49ers vs. Commanders Prediction: Can Washington keep it close?

The San Francisco 49ers come to FedEx Field for an NFC battle against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. While San Fran lost last week, ending a 6-game win streak, the Commanders might have wished they just won, as they now draw an irritated Niners’ team in what seems like a super-tough matchup for the Commanders, losers of 6 straight, including a 30-28 loss to the Jets on
Sunday. And after sponging a 33-19 loss to the Ravens at home last week, the Niners will be in no mood for games this Sunday. Can Washington give them some resistance or are we in store for a 49ers’ bonanza this week?

Breaking it Down

From what we’ve seen of the Commanders lately, you’d think they start Jacoby Brissett, who has come in to relieve Sam Howell twice in the last two weeks, getting far better results. On Sunday, he almost dug out of a big hole to get the Commanders back in the game against the Jets. He did the same against the Rams the week prior. But make no mistake, the Commanders are in trouble. It’s almost surprising they haven’t fired head coach Ron Rivera in the midst of this swoon. It’s nice to see the fire we’ve seen on offense late in games, but to be put in a big old hole by the Jets is a bad look.

The best chance for the Commanders in this battle is to rely on something that hasn’t even been established as of press time, which is to see Brissett lend more life to an offense that has some things going for it. Granted, QB play, and that line have been outstanding issues, but there are some talented receivers with Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and Jahan Dotson. Having Brian Robinson, Jr. out of action hurts, but we saw Chris Rodriguez come to life last week, and with Robinson and Antonio Gibson in there, maybe they can mix it up a little bit. Say what you will about the state of this team, but with their offense, it’s not always a comfortable feeling laying a bunch of points against them.

Bad Matchup for Washington

Again, to be catching the Niners in the midst of a 7-game winning streak with an inside track for the conference’s top seed in the playoffs would have set up well for a spot where the Niners maybe look past the Commanders. Coming off the loss and now tied in the NFC standings with the Eagles and Lions, the Commanders have to brace for an urgent 49ers team showing up on Sunday, and that creates a lot of problems. Aerially, the Commanders aren’t completely lost and are likely to be behind in this game. They might need to do a lot of it.

The bigger hurdle to getting a cover this week lies with the Washington defense, a group that has really fallen on hard times in the last handful of weeks. It seems, as of now, the best-case scenario is a game where you can maybe say they weren’t terrible. They’re not going to be good or anywhere close. And when the opponent has guys like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle, it’s a major drawback having a defense that is abysmal in the area of allowing big plays. It has mostly been an extravaganza for opposing offenses who face the Commanders. And it might not help that San Francisco QB Brock Purdy will be pining to erase the stink from his last game when the Ravens picked him off four times then knocked him out of the game with a sack.

What to Expect

San Francisco isn’t the kind of team that is shy about piling it on. They’re not one of those teams that is going to be content to eke out a win and just keep it together until the finish line. Oddly, all but one of their wins this season are double-digit victories. They’re either very good or not that good, with there having been very little middle-ground in their results this season. A Washington backer could maybe figure the Niners are entering another one of their weird phases, like when they had that three-game slide. And for such a good team, it is strange how much they can sink in any given week.

I just don’t see the Commanders as being up to the task of bringing that about. And other than a backup QB providing a spark for a rookie QB who has hit a wall, along with an offense with some viable pieces, there aren’t many other football-related points that can be made in favor of Washington right now. Going against a SF team that will be looking to make amends on both sides of the ball, this just seems like a strange week to forecast a Washington surge.

Take the Road Favorite

Getting points like this at home is always tantalizing in the NFL. Washington has enough spark on offense to make it a dicey proposition. I just sense the Niners will be trying to get back to their peak form and with the Rams coming into town in week 18 where the top seed will likely be up for grabs, this is where they want to start seeing things fall into place. A good Ravens team ended their roll, but I see them reclaiming that edge this week. I’m going with the 49ers in this one.

Loot’s Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the San Francisco 49ers minus 13.5 points.