Washington lost 23-17 to the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, and the Commanders fell to 1-4-1. The final score doesn’t tell the whole story.
The 49ers led 20-3 at halftime. Washington scored the next two touchdowns, held San Francisco to a field goal after the break and had a go-ahead 31-yard Jeremy McNichols touchdown run erased by a face mask penalty with 4:19 left, according to ESPN’s play-by-play.
Jayden Daniels was the biggest reason the Commanders had a chance. A penalty and a run game that never showed up are the biggest reasons they didn’t win. Here’s whose stock rose and fell.
Rising: Jayden Daniels
Daniels completed 29 of 40 passes for 300 yards with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. It was his best passing game of the season, coming eight days after he ran for 103 yards in his return from a dislocated elbow.
He was sacked four times and lost Terry McLaurin to a first-quarter knee injury, but he still led touchdown drives of 65 and 80 yards in the second half. Daniels has five touchdown passes and no interceptions in four games, according to his ESPN game log.
If the line gives him any help after the bye, Washington’s offense has a real chance to be dangerous.
Falling: Chris Paul
Paul’s face mask came on the biggest play of the night. McNichols’ 31-yard run would have put Washington ahead 24-23, and instead the ball went back to the San Francisco 40.
The drive ended on downs at the 17. Washington’s line also drew holding calls on Josh Conerly Jr., Lucas Patrick and Brandon Coleman, and the Commanders finished with seven penalties for 66 yards, according to ESPN’s box score.
Paul will see that play a lot this week. So will his coaches.
Rising: Chig Okonkwo
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Okonkwo caught all seven of his targets for 69 yards and became Daniels’ most reliable option once McLaurin went down. His 29-yard catch on the first play of the second quarter moved Washington to the San Francisco 21.
With McLaurin’s knee injury still being evaluated, Okonkwo’s role could keep growing.
Rising: Sonny Styles
Styles led everyone with 13 tackles, seven of them solo. He was in on the tackle on the Christian McCaffrey fumble that K’Lavon Chaisson forced and Frankie Luvu recovered at the Washington 19.
The rookie came into the week as the top defensive rookie at the quarter mark of the season. Monday night didn’t hurt that case.
Falling: The run game
Washington ran 17 times for 53 yards, 3.1 per carry, with Jacory Croskey-Merritt out. Rachaad White had 27 yards on seven carries, and Daniels ran only four times for 10 yards a week after his 103-yard day.
The Commanders had two rushing first downs. White did catch four passes for 30 yards and the 9-yard touchdown that cut it to 23-17, but the ground game has to give Daniels more support than this.
Rising: Odafe Oweh
Oweh sacked Brock Purdy for a 6-yard loss after Washington cut the deficit to six, forcing a three-and-out that gave the offense the ball back with 7:46 left. Shy Tuttle added a sack late in the third quarter.
It’s a small step, but Oweh’s slow start has raised questions about Washington’s big investment in him. A sack in a big spot is a good place to start answering them.
Rising: Treylon Burks
Burks caught four passes for 66 yards, including a 30-yard grab on the late drive that included the nullified touchdown, which got Washington to the San Francisco 31. With McLaurin out, he stepped into a bigger role and made the most of it.
Washington heads into its bye at 1-4-1, with Philadelphia up next. The Commanders will need more of what worked Monday night and less of what didn’t.
