Washington Football Team: Three takeaways from win vs. 49ers
2. This defense is elite
The Washington Football Team’s offense totaled 193 yards on Sunday. They had under 100 passing yards and under 100 rushing yards. Despite this, they still beat the 49ers by eight points.
How did they do it? Easy. They rode their elite defense to a victory.
For much of the season, we have been able to say that Washington’s defense has the pieces needed to be elite. The coaching was there. The defensive line looked excellent. The back seven had some pieces. But it hadn’t all come together yet.
Washington Commanders
That has changed in recent weeks and in Week 14, Washington broadcast to the rest of the league that their defense is finally clicking. They completely dominated the 49ers’ offense on Sunday. They allowed 344 yards on the day, a middle-of-the-road number, but the more impressive part of their performance was the splash plays.
Washington’s defense was able to get consistent heat on Nick Mullens. They sacked him four times with Chase Young, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, and Kevin Pierre-Lewis all totaling one. On Payne’s sack, he stripped Mullens from behind and Young scooped up the ball and used his insane athletic ability to take it to the end-zone. The score was crucial for Washington and gave them their first lead of the game.
Later in the contest, they notched an interception that was assisted by pressure. Kam Curl jumped an ill-advised Mullens pass that he had to make on the run. Once Kurl grabbed the ball, he accelerated in a straight line, beat the last line of defense from the 49ers, and took it to the house for a touchdown.
Washington had no offensive touchdowns on the day. They wouldn’t have beaten the 49ers without big plays from their defense. The defense delivered and held the 49ers in check despite being on the field for 32:11 during the game.
Between the sacks (4), turnovers (3 — 2 fumble recoveries, 1 pick), and touchdowns (2), Washington’s defense won them this game. Young looks like a star in the making and the rest of the players on the defense are playing at a high level as well. This unit is elite and as they develop, they should only get better.
And that’s excellent news for Washington.