Biggest questions Cleveland Browns need to answer against the 49ers

Will the Browns defensive line generate pressure?

The Cleveland Browns defensive front had been the story of the first three games of the 2019 season. They were creating tons of pressure and limiting an opponent’s run game right at the point of attack. Myles Garrett was a force to be reckoned with, generating six sacks in the first three games.

However, the Browns defensive line was not as dominant against the Ravens. The Ravens were able to gain chunk yardage with their rushing attack and the Browns could not get to Lamar Jackson often with their four rushers. Larry Ogunjobi and Olivier Vernon both registered sacks, but the front struggled to get to Jackson with just four.

Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks used several blitzes and alignments that created confusion on the Ravens offensive line, helping the Browns create pressure with a variety of different players.

Against the 49ers, it will be important if the Browns can get pressure with just their front four. The 49ers want to get the ball out of Jimmy Garoppolo‘s hand quickly, and using blitzes will likely result in soft coverages that Garoppolo can hit quickly. But if the front four can generate pressure without using blitzes, it could create problems for the San Francisco offense.

Garrett has a chance to get back in the sack category this week purely because of the presence of George Kittle. Kittle is arguably San Francisco’s receiving threats, so he will be out running routes instead of being kept in as a blocker. This will allow Garrett more chances to get to the quarterback without being chipped or doubled from the outside.

San Francisco has a stout offensive line, with a strong pair of tackles and a solid center. Because of this, it could prove difficult for the Browns defensive line to get to Garoppolo by themselves. It will be a great test in the trenches, and it could show how good of a group the Browns have if they can get to the quarterback with just four rushers.