Washington Football Team: Five bold predictions vs. 49ers

4. Logan Thomas is held in check, totals fewer than 20 yards

Logan Thomas just had the best performance of his NFL career, and his stock has never been higher. It looks like he will have a chance to be a solid starter for Washington moving forward, even if they do decide to add some younger talent at the position during the 2021 offseason.

However, can Thomas repeat his success against the 49ers? That may prove to be difficult. The 49ers have allowed a league-low 356 receiving yards to the tight end position this year. That translates to an average of about 30 yards per game.

Over their last five games, the 49ers have allowed 27 or fewer yards to each of the tight ends they have faced. They have allowed two of their three touchdowns to the position during that time, but generally speaking, they have bottled up tight ends. Thomas should be their next target, and they should find success doing that.

Though Thomas just beat up on a strong Steelers defense that has done well against tight ends, it seems unlikely that he will be able to repeat his success. Simply put, he won’t catch the 49ers as off-guard as he appeared to catch Pittsburgh. They’ll be ready to put the clamps on him after a strong performance and should identify him as the No. 2 pass-catching threat on the Washington team.

And given that the team will have to prepare less against the run, as Antonio Gibson is out for the game, Thomas could draw more attention from that perspective in the 49ers game plan.

All that said, Thomas may have a down game. In fact, he probably should considering all that’s working against him. If he surprises again, then Washington will really know that they’ve found a diamond in the rough. However, if he struggles and fails to post 20 yards in the game, don’t be surprised… or discouraged, for that matter.