With one week remaining within the common season, Washington, Arizona and New England have equivalent 4-12 information. The Commanders personal the tiebreaker for the second choose, which is energy of schedule, as decided by the combination successful proportion of every staff’s opponents. The staff whose opponents have a worse successful proportion is awarded the upper choose, and the Patriots (.518) and Commanders (.515) are neck and neck in that class.
The Cowboys can clinch the NFC East with a win over Washington in subsequent week’s common season finale at FedEx Discipline. It’d seem to be sacrilege to root for something however a Cowboys loss, but it surely’s essential for Commanders followers to maintain their eyes on the prize. A win might price Washington prime draft place, so it says right here you’re higher off rooting for a Dallas win, which might prolong the NFC East’s streak of not having a repeat division champion since 2004. Then root your face off for the Cowboys to lose within the playoffs in entrance of their residence followers in a few weeks.
Hail: First-half sport plan
Eric Bieniemy referred to as three consecutive passing performs on Washington’s opening possession, which resulted in a three-and-out, however the Commanders’ offensive coordinator discovered his groove on his staff’s subsequent drive, and it carried into the second quarter. Washington marched 46 yards on 9 performs to chop San Francisco’s result in 10-3, with working again Brian Robinson Jr., who missed the earlier two video games with a hamstring harm, offering a spark within the working sport. Sam Howell led an 84-yard landing drive on Washington’s ensuing possession, which included a 42-yard strike to Terry McLaurin on third and two after a powerful run by Robinson. Howell was 9 for 13 for 100 yards and a landing within the first half, and Robinson had six carries for 33 yards. McLaurin was extra concerned within the first two quarters than he had been in weeks, posting 4 catches for 61 yards.
Fail: Fourth-quarter Howell
Trailing 20-10, the Commanders have been deep in San Francisco territory early within the fourth quarter when Howell threw a cross behind McLaurin that 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward intercepted. After San Francisco marched 95 yards for a landing that successfully put the sport out of attain, Howell threw his second choose on the second play of Washington’s subsequent possession. The turnovers marred what had been a stable sport from Howell in opposition to one of many league’s higher defenses. Howell has now thrown a minimum of one interception in six consecutive video games. The second-year professional has three landing passes and 10 picks in that span.
Sunday’s ultimate rating would’ve been quite a bit uglier if not for Washington’s bend-but-don’t-break protection. The 49ers penetrated the pink zone on three of their 4 first-half possessions however scored just one landing on these drives. Late within the second quarter, Daron Payne dragged Christian McCaffrey down for a lack of three yards on first and purpose from the Washington 1. After the Commanders compelled Brock Purdy to throw incompletions on the subsequent two performs, the 49ers settled for a 22-yard subject purpose by Jake Moody. The end result was now not in severe doubt, however Washington made one other spectacular goal-line stand within the fourth quarter, when Jonathan Allen and David Mayo stuffed working again Elijah Mitchell on consecutive carries to power a turnover on downs.
Fail: The franchise nice that acquired away
All-pro left deal with Trent Williams returned to FedEx Discipline for the primary time since Washington traded him to the 49ers in 2020 and led his teammates out of the tunnel earlier than the sport. “Once they dealt me away for nothing, I nonetheless had quite a bit left within the tank,” Williams stated after the 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed within the NFC playoffs. With former Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan on the helm and Williams main the best way, San Francisco has 4 playoff wins previously two seasons, which is three greater than the Commanders have since 2000.
Benjamin St-Juste and Kendall Fuller have been inactive for Washington, leaving Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Tariq Castro-Fields because the Commanders’ beginning cornerbacks. Castro-Fields injured his shoulder and left the sport within the first half, forcing Washington to name upon Holmes, a second-year participant who had appeared solely on particular groups this 12 months. Holmes made a right away impression, breaking apart a cross supposed for Ronnie Bell to power the 49ers’ first punt. Holmes’s day was lower brief when he was carted to the locker room and dominated out for the remainder of the sport with a concussion after collapsing ultimately zone throughout a scary second early within the fourth quarter.
Washington didn’t register a sack for the fourth time in its previous 5 video games. Chase Younger didn’t have a sack for the 49ers in his return to FedEx Discipline and Montez Sweat had a quiet day within the Bears’ 37-17 win over the Falcons, however Washington’s cross rush has been nonexistent because it traded these first-round picks on the deadline.
