Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams involved in bench-clearing pregame fight between 49ers, Browns
Sparks are flying early in Cleveland ahead of Sunday’s matchup between the Browns and the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. Cameras captured a pregame fight between the two teams, started by some jawing between 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel and Browns safety Juan Thornhill. Backing up his teammate, San Fran tackle Trent Williams also came running into the scuffle.
The two sides managed to calm down leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
The 49ers are the clear favorites to win on Sunday despite taking on their opponents on the road. Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Browns as 9.5-point underdogs, a line which only increased when the team announced the latest with their quarterback.
San Francisco leads the NFC West handily with two wins over the next-best team, Seattle. Meanwhile, Cleveland is one game behind Pittsburgh and now two wins behind the Baltimore Ravens after their win against the Titans in London.
Deshaun Watson out Sunday for Browns
The Browns are taking on the 49ers without star quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson did not play in Cleveland’s Week 4 game against Baltimore. The Browns dropped that game 28-3 with Dorian Thompson-Robinson taking the snaps.
Watson is dealing with a shoulder injury, which has kept him sidelined. He played in the first three games before missing the showdown with Baltimore. Last week, the Browns had the week off.
Cleveland owns a 2-1 record with Watson under center, defeating the Bengals in Week 1 and Tennessee in Week 3. His only loss this season was a 26-22 defeat to Pittsburgh in Week 2.
In the Week 4 loss to the Ravens, Thompson-Robinson completed 19-of-36 passes for 121 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He was also sacked four times for 48 yards. The Browns rushed for just 93 yards.
In his three appearances this season, Watson has thrown for 678 yards with four touchdowns, two interceptions and a 63.7% completion rate. He has reached the end zone once on the ground.
Trying to get a win becomes even more difficult for Cleveland without Watson. The 49ers enter Sunday’s game with a perfect 5-0 record, fresh off a dominating 42-10 win over the Cowboys.
Four of San Francisco’s five wins have come by double digits. The Niners own an average margin of victory of 19.8 points per game.