San Francisco 49ers: Winners and Losers from Niners' Win vs. Browns

The 49ers are now 6-1 after defeating the Cleveland Browns 20-10. The Niners were in control for most of the game until Cleveland attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter. 

The Niners stayed true their identity and so did Cleveland. The Browns offense was anemic, as expected. Colt McCoy, who finished with a solid stat line, coughed up the football twice (INT and fumble).

The Browns defense helped the team stay afloat in the second half after giving up over 100-plus yards rushing in the first half.

The Niners offense in the first half was efficient and sharp, but slowed down in the second half. Despite the slow finish, the Niners held on as David Akers booted a 26-yard field goal with a little less than five minutes to go in the fourth quarter to put the Niners up for good. 

Here are the winners and losers of the Niners' victory over the Cleveland Browns. 

Winner: Frank Gore

Frank Gore is having a phenomenal season. In the first half, Gore ran for a 103 yards on 19 carries. Gore displayed great vision and patience on his way to 134 yards on the ground, passing Roger Craig for second on the Niners' franchise rushing list. 

Winner: Niners Offensive Line

Health has been the biggest benefactor to the success of the Niners offensive line. The Niners amassed 145 yards on the ground in the first half alone. They finished with 174 yards rushing. 

The pass protection improved from their last game (Detroit in Week 6), as Alex finished with 100-plus yards passing and a touchdown in the first half. Also, the penalties were kept at a minimum after a bad showing against Detroit. 

Winner: Ahmad Brooks

Ahmad Brooks made his presence known in the first drive, as he violently sacked and stripped Browns quarterback Colt McCoy for the first Niners turnover of the game. The Niners defensive line continues to play well as Colt McCoy was uncomfortable all afternoon.  

Brooks finished the game with two sacks and a forced fumble. 

Winner: 'Men in Red'

NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis (aka 'Men in Red') finished the game with a combined 17 tackles. These tackling machines continue to set the tempo against the run, but both studs have played excellent in coverage. 

The Niners may have the best duo at inside linebacker despite the inexperience of NaVorro Bowman. As it stands right now, the 'Men in Red' are looking at Pro Bowl bids. 

Winner: Jim Harbaugh

Jim Harbaugh is leading all coaching candidates in the coach of the year award. The offense is simple in principle, but yet complicated. 

The opposition understands that the Niners want to run the ball, but Harbaugh's formations are irregular and even bizarre at times (both in a good way).

Offensive tackle Joe Staley and nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga reeled in a catch apiece against the Browns today. Harbaugh involved Sopoaga quite a few times on offense despite the Niners' lack of depth at the nose tackle position.

It's humorous, but effective nonetheless. 

Loser: Dashon Goldson

Dashon Goldson has played solid football this season, but his play raised some eyebrows on a few drives against the Browns today. The most notable play was the Joshua Cribbs fourth-quarter touchdown that gave the Browns renewed hope. 

At first, I wanted to pin the blame on cornerback Terrell Brown, but Goldson was late to help. The Browns rarely play the deep ball, which makes the error that much more noticeable. 

Goldson finished with one INT, but that error against Cribbs changed the dynamics of the game after it looked like the Niners would run away with a victory. 

Winner: Cleveland Defense

The Dick Jauron led defense was very aggressive in the second half despite the loss. After giving up 17 points in the first half, the Browns only allowed three points in the second half. 

Frank Gore was kept in check in the second half after amassing 103 yards rushing in the first half.

The Browns forced five consecutive punts in the second half after not forcing a single punt in the first half.  

Loser: Colt McCoy

If you glance at the stat line, the assertion that McCoy is a 'loser' on this list might raise a few eyebrows. Stats don't tell the whole story.

McCoy was efficient, with 22 completions out of 34 attempts (64 percent), but the Browns finished the game with only 10 points. They have combined to score 13 points in their last two games. McCoy had a killer interception in Niners territory that halted a solid drive for the Browns. He also fumbled four times, losing one. 

It's becoming quite evident that Colt McCoy isn't the answer at quarterback in Cleveland.