Kurtenbach: The 49ers’ woeful loss to Cleveland is a necessary gut check for Purdy, Shanahan

The 49ers almost escaped Cleveland with a win.

It’s probably better they didn’t.

What lesson would this team learn from an undeserved victory?

After the Niners’ 19-17 loss, the lesson is undeniable: The 49ers underestimated their opponent, committed a month’s worth of penalties, and never found an offensive rhythm. And if this team is serious about winning a Super Bowl, a performance like Sunday’s needs to be a one-off.

Sure, Niners kicker Jake Moody’s missed 41-yard field goal in the final seconds might have been the difference, but San Francisco was roundly outplayed by Cleveland Sunday.

The shocking result — the Niners were favored by more than a touchdown — was comeuppance for 60 minutes of sub-standard football.

So, with a 17-0 season out the window and vulnerability replacing confidence, how will the 49ers respond?

There are still 11 games to play, plus, presumably, the playoffs.

Will San Francisco use this loss as a much-needed gut check? Will it galvanize this team?

It could. It should.

After all, there’s nothing the Niners faced Sunday that they couldn’t handle. They simply didn’t handle it. Weeks of easy wins softened their resolve and the Browns took advantage.

There is an alternative timeline though.

The Browns’ plan of attack will be used as the blueprint to beat San Francisco moving forward.

Will the Niners’ idealistic offense — which burned them on Sunday — remain static?

Has San Francisco’s young quarterback been exposed?

It’s unlikely, but not impossible. Just like a Browns win Sunday.

This is the kind of challenge the 49ers never wanted, but probably needed. It’s going to take serious self-reflection and hard coaching to right the wrongs of Sunday’s loss. In due time, the loss could prove to be a blessing.

The Niners might have been heavy favorites going into the game, but anyone paying attention knew that the Browns’ defense is arguably the NFL’s best. Longtime football fans would have also known that Cleveland’s defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz, has seen it all in the NFL, and that he’s afraid of no one.

He certainly wasn’t afraid of Brock Purdy.

Schwartz built a game plan that dared the 49ers’ second-year quarterback to put the team on his shoulders and win the game.

And while Purdy nearly did that, again, don’t confuse the close score with competence.

Purdy posted the worst game of his professional career Sunday. He looked rushed, unfocused, and sloppy against a sound and speedy Cleveland defense.

There’s no way to sugarcoat a 12-of-27 performance, even if there were a few nice throws to set up a game-winning field goal attempt in the final seconds.

Schwartz’s game plan worked.

It also wasn’t terribly complicated. Any team can do this against the 49ers. I imagine most teams for the remainder of the season will, in fact, copy the Browns.

Cleveland played man-to-man coverage on the back end and asked the team’s four-man defensive line to knock Purdy off balance.

With Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson winning snap after snap, Purdy went much of Sunday’s game without setting his feet for throws.

And with excellent coverage behind that defensive line, Purdy needed to make tough, big-time throws to win. He didn’t do that.

Moving forward, it’s on Purdy to rise to the challenge in a way he didn’t on Sunday until the final moments.

Quarterbacks are destiny in the modern NFL, and Purdy’s magical start to his career made it impossible not to wonder if the Niners’ destiny was to be a legendary team.

That fate might still await them, but the pixie dust is no longer fluttering in the air. No, only the stench of losing remains this week. Luckily, it can be a powerful motivator.

Now the 49ers’ offensive problems weren’t solely Purdy’s fault. Bad luck played a role as well: The Niners’ two best man-to-man players, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey, were injured during the game.

That said, there’s no excuse for why wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk wasn’t creating separation or why George Kittle was nowhere to be found in the passing game.

And what happened to 49ers head coach and offensive play-caller Kyle Shanahan once Samuel and McCaffrey exited? I know the game plan was built around them, but to have no contingency options seems short-sided.

The Niners’ quarterback wears this loss more than anyone, though. It’s a responsibility that comes with the position.

“The plays we had drawn up earlier in the game … they’re there,” Purdy said. “That’s something I have to look myself in the mirror and be better at and make the throws.”

Now, Sunday’s loss doesn’t mean the 49ers are not a good team. One loss in the NFL is effectively inconsequential in the standings.

We won’t know what this loss really means for the Niners for a few weeks, if not months.

It’s on Purdy, Shanahan and the team to take the lessons from Sunday and ensure that anyone else who tries to copy the Cleveland game plan ends up looking foolish.

Shanahan told Fox broadcasters before the game that he wanted his team to be battle-tested.

Here’s the test. Let’s see how the 49ers handle it.