Jordan James took the opening kickoff to the 36-yard line for the San Francisco 49ers. Jordan Watkins started at wide receiver opposite Mike Evans. Jacob Cowing came in on the first third down. Evans caught a 25-yard pass on the first play.
Kaelon Black converted on 3rd-and-1. The offense quickly got into the red zone. Brock Purdy’s first target to George Kittle went for a touchdown, giving the 49ers a 7-0 lead. It was the third time the Niners began the game with a touchdown drive this season. Purdy went 5-for-6 on a 9-play, four-minute drive.
Jayden Daniels found Terry McLaurin on what looked like a busted coverage to begin Washington’s first drive for 27 yards. But their drive stalled after Luke Gifford limited Daniels’ scramble to three yards, and Malik Mustapha spooked Stefon Diggs into a drop. That meant the Commanders would settle for a 51-yard field goal to make it 7-3.
So much for any Achilles injury or soreness, Evans gained 54 yards to start the Niners’ second drive. Once again, they were in the red zone. But Christian McCaffrey lost three yards on a screen pass, and Connor Colby’s false start gave the Niners 3rd and long.
The offense stayed on the field for 4th and 3. Purdy looked right, didn’t see anything that he liked, so scrambled for the first down. On third-and-goal from the one-yard line, Christian McCaffrey punched it in to give the Niners their second consecutive scoring drive. This drive took a little under five minutes on 8 plays.
Eddy Pineiro missed another extra point, making it 13-3. It is the kind of miss you can’t turn a blind eye to, as they add up.
Luke Farrell was flagged for a facemask on the kickoff, gifting Washington great field position. A Daniels scramble was negated after Romello Height drew a holding flag. Daniels fled the pocket because Gracen Halton won.
On third and 9, Osa Odighizuwa sacked Daniels, forcing the punt. Raheem Morris’s blitz gave everybody a 1-on-1, and Odighizuwa rewarded him with a sack.
On the same play, the cart came out for McLaurin, which is the last thing you want to see.
Jacob Cowing inexplicably fielded a punt, then muffed it, giving the Commanders a 58-yard gain in field position. Evans was held on one play. He couldn’t hold on to a third-down target, and the 49ers punted on their third drive.
Washington had another bust on its third drive. Two players were guarding one, leaving Chig Okonkwo open 35 yards downfield. He stepped out of bounds six yards earlier, for a 29-yard gain. Nonetheless, Washington was knocking on the door once more.
Daniels was stopped short of the sticks on third down, forcing a 4th-and-2. But Daniels threw it away, and the Niners forced a red-zone stop.
Purdy found Jordan Watkins for a gain of 22. Then Brandin Cooks for 13 on a now slant. As the 49ers were driving, McCaffrey fumbled for the first time this season and gave the ball right back to Washington.
But Gracen Halton drew a holding call and sacked Daniels, so all was forgiven. That holding penalty was the most by a 49ers defensive tackle since DeForest Buckner was on the roster. It’s another way to quantify impact.
Farrell had another penalty; this one was costly. Instead of 1st and goal from the seven, it was third and long. But Purdy scrambled his way out of trouble once more. He picked up a first down on 3rd and 11. He ran right by Sonny Styles.
Trent Williams was flagged for holding right after, putting the offense back behind the sticks. After Evans picked up a first down, he limped off the field and into the locker room. During the timeout, Evans looked like he was stretching his Achilles. He left the game with 94 yards.
Purdy kept the ball on fourth down to pick up a first down. McCaffrey finished it off, giving the 49ers a commanding 20-3 lead. It was a 14-play drive that took over six minutes off the clock without giving Washington another possession. The 49ers had 17 first downs compared to the 16 total plays run by Washington.
Washington received the ball to begin the third quarter. They got their third first down of the game after Treylon Burks caught an 18-yard pass. Romello Height drew a holding call. Keion White forced a false start. The defense got the Commanders into another third-and-long situation.
On 3rd and 8, Daniels ran into Mykel Williams, his first sack of the season. The Commanders were 0-for on third down after they picked up their third sack of the evening.
The offensive line picked up Washington’s 6-man pressure, allowing Purdy to find Kittle for a gain of 35. A third-down pass was tipped, and the offense had a rare trip into the red zone that didn’t result in a touchdown. Pineiro’s 33-yard try was good, making it 23-3.
Washington answered with an 11-play drive that took over five minutes. Jayden Daniels kept the drive alive on a 4th-and-five to Diggs before finding him in the end zone. That made it 23-10.
Brock Purdy ran into trouble to end the third quarter, and the Niners offense would face another second-and-forever. Purdy navigated the pocket well on third down, but Kittle had the pass poked away, leaving it to Corliss Waitman’s second punt.
It looked like another McCaffrey fumble, but Christian’s brother didn’t touch the ball on replay, and the Commanders retained possession. The 49ers were fortunate to avoid a helmet-to-helmet penalty on Fred Warner.
On 3rd and 4, Mykel Williams tipped Daniels’ pass to force another punt. However, Malik Mustapha was flagged for illegal contact, giving the Commanders a fresh set of downs. The call went against Mustapha, but the replay showed it was against Renardo Green.
Washington converted its first third down of the game in the fourth quarter. A late hit by Odighizuwa tacked on 15 yards. And just like that, it was 1st-and-goal from the nine. Daniels hooked up with Raachad White, who had a step on Deommodore Lenoir, for another touchdown. That made it 23-17.
The 49ers got sloppy. After the drive, they committed eight penalties for 63 yards.
Daniels was 22-for-27 with a passer rating of 124.8. Their offense was clicking. Could the offense answer back?
Purdy couldn’t avoid a free rusher and took a sack on a second-and-long. He sailed a throw on third down. The Niners went three-and-out on back-to-back drives. It’s no coincidence they struggled without Evans.
Raheem Morris had enough of Upton Stout. Ashtyn Davis came in at nickel for Stout. Davis gave up a 30-yard completion. Washington scored on the next play, but a penalty negated a 31-yard touchdown run.
On 4th-and-8, Washington used a valuable timeout. Romello Height sacked Daniels, but a flag in the secondary once again gifted Washington a fresh set of downs. The flag was on Davis. Height made a great rush.
The game would come down to 4th and 3 after a big hit by Mustapha on third down. Mustapha came through again by jarring loose a target at the goal line. The 49ers don’t win this game without his performance.
The Commanders had two timeouts. We’ve seen the 49ers be aggressive in these situations, but that was with Evans on the field. On 3rd and 8, the Niners ran the ball and drained the clock. A conservative call that gave Washington the ball back with a minute remaining and a chance to win. It was the offense’s third straight three-and-out.
Siran Neal was flagged for kick-catch interference. That put Washington around midfield with 52 seconds remaining.
Instead of Stout or Davis, Lenoir moved into the slot with Jack Jones replacing him outside. This follows Davis’s struggles on the previous two drives.
Daviels took an intentional grounding penalty after Romello Height got pressure once again. It was costly, as the 10-second run-off left only six seconds remaining.
Height and White sacked Daniels on a three-man rush, helping the 49ers escape.