49ers

The Washington Commanders (7-6-1) look to improve their playoff chances when they take on the red-hot San Francisco 49ers (10-4) in Santa Clara, Calif.

(49ers 14, Commanders 7, 10:38 left in the third quarter) (49ers 14, Commanders 7, 5:43 left in the third quarter) (49ers 21, Commanders 7, 4:52 left in the third quarter) (49ers 7, Commanders 7, 0:22 left in the second quarter) (49ers 24, Commanders 14, 14:56 left in the fourth quarter) (49ers 30, Commanders 14, 9:17 left in the fourth quarter)

The touchdown was McCloud's first career rushing score and his longest play from scrimmage in his five NFL seasons.

[Brock Purdy](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/4361741/brock-purdy) and raced off the right side. Kicker Robbie Gould's extra point made it 7-0 midway through the second quarter. Spurred by strong downfield blocks from running back [Christian McCaffrey](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3117251/christian-mccaffrey), tight end [George Kittle](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3040151/george-kittle) and wideout [Willie Snead IV](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/17258/willie-snead-iv), McCloud raced 71 yards for the touchdown.

Billed as a matchup of two of the NFL's most physical teams at the line of scrimmage, the defenses came to play early, with three of the first four drives ...

[Washington Commanders](https://www.si.com/nfl/team/washington-football)? was Washington's leading rusher with 17 carries for 44 yards, while Dotson was the team's top receiver with four catches for 49 yards and a score. [Check out the Si.com team page here](https://www.si.com/nfl/team/washington-football) [Click Here](https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/). Heinicke finished the half eight of 11 for 89 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. It was Purdy's first interception in his last 83 attempts, coming after receiver Jauan Jennings couldn't hold onto the pass.

Betting on Taylor Heinicke is going to be a smart move for the Washington Commanders Week 16 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

He has surpassed this total in two straight games and he will have to do it a third time for the Commanders to have any chance of winning this game. “Scary” Terry has played some of his best football of the year over the past two weeks, hauling in a combined 14 catches for 175 yards. The 49ers have the best run defense in the NFL, holding teams to a measly 3.4 yards per carry. If he catches at least five balls, this bet will cash for us. They’re going to give Purdy fits today, and I think it leads to him going under his passing yards total. Brock Purdy has looked fantastic in his first few starts of career, but we’re going to see some regression from the former Iowa State quarterback sooner rather than later.

The San Francisco 49ers are one of, if not the hottest team in the league right now, having won 7 in a row to capture their first NFC West title since 2019.

The San Francisco 49ers had an opportunity to advance to the No. However, he hopes to be on the football field with his teammates when the 49ers host the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve. The San Francisco 49ers will hold three full practices this week as the team prepares for its Week 16 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Will the 49ers make it 6 straight covers, laying 7 vs. If they do, Washington could follow Atlanta's lead, and use an early clock-chewing drive or two to put the 49ers in a tough hole for new starting quarterback The 49ers will make the press conferences available at 49ers.com, on the team's official mobile app, and YouTube page. They're the only team in football that averages more Time of Possession per game (32:48) than the 49ers (32:11), and that's not on accident. The 49ers, to their credit, aren't taking RB Brian Robinson and the rest of Washington's rushing attack lightly. The difference between how often the 49ers and the next best team allow opposing offenses to score, by the way, is the same gap between the second and fifteenth best teams. But very few teams have a Mahomes to work with, and a Niners defense that hasn't allowed more than 17 points in any game since then is going to be even harder to victimize that way. Most teams would look back to the loss that kickstarted the 49ers' win streak frenzy, a 44-point gashing against Kansas City that saw Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce tear up the turf in Santa Clara. So how, you might ask, do the Commanders stand a snowball's chance in hell against a San Francisco squad on extra rest?

So far, pretty much every bounce of the ball has gone the 49ers' way since Brock Purdy took over for Jimmy Garoppolo. While Brock has been way better than ...

