Five 49ers to watch in Week 5: Can Emmanuel Moseley cover Browns' WRs?

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The 49ers enter the final game on the Week 5 slate as one of two unbeaten teams in the NFL.

This is their opportunity to achieve some measure of legitimacy for the 2019 season after five consecutive seasons without sniffing the playoffs. Who would have thought that a game against the Cleveland Browns could serve as, potentially, the 49ers' breakout showing?

The 49ers (3-0) will be going for their fourth 4-0 start in club history and their first since 1990. The 49ers have the most wins of any organization on "Monday Night Football." Their next victory on MNF will be No. 49.

The 49ers will turn to their stars under the lights on Monday night. Here is what they expect from four of their best players, as well as one individual who will be facing a huge challenge in his first NFL start:

5. DT DeForest Buckner

It seemed odd that when the NFL Network released its list of the top 100 players in the league, DeForest Buckner did not warrant a mention. Buckner might very well be the best player on the 49ers.

The 49ers are vastly improved on defense this season. They are generating takeaways and sacks, and they are the only team in the league that has yet to surrender a rushing touchdown. Buckner is a huge part of all of that from his spot as the three-technique.

With an improved outside pass rush, Buckner has more room to operate on the inside, though he is a constant target of double-teams. This is a big opportunity for Buckner to show the nation what it has been missing.

4. QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo had originally planned to travel back to the Chicago area during the bye week to visit his family. But after giving it more thought, he figured he would just stick around Santa Clara and continue to work out and prepare for the final 13-game stretch of the season.

Garoppolo has gotten off to a solid start. He completed 69 percent of his passes in three games with an outstanding 8.8-yard average per attempt. He has five touchdowns and four interceptions -- though two of those picks in Week 3 against Pittsburgh deflected off the hands of his intended targets.

The Browns’ pass-rush will be coming after Garoppolo. Offensive tackles Justin Skule and Mike McGlinchey will have their hands full against Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon. Garoppolo must be on-point and decisive to get the ball out quickly before the rush gets in his face.

3. DE Nick Bosa

Rookie Nick Bosa, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, was playing on a bum ankle for the first three games. He still put constant pressure on the quarterback while finishing the job and completing the sack just once.

He is completely healthy now. For the first time all season, Bosa went through a full week of practices and did not show up on the injury report. He has to find that extra step to get to Baker Mayfield and upset the Browns’ passing game.

Mayfield might be slippery and elusive, but he has been sacked 12 times in four games.

Bosa and Dee Ford on the other side, as well as Buckner, Arik Armstead and others can be the best friends of the 49ers’ defensive backfield by working together to make Mayfield extremely uncomfortable in the pocket.

[RELATED: How Bosa deterred 49ers' potential trade for Odell]

2. TE George Kittle

George Kittle is the central focus of opposing defenses -- just as he was for most of last season. Tampa Bay, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh did a fine job of bottling him up and keeping his yards-after-catch to a minimum.

Kittle is especially dangerous in the open field, where he can use his speed and power to manhandle defensive backs. In 2018, while setting the all-time single-season receiving yards record for a tight end, Kittle averaged 15.6 yards per reception. Through three games, his average has tumbled to 9.7 yards.

This is a huge opportunity for Kittle to show how explosive he is in the passing game. This is also an opportunity for him to establish his physicality as a blocker in the run game. The 49ers will unquestionably try to pound the ball at the Browns with a combination of running backs Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman and Raheem Mostert.

1. CB Emmanuel Moseley

Starting right cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was off to a great start, but now he’s out for approximately a month with a foot sprain. Veteran Jason Verrett was not ready to take over, and he ended up last week on injured reserve.

Now, the 49ers turn to little-known Emmanuel Moseley -- E-Man, as he is known -- to go up against the top wide receiver tandem in the NFL. Moseley is a second-year pro. He entered the league as an undrafted rookie from Tennessee.

On Monday, he will be in the spotlight, making his first NFL start. The assignment does not get much more difficult than what he will experience against the Cleveland Browns.

On those plays in which Odell Beckham does not line up across from Moseley, he cannot afford to lose concentration. That’s because Jarvis Landry likely will be his assignment. Beckham leads the Browns with 21 catches for 308 yards and a touchdown. Landry has 18 receptions for 328 yards.

With Richard Sherman on the other side, the Browns figure to test Moseley repeatedly on Monday night. Moseley will undoubtedly yield some completions, but he must never lose concentration and bounce back to play the next down. Part of why the 49ers like Moseley is because they believe in his mental toughness.

“E-Man’s got a great mindset to him,” 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said. “He’s not afraid of anything, and that’s the No. 1 prerequisite for a corner. You can’t be scared. He’s also got a very short memory so if he does get beat. He’s able to line up as if nothing happened and keep grinding. There’s no fear in his football game.”

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