The San Francisco 49ers enter Championship Sunday one win from appearing in the Super Bowl.
This was the ultimate goal of the young Cleveland Browns heading into the season. By now, we know just how much said Browns struggled during the regular season, leading to the firing of head coach Freddie Kitchens after one year.
Now, according to this report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cleveland is about to hire a top 49ers assistant to become its new defensive coordinator. That comes in the form of defensive backs coach Joe Woods.
Woods, 49, was brought on by San Francisco prior to the 2019 season after serving as the Denver Broncos’ defensive coordinator from 2015-18.
The longtime assistant is widely attributed to the 49ers’ pass defense finishing No. 1 overall in the NFL this past regular season.
With the offensive-minded Kevin Stefanski now manning the sideline in Cleveland, getting an experienced and respected defensive mind on the other side of the ball is a big deal.