box score
LANDOVER, Md. — The 49ers let the lowly Washington Commanders hang around for a while Sunday before finally shutting the door in the second half.
It wasn’t a dominant performance, but the 49ers played well enough in key moments en route to a 27-10 victory over the Commanders on New Year’s Eve.
Cornerback Charvarius Ward provided one of the big plays by picking off Washington quarterback Sam Howell at the 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter, allowing the 49ers to maintain a comfortable lead. .
The 49ers then drove all over the field to break up the game.
The 49ers improved to 12 wins and 4 losses, maintaining their top spot in the NFC playoff seeding with one game remaining.
Here are three takeaways from the 49ers’ Week 17 win.
Purdy’s rebounding game
It wasn’t a spectacular performance, but it was much better than the last time he took the field.
Quarterback Brock Purdy had a game Sunday that was more in line with what he has done since taking over as the 49ers’ starter last year.
And he needed it.
Purdy was coming back from the worst game of his career. He threw four interceptions in Monday night’s 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Purdy scrambled to buy time in the fourth quarter and then directed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to move into open space in the end zone, putting the game out of reach. Purdy hit for a 17-yard touchdown.
The play gave the 49ers a 27-10 lead with 9:20 remaining.
The 49ers’ offense didn’t make many big plays, and he didn’t have to work hard for his touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Purdy completed a shovel pass to wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who went upfield for a 2-yard touchdown “reception.”
On the day, Purdy completed 22 of 28 pass attempts for 230 yards, setting a record along the way. He became the 49ers’ single-season passing leader, surpassing Jeff Garcia’s record of 4,278 yards in 2000.
More importantly, he avoided the crucial run that plagued him against the Ravens on Christmas night.
Mitchell will replace McCaffrey.
Running back Elijah Mitchell is a great back when he’s on the field for the 49ers.
His problem is that he can’t stay healthy for long.
On Sunday, he was called up for a nursing issue with Christian McCaffrey’s legs. According to the team, McCaffrey left midway through the second half with a calf injury.
Mitchell carried seven times on the 49ers’ first drive of the second half, gaining yards along the way.
He had seven rushing attempts for 40 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run with 5:44 left in the third quarter to give the 49ers a 20-10 lead.
McCaffrey appeared to be suffering from a quadriceps or hip flexor issue on his left side and was unable to compete. He entered with one carry before exiting with an issue with his right calf.
Mitchell’s touchdown was his first of the season. He scored just two touchdowns in 2022, scoring in the final game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals.
Mitchell missed 18 games over the past two seasons due to injury. As a rookie in 2021, he missed five games but still rushed for 963 yards and scored five touchdowns.
NFC summary
The 49ers did their job Sunday and also received a lot of help in clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Due to developments in the NFL, Week 18’s game against the Los Angeles Rams is completely meaningless for the 49ers.
The 49ers will close out the regular season next week at Levi’s Stadium in a game that could have playoff or seeding implications for the Rams.
The 49ers finished as the top seed with 12 wins and four losses. As the top team in the NFC, the 49ers had home-field advantage in the playoffs and earned a coveted first-round bye.
I needed help getting into week 17 and I got it.
The Detroit Lions fell out of contention for the No. 1 overall seed after a controversial 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.
And on Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 35-31. The Eagles entered Sunday as the only team in the NFC that could knock the 49ers off the top spot.
The 49ers are currently in a position to rest some players. And they avoided a key game against the Rams, one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Rams have won six of their last seven games. The only loss during that period was in overtime at Baltimore.
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