{"id":502137,"date":"2026-10-20T11:12:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T11:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/502137\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T11:12:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T11:12:42","slug":"49ers-report-card-vs-commanders-so-much-for-carefree-path-to-6-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/502137\/","title":{"rendered":"49ers report card vs. Commanders: So much for carefree path to 6-0"},"content":{"rendered":"

SANTA CLARA \u2013 Here is how the 49ers (6-0) graded in Monday night\u2019s 23-17 home win<\/a> against the Washington Commanders (1-4-1):<\/p>\n

PASS OFFENSE: C+<\/p>\n

Achilles pain forced Mike Evans\u2019 exit<\/a> just before halftime, and the 49ers\u2019 offense wasn\u2019t the same without him (three catches, 94 yards). Brock Purdy<\/a> threw for just 50 second-half yards (4-of-7) as part of his 264-yard, turnover-free outing that included an opening-drive touchdown pass to George Kittle. As the offense went three-and-out its final three possessions, Purdy was sacked twice, scrambled once and the attrition at receiver was glaring.<\/p>\n

RUN OFFENSE: C<\/p>\n

Christian McCaffrey ran for 64 yards, caught 9-of-10 targets for 53 yards, scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs, but he also had a second-quarter fumble in the red zone that still had him stewing postgame. Kaelon Black charged ahead for 34 yards on eight carries for his biggest output since his Week 1 debut. Purdy ran for 28 yards, including a 6-yard scramble to open a fourth-quarter drive in which it seemed the 49ers had no receiving alternatives.<\/p>\n

PASS DEFENSE: B+<\/p>\n

It shouldn\u2019t have to come to this but it did, and the 49ers clinched the win thanks to this unit. Kudos first go to Malik Mustapha for breaking up a fourth-down pass at the goal line to cap his stellar, hard-hitting evening. The grand finale was still to come, with Keion White and Romello Height combining to sack 300-yard passer Jayden Daniels as time expired. Those heroics aside, multiple defensive penalties fueled the Commanders\u2019 comeback, including third-down calls against Romello Height (illegal contact), Osa Odighizuwa (roughing the passer) and Ashtyn Davis (illegal contact).<\/p>\n

RUN DEFENSE: B<\/p>\n

The Commanders posed little threat after placing leading rusher Jacory Crosky-Merritt on Injured Reserve before kickoff. Jaden Dugger had a team-high 11 tackles starting in place of the suspended Dre Greenlaw. Fred Warner had eight tackles and some vicious hits, including one that popped free a helmet. Mustapha had just four tackles but they were doozies, including a third-down stop for no gain before his fourth-down, goal-line pass defense.<\/p>\n

SPECIAL TEAMS: D<\/p>\n

Far too many miscues. First, Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro missed a third point-after kick this season. Then Jacob Cowing muffed a punt for the second straight game, though he recovered this fumble to pin the offense at its 4-yard line. Siran Neal drew a penalty for fair-catch interference to let the Commanders\u2019 last-minute, last-gasp drive start near midfield (at the Washington 46). Other than that, Pi\u00f1eiro made his only field-goal try (33 yards) and Jordan James showed well as a kick returner.<\/p>\n

COACHING: C<\/p>\n

Starting 6-0 and having a three-game divisional lead is \u2026 damn good. It just didn\u2019t elicit much hoopla, nor should it have after this Jekyll-and-Hyde affair. Defensively, the second-half scare helps their mental resolve as Raheem Morris\u2019 unit made clutch stops. \u201cThere are plenty of things on offense we should done better,\u201d Kittle said. \u201cHopefully we have guys strong enough not to get their feelings hurt, but Kyle\u2019s a hard coach, and we all deserve to be coached really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

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