4 reasons why 49ers lose to Browns on Monday Night Football
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Emmanuel Moseley Gets Victimized by Cleveland
Welcome to the NFL world, Emmanuel Moseley. Your initial assignment in your first start as a 49ers cornerback will be covering Browns wide receivers Jarvis Landry, who is in the concussion protocol, and Odell Beckham Jr.
Moseley, San Francisco’s second-year pro who saw action in just one game in 2018 before getting injured, finds himself the favorite to start at right cornerback in Week 5, thanks to fellow corner Ahkello Witherspoon going down with a sprained foot. Veteran corner Jason Verrett was thought to be the prime backup. But after Verrett was torched by a bad penalty and a long touchdown on back-to-back plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, it seems to be Moseley getting the call.
A big part of Cleveland’s offensive game plan in Week 5 will likely target Moseley, as cornerback Richard Sherman will look to lock down the opposite side of the field.
It’s something opponents did to Witherspoon last year, when he was struggling, too. One example was the New York Giants in Week 10, who featured Beckham on that side often.
Beckham didn’t disappoint, either, hauling in four catches for 73 yards and two touchdowns during that particular Monday Night Football contest.
The 49ers need Moseley to be on point with his coverage efforts in Week 5. If not, well… it could be a long night for the Niners secondary.