Browns vs. 49ers: 3 burning questions after another humiliating loss

The atmosphere at Huntington Bank Field was already frigid on Sunday, but the mood in the stands was colder than the wind coming off Lake Erie as the Cleveland Browns dropped yet another game.

Following a demoralizing 26-8 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Browns have fallen to 3-9, officially securing yet another losing season. It wasn’t just that they lost to a superior opponent; it was how they lost. Between self-inflicted wounds on special teams, an offense that vanished in the second half, and a general lack of discipline, the performance felt like a microcosm of a season that has spiraled out of control.

With the 49ers effectively treating the fourth quarter like a glorified practice session, the few fans remaining in their seats were left staring at a franchise at a crossroads. As we survey the wreckage of Week 13, three massive questions loom over Berea.

1. When Will The Browns Get Out Of Their Own Way?

If there is a singular theme to the 2025 Browns season, it is the uncanny ability to manufacture momentum for the opposing team. Sunday was a masterclass in self-sabotage. The Browns handed the Niners 14 points on a silver platter through catastrophic special teams play.

It started early with Skyy Moore, a player who has struggled to find his footing in this league, looking like an All-Pro returner. His massive 66-yard punt return didn't just flip the field; it deflated the entire stadium and set up San Francisco's first easy points of the game.

But the backbreaker came later.

Just when the defense had forced a stop and provided a glimmer of hope, rookie Gage Larvadain committed a cardinal sin. His muffed punt, recovered by the Niners at the 18-yard line, was a punch to the gut that the team never recovered from. Larvadain had already flirted with disaster earlier in the game with a near-muff, making the error feel inevitably tragic.

To cap off the catastrophe, Malachi Corley fielded a kickoff near the sideline and inexplicably stepped out of bounds, pinning the offense against their own goal line. These are fundamental misunderstandings of the game of football that point to a complete lack of focus.

Until this team can execute the basics, the Browns are playing against themselves every Sunday.

2. Who Can Save Us?

The eyes of the Dawg Pound are naturally drifting toward late April, but the view isn't as clear as it was a few months ago. The 2026 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and what was once heralded as a deep quarterback class has seemingly evaporated.

The list of franchise-altering passers has dwindled into two or three names, and the uncertainty surrounding Oregon QB Dante Moore’s potential return to school throws a massive wrench into the evaluation process.

The Browns, by virtue of their 3-9 record, are losing their way into a prime position to select one of the few remaining jewels. If Dante Moore stays put, the debate centers on two names: Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson.

Mendoza has been the rapid riser, a cerebral pocket passer at Indiana who has drawn comparisons to Matt Ryan, while Alabama's Ty Simpson offers the pedigree of an SEC player and clutch playmaking ability. With Shedeur Sanders showing flashes but struggling to sustain success in the second half of games, the front office faces a franchise-defining dilemma: do they ride with Sanders, or use a top-5 pick on Mendoza or Simpson to hit the reset button once again?

3. What Can Save Kevin Stefanski’s Job?

This is the uncomfortable question that gets louder with every stalled offensive drive. Kevin Stefanski has long been credited for his steady hand, but a 3-9 record and a team that looks fundamentally unprepared in two phases of a three-phase game suggest the message is growing stale.

To save his job, Stefanski doesn't necessarily need to run the table; that ship has sailed, but he needs to show that he hasn't lost the locker room. The final stretch of the season must show drastic improvement in discipline. The "smart, tough, accountable" mantra has been replaced by "sloppy, fragile, and erratic."

If the Browns continue to look like a team that beats itself, ownership may decide that the voice leading the team needs to change before they hand over the keys to a new rookie quarterback in 2026. Stefanski needs to manufacture wins, or at the very least, competent, clean football, to prove he is still the right architect for this rebuild.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns vs. 49ers: 3 burning questions after another humiliating loss