Five Takeaways from the 49ers’ Win Over the Browns

The 49ers walked into Cleveland and left with a gritty, defense-driven win over the Browns on Sunday. It wasn’t all pretty, but San Francisco’s young roster, opportunistic defense, and resilient depth proved enough to grab another road victory. Here are the five biggest takeaways from the matchup.

1. Dee Winters Is Becoming That Guy

Linebacker Dee Winters turned in one of the most complete defensive performances of his young career. His 79.6 defensive grade led all 49ers defenders, and he stacked strong play in every phase:

• Run defense: A team-best 71.8 grade with two important stops.
• Coverage: A standout 76.2 grade, allowing just three catches for eight yards.
• Tackling: Only one missed tackle despite high traffic in the box.

This is the second time since Week 4 that Winters has flashed such all star linebacker traits. With Winters playing time stemming from others injuries he’s proving he isn’t just a fill-in. He is  becoming a real asset.

2. The Young Secondary Is Holding Its Own

San Francisco’s back-end may be one of the NFL’s least experienced units, but they played poised, smart football in Cleveland.

Rookie safety Malik Mustapha logged 63 snaps and delivered a 78.5 grade, second-best on the defense. He did miss two tackles, but his range and drive on the ball continue to pop.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir turned in one of the cleanest days of anyone on the field:

• Allowed just one catch for seven yards
• Earned a 76.0 coverage grade
• Made a key open-field stop in the fourth quarter

For a defense relying heavily on youth, this was a confidence and momentum building performance.

3. Clelin Ferrell Delivered His Best Game of the Season

For the second straight week, the 49ers got major production from Clelin Ferrell, who tied for a team-high four pressures and logged two sacks. He was disruptive, setting edges, creating early down chaos, and helping force the Browns into long third downs.

Opposite him, rookie Keion White also posted four pressures and added a sack. The explosive, depth-driven rotation is exactly what San Francisco envisioned when they rebuilt their defensive line this offseason, just ended up being different players than they originally thought.

4. The Interior Defensive Line Is Still a Concern

While the edge unit shined, the interior struggled. While losing players like Mykel Williams with an ACL tear for the season is definitely part of the issue, the Browns found their most consistent success running inside. There were multiple missed tackles from the DT group that stalled the 49ers’ ability to finish plays. If there’s a red flag from this game that needs to be worked out in order to be Super Bowl contenders, it’s the thin and inconsistent play of the interior front.

5. San Francisco Won Because of Their Depth — Again

This was yet another reminder of how important the 49ers’ developmental pipeline is. A late-round linebacker (Winters) led the defense. A rookie safety (Mustapha) looked like a multi-year starter. A third-year corner (Lenoir) shut down his side of the field. Two rotational defensive ends (Ferrell and White) combined for eight pressures and three sacks. The 49ers are banged up, young in key spots, and still finding their identity with what they have left of the roster, but winning games because of their depth rather than despite it is a major sign of hope.