The 49ers moved into field-goal range in the final minute of their 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, eyeing a signature moment for rookie kicker Jake Moody.
Running back Jordan Mason rushed for three yards down to Cleveland’s 23-yard line with 45 seconds left. Coach Kyle Shanahan elected to let the clock run down, and it read 10 seconds left when quarterback Brock Purdy spiked the football into the natural grass at Cleveland Browns stadium.
On third down and with one 49ers timeout remaining, Moody missed a potential game-winning 41-yard field-goal attempt. The Browns took over from there and closed out the victory.
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After the game, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the decision to milk the clock and kick the field goal on third down instead of fighting for more yards with one timeout on hand.
“We wanted to leave [the clock] there in case there was a bad snap or something so we could spike it and have another play,” Shanahan told reporters in Cleveland. “That’s just what we felt.”
Moody missed two kicks Sunday -- the 41-yard potential game-winner and a 54-yard attempt in the first quarter. The third-round draft pick was a perfect 9-of-9 on field goals and 20-of-20 on extra points heading into Week 6.
One kick through the uprights would have flipped the result from loss to win, but Shanahan isn't placing all the blame on his 23-year-old kicker who is still building confidence in the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers
"It’s always tough to miss that last kick, but that happens in football," Shanahan said. "They played better than us today. That was the last play, but there was a lot more today than just that."