NFL
By: Courtney Byrd
The Washington Commanders gave themselves a chance to steal a win Monday night, but a late rally could not erase the hole they dug in a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers led 20-3 at halftime and pushed their advantage to 23-3 early in the third quarter. Washington answered with two touchdown drives, including scores from Stefon Diggs and Rachaad White, and pulled within six points. But the comeback ended when Jayden Daniels was sacked as time expired.
Daniels finished with 300 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Chig Okonkwo led Washington with seven catches for 69 yards, while Treylon Burks added 66 yards and Diggs caught a touchdown. The second-half response showed the offense could move the ball, but the slow start left little room for error.
The loss also came with a major setback: Terry McLaurin suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season. His absence puts even more pressure on Washington’s remaining receivers to step up, especially with the passing game still searching for consistency.
The offensive line remains a concern. San Francisco pressured Daniels throughout the game, and Washington’s protection issues have made it difficult to sustain drives. The team also needs to clean up its late-game execution. On fourth-and-2 in the red zone, Daniels threw the ball away instead of taking a chance on a play, a decision Dan Quinn later said he wanted handled differently. Those moments have become harder to overlook after the team’s recent struggles.
Washington enters its bye at 1-4-1, but the NFC East remains within reach. The division has been uneven, and the Commanders still have time to improve their position. The bye gives the team a chance to review what is going wrong on offense and defense, make adjustments along the offensive line, and get players healthy.
The team has also added former NFL head coach Steve Wilks as a part-time defensive consultant. His experience gives the defensive staff another voice as Washington works to improve a unit that has struggled to make stops consistently.
Diggs has remained optimistic about the team’s chances, and the late rally offered a reason for fans to hold onto some hope. Still, Washington cannot rely on another comeback every week. It needs faster starts, better protection for Daniels and more disciplined execution when the game is close.
The Commanders will spend Week 7 on their bye before returning home to face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, Nov. 1. That divisional matchup will be an important test of whether Washington can turn a frustrating start into a more competitive second half of the season.
