Browns’ DC Jim Schwartz Has Historically Dominated Kyle Shanahan - Can It Continue?

Cleveland’s defensive coordinator owns an impressive record and lengthy win streak against the 49ers head coach

In the last three years of the Kyle Shanahan era in San Francisco, not many coaches have managed to build a winning game plan against the 49ers. San Francisco has gone 28-11 in that span, including a 5-0 start to open the 2023 season.

But peel back Shanahan’s coaching career for another 13 seasons — back to when he took his first offensive coordinator job with the Houston Texans — and there’s one coach who certainly has been his kryptonite.

Jim Schwartz is a pretty remarkable 8-1 against Shanahan since they met as coordinators for the first time in 2008.

Schwartz, who has established a lengthy history of building stout defenses, has flexed his coaching prowess again so far with the Cleveland Browns, who boast the league’s top-ranked defense but face long odds in defeating Shanahan’s unbeaten 49ers on Sunday in Cleveland.

Aug 17, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz walks to the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field / Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

A six-game winning streak against Shanahan, however, is on the line for Schwartz in games where both of them have been a coordinator or head coach. That streak extends to seven if you count the win the Tennessee Titans had over the 49ers in 2021, when Schwartz was a senior defensive assistant and Shanahan was in his fifth season as head coach in San Francisco.

The last time Shanahan conquered a Schwartz-led group? 2008. Schwartz was the defensive coordinator for the Titans, who dealt Shanahan’s Texans a 31-12 loss in Week 3, but lost 13-12 in their second matchup of the year.

Since then, the battle has been dominated by Schwartz. In their nine matchups, he’s limited Shanahan’s teams to 15.7 points per game, and Shanahan has topped 20 points in just one of those bouts.

Now, both men are leading two of the most imposing groups they’ve ever coached.

The Browns have stymied opposing offenses for a league-low 196.8 yards per game, which is a full 69 yards better than the next best team (Ravens). The 49ers’ offense is third in the league with 402.6 yards allowed per game, and their 33.4 points per game ranks second in the league.

Oct 1, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks off the field after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s going to be a great matchup,” Schwartz told reporters Thursday. “This is NFL football at its finest. We’ll be ready for them.”

Even if Schwartz’s group stays hot and slows the 49ers, the Browns will need a lot more to go their way to win. 

The Browns don’t seem to know yet if QB Deshaun Watson will be able to play due to a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for the first two practice days this week. If Watson can’t suit up, that means P.J. Walker — currently on the practice squad but now considered the backup QB — will start against a 49ers defense that ranks third-best in the league.

What happens on the offense is out of Schwartz’s control, but his success against Shanahan shouldn’t be ignored.

It could be the one edge the Browns have going for them in what might be their toughest matchup of the year.