5 sneaky threats the Commanders should worry about vs. 49ers in Week 17
By James Dudko
Commanders can't give up big plays to Brandon Aiyuk
Perhaps no player for the San Francisco 49ers provides more of a dilemma for the Washington Commanders than Brandon Aiyuk. He's a highly physical wide receiver, but that doesn't mean No. 11 does most of his damage between the numbers.
Instead, Aiyuk causes problems with the nuance of his routes. Variety has helped him become a legitimate threat on the outside.
Aiyuk gave a great example of his ability to fool defensive backs for this catch against the Baltimore Ravens, highlighted by Akash Anavarathan.
Watch Brandon Aiyuk at the bottom of the screen.
— Akash Anavarathan (@akashanav) December 27, 2023
Everyone's anticipating an in-breaking route over the middle, so Aiyuk fakes that and cuts it back outside.
Brock Purdy with a great anticipatory throw and it's another chunk gain. pic.twitter.com/YR9W33oOBS
Aiyuk's skills present a decent testing ground for Commanders' rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. He's hovering dangerously close to draft bust status, but the player selected No. 16 overall in 2023 was supposed to be a playmaker in man coverage.
A matchup with Aiyuk could at least give the Commanders a final assessment of what they have in Forbes.