San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is looking to move his career record as a starter at Levi’s Stadium to 5-0. Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield wants to eliminate mistakes.
The two high-profile signal-callers will hope to advance those aims when they go head-to-head as the Browns visit the 49ers on Monday night.
A matchup of the NFL’s two losingest franchises since 2015 has turned into one of the week’s most intriguing duels, with the Browns (2-2) taking a spotless road record up against the unbeaten 49ers (3-0).
Cleveland leads the all-time regular-season series 12-7, a mark it improved upon by winning the most recent meeting 24-10 at home in 2015.
The clubs have met just four times since 1993, with the winning team never needing to score more than 24 points because the losing team has never scored more than 12.
The 49ers have made their run of wins this season on the strength of a stingy defense, one that hasn’t allowed a rushing touchdown and has scored a pair of TDs.
Garoppolo got his latest home victory in Week 3 when he directed a mistake-filled, 24-20 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The third-year 49er fumbled twice and also threw two interceptions, bringing his season total to four. He has five touchdown passes on the year.
The 49ers had a bye last week to correct the mistakes, ample time for coach Kyle Shanahan to caution his guys to focus on the improved Browns, not the improved standings.
“It’s always more fun to play on Monday night because you know everyone is watching and guys get excited for that,” Shanahan said this week. “That’s where it is different (from a normal Sunday game). But you also have got to tell them: Besides that, it doesn’t mean anything. If you start making stuff up because of the day it’s on and everything, you’re not going to do the stuff that you have to do to win.”
The Browns have alternated losses and wins in their four games. They are coming off the more impressive of their two victories — 40-25 last Sunday at Baltimore.
Cleveland has outscored the opponents by a total of 63-28 in the two road wins.
With Baker Mayfield (six interceptions, 12 sacks) yet to find his Heisman Trophy-winning form, the Browns turned running back Nick Chubb loose on the Ravens in the Week 4 win. Chubb rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns.
In a marquee matchup between the 49ers’ defensive front and Browns’ offensive line, Mayfield like his guys’ chances.
“You talk about football, it starts up front with the offensive line and getting the run game going,” he said this week. “That allows the receivers to have open lanes and play-action. Anytime you can give Nick Chubb the ball like that, he is going to make a lot of plays. We have set the standard on what we need to do and how I need to play.”
Both teams hope the extra time off — one day in the Browns’ case, a full week-plus for the 49ers — will help them get key players back.
Browns wideout Jarvis Landry began the practice week in the concussion protocol after having been knocked out of the Baltimore game in the third quarter. He remains questionable for Monday.
The 49ers, meanwhile, are counting upon running back Tevin Coleman playing for the first time since spraining an ankle in the Week 1 win at Tampa Bay.
