Notes: Wyatt Teller makes 100th start but demoted to a rotation at right guard

CLEVELAND — Wyatt Teller's demotion coincided with his 100th career start."Yeah, it was a very weird day," the right guard said Sunday after the 26-8 loss to the 49ers. "But it was 100 starts, which is hard to do."49ers 26, Browns 8: Special teams blunders, missed chances doom Cleveland in Shedeur Sanders' 2nd startTeller, 31, has been the unquestioned starter since taking over during the 2019 season. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and talked earlier in the season about wanting to sign an extension and finish his career with the Browns. His contract runs out after the season.The coaches felt Teller had struggled this season and told him this week he'd rotate with veteran Teven Jenkins, who signed a one-year deal as a free agent. They alternated series."I wanted to see Teven in this game," coach Kevin Stefanski said."Team first, Coach asked me to rotate and I'll do what he asks," Teller said. "Probably along the lines of not playing well enough. I feel like that's obvious, but there's a lot of stuff that, as a player, I need to improve on."Shedeur Sanders suffers first loss as starter, says he needs to be better and rally team when adversity hitsTeller limped off in the final series with a calf injury."I've felt better," he said.Center Ethan Pocic acknowledged the situation was strange. He's played primarily next to Teller for nearly four seasons."It was different and that's what Coach wanted to do," Pocic said. "I love all my teammates and I play hard with all my teammates."Jenkins, 27, was a second-round pick of the Bears in 2021. He's made 38 starts in his career, none this year.Commentary: Shedeur Sanders needs time to develop … unfortunately, Browns do too"I've rotated before in my career. It's hard on both guys, but it's my job and it's what I was asked to do," he said.Jenkins appreciated how Teller handled the situation."It says a lot about his character," Jenkins said. "He's a great man. He really cares about who you are, the person and football player, and he really cares about this team."AWFUL TEAMSThe special teams were a disaster yet again, playing a major role in the loss.San Francisco's Skyy Moore returned a punt 66 yards to set up a first-quarter touchdown. Gage Larvadain fumbled a punt and muffed two, with the last one recovered by the 49ers and leading to a fourth-quarter touchdown. Malachi Corley inexplicably caught a kickoff leaning out of bounds at the 5-yard line. If he had let it go out of bounds for a penalty, the Browns would've gotten the ball at the 40-yard line.Coordinator Bubba Ventrone has been under fire after struggles throughout the season, including two kick returns for touchdowns in a loss to the Jets. Stefanski was asked if major changes are needed."We'll just make sure that we keep coaching our guys," Stefanski said. "We had some young guys make some young mistakes today."He was asked if he'll get more involved with the units."I'm responsible for all of it," Stefanski said. "I'm involved in all of it. We'll get it coached up."Larvadain is an undrafted rookie who hasn't been returning punts for long and had to fight winds blowing 20 mph."It hurts because you feel like the world is kind of crushing down on you because this is what we do for a living," he said. "So you just gotta be better, just prepare, just be better."We do this for a living, man. There's no excuse."TOUGH BLOWDefensive tackle Maliek Collins was driven off on a cart after sustaining what appeared to be a serious quadriceps injury. The team initially announced it as a knee injury.Stefanski said he would have an MRI on Monday, but Myles Garrett spoke as if Collins would miss the rest of the year. Collins leads the interior linemen with a career-high 6.5 sacks."He's been amazing. He's done a great job," Garrett said. "As far as his trajectory, he was going to have a double-digit-sack season, which he had yet to do. And it sucks seeing him go down and just hurt seeing that look on his face, just disappointed knowing that he had so much left for the year and giving more to this team."So we're behind him a hundred percent, we're going to support him however we can."** Right tackle Jack Conklin's injury-plagued season continued as he sustained his second concussion of the season.** Rookie running back Dylan Sampson was ruled out with a calf injury sustained in the second half.** Pocic left with a leg injury but returned and said he believes he can continue to play through it.FIGHTING WORDSWhile Collins was down and waiting for the cart, players from both teams milled around and exchanged words. Garrett said it was unrelated to the play and that 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings was saying nasty stuff.Defensive tackle Shelby Harris took it much further."He's a (derogatory term), and I want that known," Harris said of Jennings. "I see why he got punched in the (testicles), because he says some things that you should not say to another man, ever."But I don't respect it because you say that, then run behind your O-line. That's some real soft sh**. … I'm surprised nobody punched him in the jaw yet."Jennings got into an altercation Monday night during a game with the Panthers and was hit in the groin."He had a lot to say that was demeaning and disparaging towards some of our players and I was just trying to separate everybody and I tried to go up and ask what the problem was and then he started coming at me," Garrett said.BERNIE UPDATEBrowns legend Bernie Kosar, 62, posted in the morning on X that he was back in the hospital. He had a liver transplant Nov. 17 and was released from the hospital a week later."Trying to stay positive but obviously a little bummed," he said in the video.EXTRA POINTSRookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger had a game-high 10 tackles, his third straight game with double digits.** The Browns had no surprises among their inactives: defensive end Alex Wright (quad), defensive tackle Adin Huntington (quad), tight end Brenden Bates (ankle), guard Zak Zinter, tackle Cornelius Lucas and receiver Jamari Thrash.** Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was the game captain.The post Notes: Wyatt Teller makes 100th start but demoted to a rotation at right guard first appeared on BrownsZone with Scott Petrak.