The San Francisco 49ers were handed their first loss of the season on Sunday after an elite defensive performance by the Cleveland Browns, prompting some questions about Kyle Shanahan’s record against one opposing coach.
A number of analysts noted after Sunday’s 19-17 49ers loss that Shanahan is now 1-9 against defenses coached by Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. That stat dates back to 2008 and includes meetings when Shanahan was an offensive coordinator.
Kyle Shanahan is now 1-9 vs Jim Schwartz… #49ers pic.twitter.com/u7YLA3JQTh
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) October 15, 2023
That stat was widely noted in the leadup to the matchup as well, with the added note that Shanahan’s offenses averaged just 15.7 points per game against Schwartz’s defenses, and Shanahan’s units reached 20 points just once. Those trends continued Sunday, with the 49ers limited to just 17 points.
The 49ers had some extenuating circumstances Sunday which certainly hindered their offense, but the less Shanahan has to deal with facing Schwartz, the better for him at this point.
