Washington Football Team edges out 49ers with defensive eruption
By Ian Cummings
It was ugly — it seems like that’s the only kind of win Washington can get — but the Washington Football Team beat the San Francisco 49ers.
It was an uneven outing, and there were times when it looked like the outcome would be far different. But the Washington Football Team got the victory against the San Francisco 49ers, winning by a score of 23-15.
This marks Washington’s fourth win in a row. In that streak, Washington has notched wins over the Cowboys, Bengals, Steelers, and 49ers. With the Giants losing today against the Arizona Cardinals, Washington is all alone at the top of the NFC East, one game ahead of the closest opposition. And they’re now officially in control of their destiny.
There are serious issues that need addressing after this one. While the Washington Football Team’s offense made strides against Pittsburgh, the unit was completely anemic against San Francisco, and both quarterbacks looked well below average as they attempted and failed to execute simple passes.
The passing offense logged just 108 yards, but the defense more than accounted for the offense’s inability to pick up yardage. Washington put up two defensive touchdowns — a fumble recovery for a score by Chase Young and a pick-six by hyperactive rookie safety Kamren Curl. The team’s defense was flying the entire game, and when Nick Mullens finally got comfortable, it was too late for San Francisco to come back.
Washington’s defense is a legitimate top-ten unit in the league, and several consecutive games of disruption have finally proven that. The offense will need to be more productive on a consistent basis if Washington is to make any noise in the playoffs, but the primary goal is winning the NFC East, and the team’s borderline elite defense gives them a good shot for that venture.
At 6-7, Washington is in the driver’s seat in the division, with games against the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles. None of those games are guaranteed wins, but if Washington can go 2-1, they’ll likely be able to close out the division at 8-8. Whatever the case, it’s going to be a high-octane finish, and going 4-0 into the final stretch is the best way to kick it off.