It took some time for him to return from a hamstring injury, but he’s played 80% of the snaps the last two weeks, so he appears to be close to full speed. Throw in the fact that Chase Young is making his season debut, and they could potentially be even stronger. If you don’t know, Michelle is a researcher for the NFL Network and [writes for NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-season-week-16-fantasy-football-matchups). So here are three of the best bets you can make in the [49ers](https://www.ninersnation.com/) game this week. The Commanders are going to be able to get pressure with their front four, which makes life difficult for any quarterback. Only one RB has hit this over against them all year long - Aaron Jones in Week 7.

There is a slight chance that we could see Jimmy Garoppolo one more time as the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback. He is slated to become a free agent after ...

Charvarius Ward, known to teammates and coaches as "Mooney," stood on the sideline late in the game with his helmet in hand, watching his San Francisco 49ers protect a one-score lead over the Seattle Seahawks. Kinlaw, who is currently listed as questionable for Saturday's game, returned to practice this week, participating in two of the three days, but seemingly performing well enough for the 49ers to have confidence and activate him. "But I can tell you he's out of his cast now, in more of a boot, but still not walking on that. I think they wanted a good opportunity for healing early on, but he did get the hard cast off. At one point, the Seahawks' star wide receiver was penalized for taunting and saw a 27-yard reception nullified thanks to an offensive pass interference call, grabbing a handful of Ward's jersey and pulling the defensive back down on the way to the catch. There is a slight chance he could return in some capacity late in the playoffs, assuming the Niners make a deep run. A 49ers win would clinch the NFC West division crown, ensuring at least one home playoff game. Garoppolo could return to the football field with the 49ers if the team makes a deep enough playoff run. That kept the now 11-3 Vikings in the No. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is likely done for the season. Or will he serve as an emergency backup to rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who has played well for the 49ers thus far? The real question is what role Garoppolo will play if he can return.

It took until midway through the second quarter, but there have finally been points scored in Sunday's matchup between Washington and San Francisco.

Both the 49ers and Commanders had scoring opportunities earlier on in the contest but didn’t capitalize on them by turning the ball over on downs. From there, McCloud went untouched to the end zone for the go-ahead score. San Francisco elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from Washington’s 15 on the opening drive.

The San Francisco 49ers host the Washington Commanders this afternoon. Here's a look at live coverage throughout the game.

[Washington Commanders](https://www.si.com/nfl/team/washington-football)? That's the final play of the first quarter. Robinson gets another carry and is stopped for no gain. Purdy's pass is intended for Brandon Aiyuk and it's incomplete. Heinicke's pass is completed to Logan Thomas for three yards. Robinson gets the carry and loses a yard after being tackled by Nick Bosa. Purdy's pass is complete to McCaffery for six yards. Robinson gets another handoff and gains 11 yards, but it's negated by a holding call against Charles Leno. On third and seven, Brock Purdy's pass is complete to George Kittle for 24 yards to Washington's 24-yard line. Davis-Price gets another carry and runs for three yards. The 49ers go for it, and Kyle Juszczyk gets the carry and flips it to McCaffery and he's stopped short. Tyler Davis-Price runs for six yards on first down.

But that changed late in the first half of Saturday's game between San Francisco and Washington, and it led to the Commanders tying the game 7-7 at halftime.

[Ray-Ray McCloud](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/907/ray-ray-mccloud)’s 71-yard touchdown run on an end around midway through the second quarter. Then Washington was able to overcome a [Nick Bosa](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/49390/nick-bosa) sack, with Heinicke hitting [Curtis Samuel](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/1190/curtis-samuel) on third-and-14 for a 14-yard gain. [Christian McCaffrey](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/1184/christian-mccaffrey) had a lead block on the play, but also has six carries for 21 yards. Washington safety [Darrick Forrest](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/63902/darrick-forrest) came down with the pass, giving his team an extra possession at the San Francisco 31. Washington had 10 first downs to San Francisco’s five and ran 36 offensive plays to the 49ers’ 21. [Taylor Heinicke](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/1133/taylor-heinicke) hit receiver [Jahan Dotson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/67617/jahan-dotson) for a 9-yard gain.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward (concussion protocol) and rookie running back Jordan Mason (hamstring) are active for the 49ers, the team announced 90 minutes before ...

[Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast](https://art19.com/shows/49ers-talk) Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw (knee) Defensive back Tarvarius Moore (illness, knee)

San Francisco capitalized on big plays all game, also scoring their first touchdown on a 71-yard end around by Ray Ray McCloud. Nick Bosa and the Niners defense ...

... DE James Smith-Williams left in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a head injury. But Jennings bobbled the ball and The Niners broke the game open in the third quarter thanks to some more big plays from Purdy. 2 seed in the NFC. [threw two TD passes](https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1606789825717497856?s=20&t=KL6ILExRLdjFNKpoqwgMDw) for Washington (7-7-1) but also lost a fumble and [threw an interception](https://twitter.com/49ers/status/1606796316356800512?s=20&t=KL6ILExRLdjFNKpoqwgMDw) in the fourth quarter. [a 33-yard catch and run](https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1606788397804445697?s=20&t=KL6ILExRLdjFNKpoqwgMDw) to make it 21-7.

The 49ers (11-4) won their eighth straight game, with Nick Bosa and George Kittle excelling in the 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders.

“The middle of the field was wide open and Kittle’s natural reaction is to get to the wide-open spot. Jahan Dotson slipped behind them in the back of the end zone to catch a 4-yard touchdown pass from Heinicke. Willie Snead IV and Kittle provided key blocks to clear a lane for McCloud’s first touchdown run this season — and the longest by a 49er since Raheem Mostert’s 80-yard scoring spring in Week 2 of 2020. Gould’s trio of field goals came after the Commanders pulled within 21-14, on Heinicke’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin 2:46 before the fourth quarter. It was a defend-every-blade-of-grass mentality that linebacker Dre Greenlaw described a month ago when the 49ers’ goal-line stands (in that same south end zone) preserved a Meanwhile, rookie Drake Jackson was a healthy scratch for his first absence as a pro, and Kerry Hyder Jr. This goal-line stand kept the score 0-0 five minutes into the second quarter and ended a 17-play, 10-minute march by the Commanders. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles (13-2) saw their grip on the top seed loosen with a 40-34 loss at the Dallas Cowboys (11-4). He completed 15-of-22 passes for 234 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception (that Jauan Jennings juggled into the air). Robbie Gould went 3-for-3 on field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter to pad the lead. “It’s a big time play by a big-time player in the moment we needed it,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “That’s a dream,” Bosa said of that award.

– Jordan Mason was slow to get up on kickoff coverage. He was questionable to play this week because of a hamstring injury. – Whew. The 49ers dodged a bullet on ...

Purdy completes to Kittle to give the 49ers a first down at the 1. – The 49ers were robbed of an interception and Washington capitalizes with a touchdown. – Nice run by Davis-Price on second-and-8 to create seven yards and bring up a third-and-short. – Excellent work by Purdy evading a blitz and finding room to throw the ball away. – Washington has done a nice job moving the ball. – Aiyuk is wide open in the middle of the field and he goes for 54 yards to get San Francisco inside the 10. – Purdy is leaning on Kittle a lot. He uncorked a 34-yard TD strike to Kittle on a third-and-6 to open the second half. – Good work on third-and-11 to get a stop. That was on a third down and the Commanders punted to begin the game. – Sick throw by Brock Purdy on the first play. – There’s a sack for Washington.

The 49ers are one of the most talented teams in the NFL but are also down to their third-string quarterback who's played in just four games.

