The 49ers made it harder than it had to be, but a clutch defensive stand thwarted a fourth-quarter rally by the Commanders and San Francisco escaped with its sixth win of the season.
San Francisco dominated both sides of the ball through the first three quarters. Washington’s defense had no answer for Brock Purdy, who picked apart the Commanders’ secondary as if he was in 7-on-7 drills. The Commanders offense didn’t fare any better. They had no running game, and Jayden Daniels struggled to move the chains on third down.
Washington’s offense eventually found its footing, and an injury to Mike Evans, who was having another big game, seemed to knock the 49ers offense off rhythm. It was too little, too late for the Commanders, who are reeling after a 1-4-1 start.
Here are my takeaways:
That’s what the standings say, at least. The Niners are the league’s only 6-0 team (the Vikings are 5-0), and they have the best point differential in the NFL. The on-field product makes a convincing case, too. With how good head coach Kyle Shanahan’s team has looked against top competition this season, we can overlook the dodgy fourth quarter against a bad Commanders team.
That nervous ending gave the defense – overlooked while the offense got off to a hot start – a chance to shine on the national stage. It didn’t disappoint, coming up with two stops to end Washington’s comeback bid. The 49ers pass rush is still getting home without defensive end Nick Bosa, Fred Warner remains the NFL’s best linebacker, and the secondary has been sticky in coverage all season.
The offense is still the engine powering this 49ers machine. Shanahan has reclaimed his title as the NFL’s best play-caller. A healthy Christian McCaffrey has rejuvenated the run game, and he looks fresher now that Shanahan has him on a tighter snap count. Shanahan’s schematic tweaks have also enhanced the run game. He still appears to be tinkering with new strategies, so we haven’t seen the final form yet.
With Brock Purdy on a heater, the passing game looks better than ever, but some concern remains after wide receiver Mike Evans left the game with an Achilles injury. This offense has already had to make do without a full deck this season. Christian Kirk hasn’t played, and Deebo Samuel wasn’t available Monday night. If the 49ers have to play without Evans for a stretch, Shanahan and Purdy should be able to keep the passing game afloat.
Speaking of which…
They don’t hand out MVP awards in mid-October, but if they did, Purdy would win it by a unanimous vote.
Purdy’s excellent start put him in great company after Monday night’s performance. Only two quarterbacks have ever started 6-0 and registered 15 touchdowns with two or fewer turnovers in that span: Tom Brady in 2015 and Brock Purdy this year.
Monday night was quite the showcase for the 49ers quarterback, who completed 21-of-29 passes for 264 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line certainly made Purdy’s job easier. He faced pressure on only 17.6% of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats, but whenever things broke down around him, Purdy found a way to make a play. All three of his scrambles went for first downs, and he made this ridiculous throw with a Washington defender at his feet.
Purdy will face tougher tests down the line, but if he keeps beating up on these tomato-can defenses and the 49ers keep stacking wins, another player will struggle to unseat him in the MVP race. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson will have something to say about that, but it will be tough to keep up with Purdy’s statistical pace if he and Shanahan can keep the offense rolling like it is.
Purdy also made some history on Monday night. He now has enough career attempts to qualify for the league’s historic passing charts, making him the NFL’s leader in career passer rating.
Brock Purdy was excellent in the first half against the Commanders before slowing down after halftime. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The past two weeks have been one long humiliation ritual for the Commanders franchise. A week after giving away a win against the Giants, head coach Dan Quinn and Daniels teamed up for another situational blunder on fourth down.
Not that it would have mattered: Washington got flagged for an illegal formation, and Daniels opted for a throwaway on fourth down with a wide-open Antonio Williams running across the middle.
It’s unclear if anyone on the Commanders realized it was fourth down. Quinn signaled for the field-goal team to trot onto the field before he realized Washington had turned it over on downs.
Quinn’s confusion in that spot is inexcusable. He’s not a play-calling head coach, so game management should always be top of mind. That clearly wasn’t the case then. And you’d think he’d be on high alert after last week’s debacle.
Washington has other issues outside of game management. The Commanders’ defense hasn’t performed well throughout Quinn’s tenure, which is a bad sign for a coach who made his name as a defensive mind. The front office has poured money into the defensive line, and it still can’t generate much pressure. Hiring Daronte Jones away from the Vikings staff hasn’t made much of a difference.
Dan Quinn entered the season on a hot seat that is still very warm after a 1-4-1 start. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Outside of rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, who flashed a few times on Monday night, it’s difficult to find any bright spots on Quinn’s defense.
Quinn is bringing much to the table. His defense has been ineffective, the team’s young quarterback has regressed since his rookie season, and situational football has been an issue. Whatever goodwill Quinn built with the 2024 NFC title game run is now gone. It could be playoffs or bust for the veteran head coach.
3 ½. What’s Next?
The 49ers will try to keep their perfect start rolling in Atlanta before a much-needed bye week. Games against the struggling Raiders and Cowboys follow the break, so San Francisco could be sitting at 9-0 when the Vikings visit in Week 11. It’s hard to see any defense slowing this offense before then, but facing a Brian Flores-coached unit should provide a true test.
Washington may be down, but it’s not out of the NFC East race. That may not be the case in a few weeks, though. After their bye next week, the Commanders face a three-week stretch that includes games against the Eagles and Giants. If they lose those games, Washington can start looking forward to the offseason.