The writing was already on the wall. It seemed unlikely that the San Francisco 49ers defense would face Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson when the two teams play on Sunday. After all, Watson has been sidelined due to a bruised right rotator cuff and hasn't been able to practice this week.
On Thursday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports confirmed that Watson would miss the Week 6 contest.
I'm told the #Browns QB Deshaun Watson will not play Sunday vs the 5-0 #49ers, per source.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) October 12, 2023
When Kyle Shanahan joined KNBR this afternoon for his weekly radio interview, he had yet to hear the quarterback news. The 49ers head coach was asked about the variables entering the game and how uncertainty impacts the week of preparation.
"Yeah, we don't know who's starting," Shanahan said of the matchup. "We've got to be prepared for all of them. But I think it's pretty simple, this game, and we're going against the number one defense in the league. And you turn on the tape, and that's what they look like.
"They're going to be there at the end of this year because this defense is that good. And when you have a defense like that and a team who's dedicated to running the ball, that's a very good recipe to get to the playoffs and win in the playoffs."
Shanahan is not about to take the Browns lightly because they will be without Watson.
"Hopefully for us, he's not out there, but these other guys can come in and do stuff just like you guys saw [Cardinals QB Joshua] Dobbs do," Shanahan said. "And when you play good defense, and you run the ball, that gives any quarterback an opportunity to make plays."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Shanahan below.