"Their offense remains largely the same and he's doing a great job executing and doing his job distributing," Del Rio said. Shanahan has stuck to his offensive identity with Purdy in the lineup, and the quarterback has played well in his system. "Hopefully he can take a week off and not play as well.” A stellar performance that evening against the Buccaneers is arguably the main reason why Heinicke is still with the organization today. When Heinicke first arrived in Washington in 2020, he was considered the team's "Covid quarterback" and kept separated from the rest of the QB room. It's more or less you have to see what he does, see how he plays and also, see what the coordinator -- which is the head coach -- see what he likes to do and see his tendencies as well." "I don't feel like he has a lot to lose, so he's just going out there and slinging it. Shanahan is considered one of the best offensive minds in the game, while the Niners are loaded with talent at the skill positions, even with do-it-all wideout Deebo Samuel currently hurt. And in three games of extended action, San Francisco is 3-0 with Purdy under center and the offense hasn't missed a beat. "Getting good interior push is going to be key to making him uncomfortable," Allen said. Allen believes that if the Commanders are able to apply some pressure on Purdy early on, that can drastically impact the course of the game. With the coaching staff they have and the players they have, they just always put him in a good position."

George Kittle had two touchdown receptions and Nick Bosa set a new career high with two sacks as the 49ers routed the Commanders.

The 49ers’ defense was stellar for most of the game Saturday. Lenoir overran the play, and Dotson dropped what could have resulted in a 79-yard touchdown pass. Bosa’s second sack of the day led directly to points, as he stripped Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke with a blindside hit. The 49ers (11-4) picked up their eighth consecutive win — and their third in a row with Purdy as the starter. 3 in the NFC playoff seedings behind the Minnesota Vikings (12-3), a 27-24 winner of the New York Giants earlier in the day. It was his only carry of the game and he had no receptions on one target.

The San Francisco 49ers scored 30 points in the second half against the Washington Commanders.

Impressive, and that’s why this is arguably the best team in the NFL. Tashaun Gipson almost had an interception on the first possession of the game. This was a letdown spot for nearly every team in the NFL. Washington was the beneficiary of a lucky bounce, as a pass that hit Jauan Jennings in the hands deflected into the air and in the hands of Washington’s defensive back. The Commanders were 7th defensively in DVOA since Week 10 heading into today and had the 2nd best passing defense. Brock Purdy and the offense moved the ball with ease before a trick play on 4th & 1 didn’t work.

The San Francisco 49ers extend their win streak to eight-straight games with their 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders.

However, a review of the play showed Ward made contact with a Commanders player, so the play resulted in an interception, and the 49ers took over on Washington's 25 yard line. [Fred Warner](/team/players-roster/fred-warner/) combined for a tackle of Heinicke that resulted in no gain on the play and another turnover on downs. The unit answered DeMeco Ryan's call to "play better" in Week 16 with two big goal line stands and two takeaways. However, that wasn't the end of it for Kittle in Week 16. The third-year wideout posted his ninth 50+ receiving yard game of the year with five catches for 81 yards on Saturday. That 34-yard touchdown reception was his first score of the day and with it, he's now surpassed his previous regular season best of six touchdowns (2021). "My number was called, and I just wanted to make a play," McCloud III said in the breakdown of his rushing touchdown. However, it was the 49ers defense who stood a little taller on Saturday, holding Washington to 20 points in Week 16 by way of two big goal line stands and two takeaways. In the fourth quarter, Bosa notched a strip-sack of Heinicke, forcing a fumble later recovered by fellow defensive lineman The defensive lineman was already the NFL sacks leader heading into Week 16, and his 2.0 sacks of Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke only further solidified that for Bosa, who now has 17.5 takedowns on the year. The 49ers improve to 11-4 on the year and extend their win streak to eight-straight games. It was a clash of dominant defenses in the San Francisco 49ers Christmas Eve matchup versus the Washington Commanders.

George Kittle advocated for Nick Bosa to be in the MVP conversation after the 49ers star dominated Saturday's game against the Commanders.

