The 49ers nearly let one slip away Monday night, but the fallout could stretch far beyond the box score. Washington’s rally from a 23-3 deficit in the third quarter turned what looked like a runaway San Francisco win into a tense finish, and that comeback may have bought Commanders coach Dan Quinn a little more breathing room.
At the same time, the Commanders are still sitting at 1-4-1, and the pressure around Quinn is only getting louder. Washington has kept itself alive in the NFC East, but the season has already included a crushing collapse the previous week, when the team blew a game in the closing seconds and never got a chance to attempt a field goal in a tie with the New York Giants.
Monday night added another layer to the scrutiny. In the first half, it looked as if Quinn and his staff were caught flat-footed when quarterback Jayden Daniels threw the ball away on fourth down.
Quinn said after the game that he knew it was fourth down, but it was an ugly moment for a team that already piled up too many self-inflicted mistakes early. Even trying to go back and read lips afterward won’t do much to clean that up.
There was also a strange twist to the night for Washington. Kyle Shanahan, who once worked under Quinn when Quinn was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Shanahan was offensive coordinator, wound up on the other sideline as the 49ers’ coach.
For a while, it looked like Shanahan might be the one helping push Quinn closer to the exit. Instead, Washington’s second-half response may have stalled that conversation for now.
The Commanders are heading into a bye week, which would be a workable time to make a coaching change if that was the direction they wanted to go. But the way Washington kept battling on Monday likely earned Quinn some extra time.
He did take the Commanders to an NFC Championship Game appearance back in 2024, and that resume may still carry some weight. Even so, if the losses keep coming and the mistakes keep piling up, this night in San Francisco could end up being remembered as one more step toward Quinn’s downfall in Washington.
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 🡒]