Predicting the final five games of the Washington Football Team’s season
Week 14 @ 49ers
This game won’t necessarily be an easy one either, but it’s at least a winnable one for Washington. The 49ers are beat up and they will still be starting Nick Mullens at quarterback in Week 14, barring a surprise return from Jimmy Garoppolo. That could be good news for Washington’s defense.
Mullens hasn’t been particularly good so far this season. He has lost his last four starts and has struggled with turnovers recently. He can lead the 49ers effectively, but he’s too volatile to trust.
Washington will be able to get pressure on Mullens. They’ll be playing against an offensive line that has had issues this year on the interior, and Trent Williams hasn’t been healthy either. If Williams plays in this game, maybe Mullens will have a chance to move the ball, but Washington has the young talent on the edge needed to give their former teammate issues.
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On defense, the 49ers are missing a lot of pieces. They are getting Richard Sherman back, but their two best defensive linemen from 2020, DeForrest Buckner and Nick Bosa, are with the Colts and on IR respectively. They can still pressure Alex Smith, just not as well. They should be able to mostly cover Washington’s weapons though, so that should work in their favor.
It’s also worth noting that the 49ers have had a lot of injuries lately, including Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Sherman, George Kittle, and Williams, among others, so they will be healthier by Week 14. That is another checkmark in their direction.
However, it’s also important to note that while this is a road game for Washington, it may be for the 49ers as well. Santa Clara County, where the 49ers play their games, has banned contact sports for the next three weeks as a result of the COVID pandemic, and it will affect this game. The 49ers will have to play somewhere else as a result, so their homefield advantage will be even lesser than what it has usually been during this pandemic-stricken season.
The 49ers won’t be easy to beat, but if Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio can dial up the right game plan, it can happen. This game could be critical toward deciding whether or not Washington can make the playoffs, so keep a close eye on this one when it happens.