Watt](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/3045282/tj-watt) and Michael Strahan. I've watched guys throughout the years and just wanted to be in that position, and I finally feel like I'm kind of living out my dream." [Aldon Smith](https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/13988/aldon-smith)'s franchise record of 19.5 sacks, however, is a more realistic goal. "I've played this game since I was 7 years old, and I played D-line the entire way through. Bosa earned his third Pro Bowl nod this week and is aiming for his first All-Pro honor. [37-20](/nfl/game/_/gameId/401437926) win. He's just been playing out of his mind." "It's insane the level he's playing at," Warner said. Bosa had a breakout 2021 season in which he posted 15.5 sacks but entered this year believing there was more for him to accomplish. Bosa's 17.5 sacks is a career high for him and tied him with Fred Dean for the second most in franchise history since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. He then puts together a detailed rush plan for each opposing tackle that he believes gives him an advantage every week. Through the early Saturday games, he leads the NFL in sacks (17.5) and is third in pressures (51) while playing in 14 games.

George Kittle had two touchdown receptions and Nick Bosa set a new career high with two sacks as the 49ers routed the Commanders.

Once Kyle Shanahan started calling play-action passes and rollouts, Purdy took over and made plays Jimmy Garoppolo could not make. On the first touchdown pass, ...

Shanahan must continue to trust Purdy for the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, and it seems like Shanahan's trust in the rookie quarterback grows every week. Brandon Aiyuk had a 54-yard catch, and Ray Ray McCloud had a 71-yard touchdown run on a sweep to the right that the 49ers typically call just for Deebo Samuel. But the 49ers tried a gimmick play to their left because they can't run right and they know it. On offense, Kyle Shanahan started poorly with a ridiculous call on fourth and 1 -- a pitch from Kyle Juszczyk to Christian McCaffrey on the short side of the field that gained no yards. Also give Shanahan credit for opening up the passing game for Purdy in the second half. Bosa should be the Defensive Player of the Year and probably the MVP, too. The Commanders clearly didn't expect the 49ers to call that play for McCloud, as they seemed unprepared to stop it. And on the second touchdown pass, Purdy executed a perfect play-action fake, an outstanding naked bootleg and a beautiful pass while rolling to his left. And although Jimmie Ward intercepted a bad throw, he also gave up a touchdown catch. So if teams continue to sell out to stop Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers running backs, Purdy will continue to gut them. But in the second half, Purdy completed 11 of 13 passes for 179 yards, 2 touchdowns, no interceptions and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He started slow, completing just 4 of 9 passes in the first half, as he had a couple passes tipped, one of which was intercepted -- not Purdy's fault.

Against a playoff-caliber defense, the 49ers played a well-rounded game and earned high marks for their win over the Commanders.

Grade: A Purdy twice hooked up with tight end George Kittle on touchdown plays. Brock Purdy continued to keep the 49ers rolling on Saturday with another strong showing. The Commanders (7-7-1) are a half-game ahead of Seattle and Detroit. McCloud's touchdown run was his only carry of the day. 7 and final seed in the NFC playoffs.

Against a playoff-caliber defense, the 49ers played a well-rounded game and earned high marks for their win over the Commanders.

Kyle Shanahan got what he wanted for Christmas — a 49ers win with enough mistakes to allow him to ensure his players don't get too comfy.

