The Washington Commanders dropped to 7-7-1 on the season after Saturday’s 37-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Buy Commanders TicketsThe game was tied 7-7 at halftime before the 49ers turned things around in the third quarter after a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Brock Purdy to tight end George Kittle to give them a 21-7 lead.
While the Commanders answered, the deficit proved too much, and a pair of turnovers led Washington to bench quarterback Taylor Heinicke in favor of Carson Wentz.
Despite the loss, Washington still holds the No. 7 and final spot in the NFC playoffs with a 7-7-1 record.
Here’s everything we know from Washington’s loss.
Final score: 49ers 37, Commanders 20
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| Washington Commanders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 0 | 7 | 14 | 16 | 37 |
Why the Commanders lost
The Washington Commanders didn’t lose this game because of Heinicke or Wentz. There were multiple coaching decisions throughout the game that will come back and haunt the Commanders. Rivera’s decision not to take three points early was costly. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner’s playcalling again was a problem. Turner wanted to establish the run against the NFL’s best pass defense when the passing game presented opportunities all game long. Too bad it took Turner until late in the third quarter to figure this out.
It was over when....
San Francisco cornerback Jimmie Ward intercepted Heinicke, his second turnover on as many plays. The 49ers would kick back-to-back field goals after the turnovers, which proved far too much for the Commanders to overcome.
Commanders' top performers
- WR Terry McLaurin: 4 receptions, 77 yards, touchdown
- WR Jahan Dotson: 6 receptions, 76 yards, touchdown
- WR Curtis Samuel: 5 receptions, 52 yards, touchdown
- LB David Mayo: 9 tackles
Game notes
- This was the first time this season that McLaurin, Dotson and Samuel all caught a touchdown pass in the same game. Washington has ridiculously good skill players, it just needs to find stability at quarterback.
- Brian Robinson Jr. had a hard-earned 58 yards. Robinson ran hard against the league’s top defense, breaking tackles, even on runs when he was hit in the backfield as soon as he touched the football. The Commanders should continue to be encouraged by Robinson.
- Defensive end Chase Young is back, and he played far more than 12 snaps. Young was impactful, made two tackles and knocked down one pass. The Commanders should be happy with what they saw from Young in game one of his comeback.
- 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan took advantage of all the holes in Washington’s secondary as tight end George Kittle had a huge game. Washington had no answer for Kittle. The Commanders really missed safety Kamren Curl. In the three games he’s missed, Washington’s defense has struggled.
- The Commanders were credited with three sacks, but only one was an actual sack. In one play, Purdy ran out of bounds for a loss; On another, Purdy chose not to force the ball into coverage leading to a Benjamin St-Juste sack. The one sack came from Daron Payne which came at a critical juncture of the game. Other than that, Washington’s defensive line was rendered mostly ineffective for the second consecutive week.
- Heinicke played one of his best games before he was benched. Ron Rivera came into this game wanting to make a change. Heinicke’s interception was a terrible decision, so you can’t really fault Rivera for the change.
- Wentz looked mostly comfortable, taking what was given to him during two drives. The 49ers pressured him, too. His touchdown pass to Samuel was a dime. He will likely start the final two games for Washington.
- Another tough day for the offensive line, but who is having tight ends block Nick Bosa? That’s on the coaching staff.
- What was up on Joey Slye’s onside kick attempt?
What's next
Washington still holds the final playoff spot by a half-game over the Lions and Seahawks. If the Commanders win their last two games, they will be in the playoffs. Next up is the Cleveland Browns, followed by the Dallas Cowboys. Both games are at home. If the Commanders can’t win both games, they shouldn’t be in the playoffs. And that’s not meant to disrespect either team, but if you want to be in the playoffs, you don’t deserve to back into a playoff berth.
