The 49ers are coming off a 23-17 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, improving to 6-0 on the season. This week, they travel to a different time zone for the first time since Week One to take on the 2-4 Atlanta Falcons, a team that has shown it can put up points. With the 49ers’ defense looking better every week, could a Raheem Morris revenge game be on the horizon? And with all the injuries at wide receiver, who will Brock Purdy be throwing to? The game before the bye week is loaded with storylines.
49ers Offense
On Monday night, the 49ers offense put up 375 total yards — 249 passing and 126 rushing — with one turnover and two sacks allowed. The offense moved the ball with ease in the first half, but when the second half rolled around, they struggled to find a rhythm. Washington took a more aggressive approach defensively, and it seemed to disrupt the flow of the offense. Mike Evans leaving the game with an injury certainly didn’t help.
Brock Purdy went 21/29 for 264 yards and a touchdown while adding 28 yards on the ground. He also became the NFL’s all-time leader in career passer rating with a mark of 105.6. Through six games, Purdy has thrown for 1,460 yards (12th), 14 touchdowns (tied for first), two interceptions (tied for eighth), and owns a QBR of 83.0 (first). Brock is off to a fantastic start despite playing with a banged-up receiver room.
Christian McCaffrey carried the ball 16 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns while adding nine receptions for 53 yards. He also lost a fumble, which doesn’t happen very often. CMC recorded his highest touch total of the season. Kaelon Black added 34 yards on eight carries.
Mike Evans caught three passes for 94 yards before exiting with an injury. The Evans-Purdy connection has been one of the biggest bright spots of the season, and keeping Evans healthy will be critical moving forward. George Kittle added another strong performance with five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Overall, the offense looked good, but they got stuck in neutral during parts of the second half and couldn’t completely put the game away. They haven’t fully established the running game yet this season, but with the injuries piling up at wide receiver, that may become more of a priority moving forward.
49ers Defense
The 49ers defense allowed 314 total yards — 261 passing and 53 rushing. Washington was able to move the ball in the second half, similar to how Arizona found success by consistently chipping away with short gains. The run defense has improved every week, and the pass rush continues to get better as well, recording four sacks, including one on Jayden Daniels to end the game.
The defensive line continues to improve week after week. Rookies Romello Height and Gracen Halton are playing excellent football. Osa Odighizuwa is starting to make plays, Keion White leads the team with 3.5 sacks, and Mykel Williams looked strong in his second game back. Sebastian Valdez has also steadily improved each week. This entire unit should take another step forward once Nick Bosa returns.
Rookie Jaden Dugger stepped up in place of the suspended Dre Greenlaw and finished with 11 total tackles. Fred Warner added eight tackles of his own.
Malik Mustapha has really put it all together this season. Some of his hits make you think of the 2012 49ers defense. Ji’Ayir Brown has also continued to play well, finishing with five total tackles.
Overall, the defense is starting to get after the quarterback more consistently while shutting down the run. The secondary is playing aggressively, the linebacker depth is showing up, and a guy named Nick Bosa is expected back in a few weeks.
Special Teams
Special teams has been a little concerning lately. Eddy Pineiro missed an extra point and has had a few misses over the last couple of weeks. Meanwhile, Jacob Cowing’s work as a punt returner has unlocked some PTSD for 49ers fans.
Coaching
Considering the number of injuries the 49ers have dealt with, being 6-0 is extremely impressive. This coaching staff continues to find ways to put players in position to succeed.
The Opponent
The Commanders look like a team searching for answers. They have weapons on offense and a respectable defense, but something just seems to be missing right now.
End Of 49ers Rant
The Atlanta Falcons appear to have several key players listed as questionable heading into Sunday’s game. It will be interesting to see which version of the Falcons shows up.
The 49ers’ main goal this week should be making it to the bye with a win and no additional injuries. This is a very winnable game. Getting out of Atlanta healthy would be huge, especially with several key players expected to return after the bye. Trade rumors are also beginning to swirl, and John Lynch has already said he’s looking into options. So who knows what might happen next?