[Arik Armstead](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/arik-armstead-QgurcJ268IZqdfMC/), [Charles Omenihu](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/charles-omenihu-YKlXCRJ9fEYgeIgn/), [T.Y. Because Mason was dealing with a hamstring injury in the run-up to the game, he was limited to special teams work Saturday with [Tyrion Davis-Price](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/tyrion-davis-price-nXevDUR36Ygzc7T5/) serving as the backup tailback. [Jordan Mason](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/jordan-mason-P7pb1hturRnejFF7/) was hurt on the opening kickoff but also returned to action. [Jeremy Reaves](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/jeremy-reaves-d9gNLyEZUqWdu4mw/) lurking around the line of scrimmage, he switched the play to one of the blitz beaters. The quarterback faked a toss to [Christian McCaffrey](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/christian-mccaffrey-FSp2bTsEwxXRf1oa/), which lured Reaves to the inside. [Ray-Ray McCloud III](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/ray-ray-mccloud-iii-kngqu3tROk5PI4zY/), who had scored on a 71-yard run in the first quarter and who was filling in for injured [Deebo Samuel](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/deebo-samuel-0aLiSjl18CoPgsUd/) on Saturday, was running a post route on the play. Shanahan explained afterward that the 49ers knew the Commanders would attack up the middle with their running game and also that Kinlaw would be on a pitch count. Because he was coming off a concussion, he was examined in the blue medical tent and in the locker room. The team also had to settle for field goals on three straight drives inside the Washington 20-yard line in the fourth quarter. Purdy also hit Kittle on a tight, fourth-and-3 throw at the goal line late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback keepers and sneaks were off-limits in that game, Shanahan said, while Purdy acknowledged that any plays on which he was required to wrench his torso or throw while running to his left would have been hard to pull off against the He’s completed four of six attempts in which the ball traveled 20 or more yards, one of the highest percentages in the league, and all four of those completions have resulted in touchdowns.

December 24, 2022 at 6:42 p.m.. San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle ...

The 49ers’ eighth straight victory wasn’t looking like a lock until Bosa delivered a fumble-forcing sack with 14 minutes to go. “That’s a dream,” Bosa said after Saturday’s 37-20 win. “I’ve played this game since I was 7 and played D-line the entire way through and I’ve watched guys throughout the years and wanted to be in that position.

After recording two sacks in the 49ers' win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Nick Bosa has a new goal in mind.

I’ve learned in this league if you look ahead, it’s not like staying on track each day at a time, each play at a time.” “I try to take it one day at a time. After Saturday’s game, Bosa told reporters he’s "eyeing" that number with two regular-season games remaining.

Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy remained undefeated as a starter as the 49ers earned their eighth-straight win with a 37-20 victory against the Commanders on ...

There was also a 71-yard touchdown run by Ray-Ray McCloud, [Brandon Aiyuk](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/brandon-aiyuk-53v7fOffjiSNI8Y9/)’s 54-yard catch-and-run, and other chain-moving strikes allowed as San Francisco scored 20 points after two turnovers and two turnovers on downs. But the 49ers ultimately tightened their coverage on the back end — which will be a major key for them moving forward into the playoffs — and that worked seamlessly with [Nick Bosa](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/nick-bosa-ahF0mNm2RkiMq4Se/)’s ferocious pass rush. The key will be how his body feels this week. Expectations were low in terms of snaps – Rivera projected low-to-mid teens before the game – and production considering the lengthy absence after a serious knee injury. [Darrick Forrest](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/darrick-forrest-vt4CpoAm6Z8bXhez/) snagged a deflected pass for an interception but also lost Kittle in coverage on a 33-yard touchdown catch. That’s not all on Heinicke – the coaches cannot overhaul the offensive line until the offseason – but the roster has legit playmakers and the scoreboard isn’t reflecting that prowess. [George Kittle](https://theathletic.com/nfl/player/george-kittle-dDoajDmT8A77o3JR/)tallied 120 yards receiving and caught both touchdown passes. Anyone listening to Rivera in recent weeks anticipated this move assuming the offense sputtered. That 37 number, the most points allowed by Washington this season, suggests the defense didn’t show up. And although the Commanders finally broke that streak with 79 yards, it took them 33 carries to do it (an average of just 2.4 yards per rush)— so San Francisco decidedly won this bruising challenge at the line of scrimmage. The Commanders did hurt them on a few big plays through the air, especially while cornerback Perhaps Purdy’s most surprising attribute has been his ability to deliver the deep ball.

