Commanders had no answer for Christian McCaffrey
The Washington Commanders knew their primary defensive goal. They had to restrict All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey's influence, but aside from a forced fumble, defensive coordinator Daronte Jonees' unit had no real answer.
McCaffrey gained hard yards on the ground. He was often alone in coverage, which was deeply frustrating. Just why the Commanders weren't executing effectively is anyone's guess, but the Stanford product is the last guy you want to be hesitant against.
The Commanders have been good against the run this season. But McCaffrey is one of the league's best dual-threat weapons, which poses a completely different obstacle to overcome.
Sonny Styles flashed promise again
Sonny Styles is quickly becoming a rare bright spot for the Commanders. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft looks the part, and even though Washington struggled to stop the Niners, his performance was one of the few positives to take from prime time.
Styles made his tackles count. Nobody else seemed to be doing that, so the onus was on the Ohio State product to step up. He did so impressively, which only heightens his importance to the Commanders both in the short and long term.
At a time when encouraging signs are scarce, Styles is providing hope. It's a shame more of his teammates aren't doing the same.
Another fourth-down Commanders blunder
After last week's overtime debacle against the New York Giants, Washington did not need another costly blunder under the prime-time spotlight. But in the first half, that's exactly what unfolded.
On a fourth-down play when Jayden Daniels threw the football away, head coach Dan Quinn was caught on camera calling for a field goal, unaware he was out of downs. Maybe the signal-caller thought so as well, but it was another damning example of inept situational awareness.
These are levels of incompetence you don't see at the high school level. And this came with inevitable, scathing criticism on social media.
Just unacceptable in every conceivable way.
The game was over long before half-time
All the talk about a big response and fighting for everything fell by the wayside early on. Even before wide receiver Terry McLaurin's injury knocked the wind out of their sails, the Commanders were being outclassed, and the game was over before halftime.
The gulf in quality between the two sides was astonishing. Not entirely shocking, given the current trajectory of both clubs, but it wasn't what Commanders fans had in mind after bold claims of resolve and purpose heading into the game.
Talk is cheap. Actions speak much louder in Washington's situation, and Quinn's squad is falling desperately short of being even remotely competitive right now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google