
With such conditions, the environment will favor Garrett and the Browns’ defense.
The 49ers offense is going to be forced to run the ball, but if that gets stopped and the run lanes get filled, they’ll have to turn to Purdy and the passing attack. The 25-year-old quarterback has historically struggled in games with rain or snow. ESPN noted last December that he holds a record of 2-3 in games with rain or snow at kickoff.
In college, he also didn’t have to go out on the gridiron and perform in cold or unfavorable weather. Cleveland loves to take advantage of opposing quarterbacks’ weaknesses, primarily due to Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz’s leadership and experience, meaning Purdy is more than likely going to see heavy pressure early to set the tone.
As Garrett continues to play at a high level, his count of three games with three sacks or more this season could jump to four if Purdy isn’t able to bounce back from Monday’s struggles.
The 49ers and Browns will kickoff play from Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, Nov. 30, with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m.
In the 21 all-time meetings between the two sides, the Browns have won 13 with the 49ers winning eight. Through the last five matchups, Cleveland leads the series 3-2.
