Trips to the Bay Area haven’t been kind to the Commanders. Washington is 3-10-1 all-time on the road against the 49ers and hasn’t won a game in San Francisco since 2004, according to the team’s preview of the trip.
This group also arrives with a defense that has a real second-half adjustment problem and a head coach who bought time with the Week 3 win over Seattle, then watched a 27-27 tie he called a breakdown. “We’ve learned lessons now. We’re gearing up for a great challenge Monday night against San Francisco,” Dan Quinn said, according to the Associated Press.
Here’s the case for and against Washington.
Reasons the Commanders will beat the 49ers in Week 6
Jayden Daniels can win this game with his legs. Daniels has 203 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in three games, and his 77.3 overall grade ranks 11th among quarterbacks at PFF. San Francisco has to account for him on every snap, and Washington shouldn’t take away that edge by keeping him in the pocket. His 9.7 yards per carry give the offense a way to steal third downs.
Washington takes care of the ball and takes it away. The Commanders are plus-five in turnover margin, tied for second in the NFL. Daniels has no interceptions in 76 attempts, and Sonny Styles, who ranked as the league’s top defensive rookie at the quarter mark, and Rasul Douglas each have an interception. Brock Purdy threw an interception at Seattle last week, and one extra possession could swing a road game.
The run game travels. Washington averages 139.6 rushing yards per game, sixth in the NFL. Jacory Croskey-Merritt is out, but Rachaad White and Austin Ekeler give Quinn enough to stay balanced, and Daniels’ legs on top of that make the Commanders hard to load up against. Controlling the clock with the run is also the simplest way to keep San Francisco’s offense on the sideline.
The run defense can take away Christian McCaffrey. Washington allows 95.4 rushing yards per game, eighth in the league. McCaffrey has 286 yards on 61 carries, 4.7 per carry, and Kyle Shanahan’s offense is built on early-down runs that set up play-action. If the Commanders win first down, Purdy is throwing into longer third downs against a defense that will finally get to rush.
Reasons the 49ers will beat the Commanders
Brock Purdy and Mike Evans are a problem for this secondary. Washington allows 242.5 passing yards per game, 25th in the NFL. Purdy has 1,196 yards and 13 touchdown passes, and Evans has 24 catches for 326 yards, with 21 of those catches going for first downs. “The way those guys played in the fourth quarter, you could really feel it the way Brock started ripping the ball,” Kyle Shanahan said after the Seattle win. Evans, who drew a positive injury update after Week 3, had 113 yards at Seattle last week.
Washington hasn’t been able to finish. The Commanders are last in second-half points allowed, and San Francisco has scored 89 of its 154 points after halftime. Seattle erased a 24-10 deficit in Week 3, and the Giants scored twice in the final eight minutes of regulation to force overtime. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones has preached keeping plays in front of the defense. “We’re okay with a three- or four-yard catch; just gotta rally make the tackle,” Jones said this week. Four straight games of 27 or more points allowed is a hard trend to break in Santa Clara.
More on the Washington Commanders
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- Final Injury Report for Commanders-49ers: Will Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel Play?
- NFL Makes Historic Jayden Daniels Announcement Ahead of Commanders-49ers Game
- Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers NFL Prediction, Picks & Odds for Week 6 Monday Night Football