The 49ers (11-4) won their eighth straight Sunday, with Nick Bosa and George Kittle leading the way past the Washington Commanders 37-20.

and Bosa on the first snap of the Commanders’ first two possessions. That’s because it was far from perfect with red-zone woes, a fourth-down option play that went for naught, a few penalties and a late touchdown surrendered. Jordan Mason’s tight hamstring limited him to special-teams duty, and it allowed for Ty Davis-Price to get his first carries in two months (nine carries, 30 yards). Purdy got sacked three times, and while one came from miscommunication between Mike McGlinchey and Spencer Burford, one sack came when Purdy ran out of bounds rather than throwing the ball out of the end zone. Christian McCaffrey ran for a touchdown for the third straight game, and that 1-yard score came in the final minutes after a tough-sledding contest (15 carries, 46 yards). Purdy was 15-of-22 for 234 yards, and his first interception in three starts came when Jauan Jennings juggled it back into the air.

The most notable takeaway from Washington's perspective was the benching of quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Carson Wentz replaced Heinicke with around 10 minutes ...

The 49ers (11-4) won their eighth straight Sunday, with Nick Bosa and George Kittle leading the way past the Washington Commanders 37-20.

and Bosa on the first snap of the Commanders’ first two possessions. That’s because it was far from perfect with red-zone woes, a fourth-down option play that went for naught, a few penalties and a late touchdown surrendered. Jordan Mason’s tight hamstring limited him to special-teams duty, and it allowed for Ty Davis-Price to get his first carries in two months (nine carries, 30 yards). Purdy got sacked three times, and while one came from miscommunication between Mike McGlinchey and Spencer Burford, one sack came when Purdy ran out of bounds rather than throwing the ball out of the end zone. Christian McCaffrey ran for a touchdown for the third straight game, and that 1-yard score came in the final minutes after a tough-sledding contest (15 carries, 46 yards). Purdy was 15-of-22 for 234 yards, and his first interception in three starts came when Jauan Jennings juggled it back into the air.

So, following a fumble and an interception, fourth-quarter mistakes that occurred in quick succession, Rivera chose to pull Heinicke and insert Carson Wentz.

There was certainly no shortage of action in the Christmas Eve affair. Wentz, to his credit, was sharp on his first drive, capping it with a six-pointer to Curtis Samuel. At the contest's peak, the Wild Card hopeful took it to the Super Bowl contender.

He had QB Brock Purdy drop back to pass, and the QB delivered a throw in a tight window to TE George Kittle, who made a sensational sliding grab at the 1.

Brock Purdy became the first 49ers' quarterback to start 3-0 and he can thank George Kittle and Nick Bosa for Saturday's heavy lifting ...

“Honestly it was frustrating at times, just like dropping back and seeing Nick right in my face and having to make a move almost every play,” Purdy said. One was the bootleg in which he rolled left and threw to Kittle for their second touchdown connection. Bosa said he’s “kind of eyeing” that record more so than the NFL mark of 22½ sacks, with two games to go. “He’s the most talented player on the field, beside Trent Williams, but I don’t think they’ll give the MVP to an offensive lineman,” Kittle said. Only Bosa could pull off that look with such swagger, befitting the NFL’s sack leader (17 ½) and growing favorite to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. That’s a very fast group in terms of the three linebackers and the safety that adds into the eight-man front.” “When (McCloud) got over my shoulder, I thought it was a safety trying to get ball out, and it actually scared me,” Kittle said. We have two more games in this regular season and we still have the playoffs. Willis used his 33 ½-inch arms Saturday to reach up and snatch a ball, the fumble Nick Bosa forced on a fourth-quarter sack. Last January, Willis blocked a Green Bay Packers punt that Talanoa Hufanga recovered for a touchdown to trigger the 49ers’ comeback win in the divisional playoffs at snowy Lambeau. Technically, his first two career starts (wins) were with New England, before he won his first five starts with the 49ers in December 2017. He looks on track for a playoff return, unless the 49ers are compelled to use him before then to enhance their shot at a better seed.

