The 49ers nearly let it slip away, but they still walked out of Week 6 with a 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders. And the final stretch told the story: when the defense needed a stop, Malik Mustapha delivered one.
With a little more than two minutes left and San Francisco hanging on, Mustapha first blew up Jeremy McNichols on third down with a violent run stop. Then, on the very next snap, he got his hands on a touchdown throw to Treylon Burks and knocked the ball loose as Burks went to the ground. He came through twice in the biggest moments of the night, and both plays looked like the kind that swing games.
That late rescue act was necessary because Kyle Shanahan got too pass-happy while trying to close things out. The trouble started on the final play of the third quarter, when a play-action call led to Brock Purdy getting sacked for nine yards. San Francisco never recovered from that drive, then followed it up by calling three straight passes on the next possession and going three-and-out.
Instead of leaning on the run and grinding down the clock, Shanahan kept the offense in the air and nearly handed the Commanders a chance to steal it. He almost cost his team the game.
Purdy, though, continued to look like a quarterback who has taken a major step this year. He was sharp from start to finish, even if the second half was quieter after Evans left the game. The first half was especially strong, and he looked at ease every time he dropped back.
His scrambling has become another weapon. Purdy picked his spots well and made five runs for 28 yards, showing the kind of balance that makes him tough to defend. He’s turning into the kind of quarterback who can pick you apart from the pocket and still punish you when he takes off.
The offensive line kept right on doing its job, too. Week after week, that unit keeps proving it is far from the weak link people made it out to be during the offseason.
Purdy had time to throw, pressure was scarce, and the run game found room for Christian McCaffrey and rookie Kaelon Black to work with. The lanes were there, and often they were huge.
The concern on offense is Evans, and it’s a real one. Playing him after he missed practice all week with an Achilles injury never looked wise, and the issue flared when he hurt that Achilles with a minute left in the first half after making a catch.
The 49ers ruled him out for the rest of the game at halftime, which was the right move, but the bigger question now is how much this has set him back. A season-ending injury is on the table, and it feels unlikely he plays in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, especially with the bye week coming after that.
The 49ers have to do what they can to preserve him.
Eddy Pineiro is another problem they can’t ignore. He missed yet another extra point, and at this point it looks like he has the yips.
That miss made the finish far more tense than it should have been, because a touchdown by Washington would not have merely tied the game - it likely would have put the Commanders ahead if the extra point had been made. Pineiro is a liability, and if San Francisco gets into another tight one, he could be the reason they take their first loss.
On the other side of the ball, the pass rush is catching fire. For the second straight game, the 49ers got after Jayden Daniels, sacking him four times and making him uncomfortable for much of the night.
It’s becoming a real force, and that matters because the defense was already solid before the rush started heating up. With Nick Bosa’s return looming, that development becomes even scarier.
Sebastian Valdez kept building on his strong season as well. After making noise against the Seattle Seahawks last week with disruption and a sack, he showed up again against the Commanders.
He seemed to show up on almost every defensive series, affecting both the run and the pass. With injuries piling up along the defensive line, Valdez has given the 49ers exactly what they need: a role player whose stock keeps rising.
In Other News...
49ers Survived A Scare Thanks To One Late Defensive Stand
A tense Monday night in Washington nearly turned into a costly slip for the 49ers, who had to sweat through a second-half surge before escaping with their unbeaten record intact. Malik Mustapha came up with the kind of defensive play that can define a close game, helping San Francisco fend off a Commanders comeback after Washington had already lost top receiver Terry McLaurin to a knee injury.
The 49ers still left the field with a 6-0 start, but the night was not clean. An apparent Achilles injury to wide receiver Mike Evans added another layer of concern to a win that required late-game poise and a key stop when Washington seemed to be closing in on the end zone. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Just Sent An Encouraging Signal On Mike Evans
The 49ers Week 6 roster moves offered a small but notable glimpse into how theyre managing the wide receiver picture, with Christian Kirk staying on injured reserve and Mike Evans still listed as questionable. San Francisco also added some immediate depth by elevating wideout Malik Turner and linebacker Jalen Graham from the practice squad, a move that gives the offense a little more insurance while the injury situation sorts itself out.
For now, the receiver room is built around Evans, Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins, with Kirk still waiting for a chance to return under his designation. The combination of the inactive status on one receiver and the extra depth additions suggests the 49ers are preparing for multiple contingencies, and Evans availability remains the headline the team is still trying to settle before game day. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Primetime Scare Put Focus On Two Receivers For Very Different Reasons
Monday night put two receivers in the spotlight for very different reasons, and neither moment had much to do with the stat sheet. Terry McLaurin was being covered one-on-one by 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir when a knee injury stopped him in his tracks, turning a routine play into a grim scene that required a medical cart and an air cast.
On the other sideline, Mike Evans was still working through his own issues while catching passes from Brock Purdy, and he also showed a little class in the aftermath by shaking hands with McLaurin. Evans later exited briefly with an Achilles issue before making it back to the locker room under his own power, a reminder that even in a primetime game, health concerns can linger long after the next snap. [Read more 🡒]