The Washington Commanders are coming off one of the most embarrassing on-field moments in recent franchise history. The Commanders had a chance to improve to 2-3 in Sunday’s game against the New York Giants. All Washington had to do was stop the clock and send out kicker Drew Stevens for a potential 42-yard game-winning field goal.
By now, you know what happened. The Commanders called another play; quarterback Jayden Daniels was tackled in the middle of the field instead of throwing the ball away, and Washington watched as time ran out, leading to a 27-27 tie with the Giants.
Now 1-3-1, Washington is back in action for Week 6. The Commanders must face the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. It’s a tremendous opportunity for Washington to put Sunday’s embarrassment behind them, but traveling across the country to face one of the NFL’s top teams is a tall task for any team. We are about to learn how tough the Commanders are.
Here are six things to know about this week’s matchup between the 49ers and Commanders.
Series history
Washington and San Francisco are two of the NFL’s most historic and successful franchises. The longtime NFC rivals have met 36 total times. The 49ers lead the all-time series 23-12-1. San Francisco has won the previous two matchups, both by 17 points. San Francisco defeated the Commanders 27-10 in 2023 and 37-20 in 2022. Washington’s last win over the Niners came in 2020, a 23-15 win in Glendale, Arizona, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Monday night history
The 49ers and Commanders have played five times on Monday Night Football, with the 49ers holding a 4-1 edge. The last meeting came in 2013, when San Francisco won 27-6. Interestingly, Kyle Shanahan was on Washington’s sideline in his final season as offensive coordinator before he and his father, Mike, along with Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel, were fired at the end of that season. Washington’s last Monday night win over San Francisco came in 1986, with George Rogers and Gary Clark scoring touchdowns for the then-Redskins.
Washington’s history in San Francisco
The Commanders are 3-10-1 at San Francisco in the regular season. With the postseason, Washington is 3-13-1 in San Francisco.
A lot of familiarity
These two teams may not play every year, but there are a lot of connections on both sides. As mentioned earlier, Shanahan spent four seasons as Washington’s offensive coordinator (2010-13). Commanders GM Adam Peters spent seven seasons in San Francisco, first as vice president of player personnel, then as assistant GM. 49ers left tackle Trent Williams is in his seventh season with the 49ers, but he spent his first 10 in Washington. 49ers wide receiver Deebo Sanuel played for the Commanders last season, where he led them in receiving. Commanders assistant coaches Darryl Tapp and Anthony Lynn both spent time on Shanahan’s staff in San Francisco.
Quarterback matchup
Brock Purdy is 2-0 against the Commanders, completing 37 of 50 passes (74%) for 464 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception. This will be Jayden Daniels' first time facing the 49ers.
49ers offense vs Commanders defense
A mismatch on paper. Washington’s defense has been strong in the first half. However, things fall apart in the second half, allowing 95 points in the second half and 55 in the fourth quarter — both numbers lead the NFL. San Francisco’s offense ranks No. 1 in FTN’s offensive DVOA metric. Meanwhile, Washington’s defense ranks 32nd in opposing QBR in the fourth quarter. Even with heavy blitzing, the Commanders haven’t recorded a fourth-quarter sack in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 6 things to know for Commanders vs 49ers in Week 6