He had QB Brock Purdy drop back to pass, and the QB delivered a throw in a tight window to TE George Kittle, who made a sensational sliding grab at the 1.

He ran well and posted 30 yards on nine carries, and was one of the players they leaned on to help salt the game away. It not only helped the 49ers pull away late, but it was also Ward’s third INT of the year, which set a new single-season high for him. It was a sign that his trust in Purdy may be growing to the point where the 49ers offense becomes more aggressive in those fourth down spots. San Francisco’s defense stopped their rushing attempt short to give their offense the ball in great field position. He had QB Brock Purdy drop back to pass, and the QB delivered a throw in a tight window to TE George Kittle, who made a sensational sliding grab at the 1. The 49ers late in Saturday’s game had a fourth-and-3 from Washington’s 11 with just over three minutes to go.

Luckily for the Commanders, the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions all lost their games, so they're still the seventh seed heading into their ...

[Washington Commanders](https://www.si.com/nfl/team/washington-football)? [Click Here](https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/). Darrick Forrest also had an interception that led to Washington’s game-tying touchdown near the end of the first half. It’s also worth noting that four of Heinicke’s wins came against teams already eliminated from playoff contention. [Carson Wentz](https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/washington-commanders-bench-taylor-heinicke-loss-vs-san-francisco-49ers-nfl-game-recap) again. [Heinicke’s impact on the team](https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/washington-commanders-taylor-heinicke-carson-wentz-starting-qb-decision-ron-rivera-san-francisco-49ers).

49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa leads the league with 17.5 sacks with two games left to play, and teammate George Kittle believes it's time he gets the ...

Watt](/players/t-j-watt/) and [Michael Strahan](/players/michael-strahan/). In the fourth quarter, Bosa came around the other side of the line to beat [Cornelius Lucas](/players/cornelius-lucas/) and strip-sack Heinicke to put San Francisco's offense into the red zone with a 10-point lead. I've watched guys throughout the years and just wanted to be in that position, and I finally feel like I'm kind of living out my dream." "I've played this game since I was 7 years old, and I played D-line the entire way through. [Earning his third Pro Bowl honor](https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-pro-bowl-games-complete-nfc-roster-revealed) this past week, Bosa is certainly in the primary discussion for Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and earning that title is what dreams are made of for the former No. If you look at what he does every Sunday compared to everyone else around the league whether it's offense or defense, I don't know why he's not in the MVP conversation, too.

The 49ers (11-4) won their eighth straight Sunday, with Nick Bosa and George Kittle leading the way past the Washington Commanders 37-20.

and Bosa on the first snap of the Commanders’ first two possessions. That’s because it was far from perfect with red-zone woes, a fourth-down option play that went for naught, a few penalties and a late touchdown surrendered. Jordan Mason’s tight hamstring limited him to special-teams duty, and it allowed for Ty Davis-Price to get his first carries in two months (nine carries, 30 yards). Purdy got sacked three times, and while one came from miscommunication between Mike McGlinchey and Spencer Burford, one sack came when Purdy ran out of bounds rather than throwing the ball out of the end zone. Christian McCaffrey ran for a touchdown for the third straight game, and that 1-yard score came in the final minutes after a tough-sledding contest (15 carries, 46 yards). Purdy was 15-of-22 for 234 yards, and his first interception in three starts came when Jauan Jennings juggled it back into the air.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa's big day against the Washington Commanders on Saturday and he received a big vote of confidence from George ...

[George Kittle](https://www.foxnews.com/category/person/george-kittle) backed Bosa as the league’s top defensive player. I've watched guys throughout the years and just wanted to be in that position, and I finally feel like I'm kind of living out my dream." "I've played this game since I was 7 years old, and I played D-line the entire way through. Watt had 22.5 sacks in a single season, which was the record when the NFL started to count sacks. "It's insane the level he's playing at," 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. After the team’s 37-20 victory over the Commanders, tight end