Week 16 Post Game Review: 49ers vs Commanders

By Scooter_McG

The 49ers gave their fans an early Christmas present beating the Washington Commanders 37-20 on Christmas Eve and keeping them in the hunt for not only the 2nd seed, but potentially the 1st seed if the Eagles lose out. 

The legend of Brock Purdy continues to grow following this win, as he became only the second QB since 1950 to win his first three starts while also throwing two or more TDs and recording a passer rating above 100 in each game. The poise with which he plays is a testament to his temperament and preparation and it was on full display in this game as he led the 49ers offense to 37 points against one of the best defenses and pass rushes in the NFL. As has been the case with all of his starts, the stat-line won't wow anybody, but there is no denying his ability to keep the offense moving with smart decision-making and hit some big plays when needed. The only real blemish on his day was an intercept which came courtesy of a bobble by Jennings, which was far more Jennings' fault than Purdy's.

While the scoreboard would suggest a game in which the 49ers dominated their opponent, it didn't feel that way throughout the game. In part that comes down to a very tight first half that ended with the scores tied at 7-7; it wasn't until the second half that the 49ers pulled away. But even then, the stats bear out a game that was closer than the scoreboard suggests, as the 49ers didn't blow the Commanders away in terms of yards, while they trailed in terms of time of possession, first downs and third down conversions. 

But there were a couple of key areas the 49ers did dominate that decided the game. 

First, the 49ers were able to completely shut down the Commanders running game. While they were unable to become the first defense to hold their opponents to under 70 yards for eight straight games, the Commanders only barely topped that and the only reason they did was sheer perseverance. That kept the Commanders behind the sticks for much of the game and was a key factor in the 49ers goal line stand in the first half. The dominance of the run defense actually served to highlight an area the 49ers struggled, which was third down pass defense. The Commanders were in a lot of third and longs in this game yet finished the day converting 7 of 13 third downs including a number of long conversions. 

The second area the 49ers dominated in was the big play category. McCloud had a 71 yard TD run to open the scoring (on the ensuing drive after the goal line stand), Kittle had two big TD catches on his way to another big day with Purdy as his QB, Aiyuk had a 54-yard grab which led to a TD, and Jimmie Ward picked of Heinicke deep in Commanders territory. That's not to say the Commanders didn't have some big plays of their own, but overall the Commanders were forced into matriculating down the field while the 49ers were more explosive which led to more points. 

While the 49ers came away as fairly comfortable winners in the second half, the sluggishness in the first half and the deficiencies in preventing the Commanders from converting long third downs were areas the team will want to address moving forward to the playoffs. As I commented during the game, the team was displaying good effort throughout, but their was a distinct lack of focus and execution in the first half. It's the sort of issue we've seen from this team in the past, most recently during the opening 7 weeks of the season. The difficulty getting off the field on third down is also not a new one, and with Bosa the only 49ers defender to tally a sack in this game it once again served to highlight how important Bosa is to generating pass rush and closing out opponents drives.

Part of their issues in this game can likely be put down to something of an emotional let down after securing the division title. But at the same time it would be remiss for the coaching staff and players to look at the areas they struggled and look for ways to fix them. And in that regard this game can actually be seen as a good thing, as it gives the team clarity on areas to focus on moving forward.