Kyle Shanahan has done a lot of winning since leaving Atlanta, and most of it has come at Dan Quinn’s expense.
That matchup is back on the board in Week 6, with Washington and San Francisco set for the fifth meeting between the two coaches since their split. It’s also the first time Shanahan and Quinn will face each other with Quinn running the Commanders.
The reunion brings some familiar history with it. Quinn has only one win in the series, and that came in the first meeting between the two.
In that game, the Falcons were already out of playoff contention, but they still erased the 49ers with a huge fourth quarter, scoring 19 points and outgaining San Francisco by ten to pull off the comeback. Atlanta’s defense forced four fumbles, though only two were recovered.
George Kittle still put together a big night, catching 13 passes on 17 targets for 134 yards.
Even with that loss, the 49ers still locked up a playoff berth after the Los Angeles Rams lost to the Cowboys. The ending from that season has lived on for a different reason: Julio Jones’ 5-yard goal-line touchdown to put Atlanta ahead with two seconds left has been overshadowed by Dre Greenlaw’s goal-line stop of Jacob Hollister in Week 17.
Since then, Shanahan has been the one landing the punches. He got his first revenge in the 2021 NFC Wild Card round, when San Francisco knocked out Quinn and his seventh-ranked defense.
Deebo Samuel was in the middle of a scorching four-game stretch and accounted for 110 yards on 13 touches. His 26-yard touchdown run after a K’Waun Williams interception of Dak Prescott ended up deciding the game.
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 172 yards in that one, but Shanahan leaned on the run game late, and the 49ers finished with 169 rushing yards on 38 carries. Dallas made things interesting with a late push, but the clock ran out on the final possession, much like it did for Jayden Daniels against Washington in overtime last week.
The next postseason meeting went Shanahan’s way again. With Brock Purdy at quarterback, San Francisco didn’t reach the end zone until the first snap of the fourth quarter, when Christian McCaffrey scored from 2 yards out. Quinn’s defense managed two sacks, but Purdy also picked off Dallas twice, and those turnovers turned into a Robbie Gould field goal and the end of a drive that had reached the red zone.
Shanahan’s most convincing answer to Quinn came on Sunday night, when Purdy threw four touchdowns and found Kittle for three of them. McCaffrey was held to 2.7 yards per carry on 19 attempts, but he still scored on the ground, and backup Jordan Mason added another touchdown while rushing for 69 yards on 10 carries. That win pushed the 49ers to 5-0 and tied them with the Eagles for the NFC’s best record.
Across the four games against Quinn, Shanahan’s offense has averaged 26.5 points and 346.7 yards per game. A lot of that damage came against a Dallas defense featuring Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, but the larger point has been clear: Quinn’s front has not had a reliable answer for Shanahan’s scheme.
The question now is whether that trend continues. Quinn, working with defensive coordinator and playcaller Daronte Jones, has struggled early in 2026, with Washington ranking 23rd in total defense at 350.4 yards per game through five weeks.
San Francisco, meanwhile, sits ninth in total offense at 365 yards per game, though the 49ers are dealing with multiple wide receiver injuries heading into Monday night’s matchup. That gives Shanahan another chance to do what he has done most of the time against Quinn: move the ball, finish drives and make the scoreboard tell the story.
In Other News...
49ers Could Turn Hot Start Into A Trade Push Fans Never Saw Coming
The 49ers strong start has created the kind of backdrop that can change a front offices thinking, especially when a team believes it has enough in place to chase bigger goals. With the roster already performing well, the conversation around San Francisco has shifted from simply holding serve to whether there is room to get even better before the season reaches its stretch run.
That has naturally opened the door to trade speculation, with possible upgrades at multiple spots on the table as the deadline approaches. A potential backfield addition like Omarion Hampton is part of the discussion, but the more intriguing possibility is whether San Francisco will stay aggressive if the right opportunity appears on the market, keeping the 49ers in the kind of all-in posture that can define a season. [Read more 🡒]
49ers May Need Patience If They Want A Jauan Jennings Reunion
The 49ers search for help at receiver has put Jauan Jennings back on their radar, with the club reportedly interested in bringing in the former target after injuries thinned San Franciscos depth. Jennings has not found much traction in Minnesota, where his production has been limited and his situation has looked unsettled enough to keep the rumor mill moving.
Still, the Vikings do not have much reason to make a deal right now. Their strong start gives them leverage, and any real movement would likely have to wait until they see how the next stretch of games goes before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. For San Francisco, that means a possible reunion may be more of a waiting game than an immediate fix. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Purdy Can Put 49ers Hot Start In Historic Territory Monday
Brock Purdys fast start has already put him near the top of the league in several passing categories through five games, and Monday night against Washington gives him a chance to push the 49ers into rare territory. San Francisco has opened the season with the kind of efficiency that keeps stacking up week after week, even as the offense has had to manage some concern at wide receiver.
The matchup comes with a few moving parts, but Purdy still has enough help around him to keep the momentum going, with key targets such as George Kittle expected to factor in. If the passing game stays on schedule against the Commanders, the 49ers could leave Monday with a start that feels less like a hot streak and more like something historically significant. [Read more 🡒]