The San Francisco 49ers walked away with a win in Week 6 against the Commanders, but if you saw that mess, you know it was anything but pretty. We’re talking three consecutive three-and-outs to end the game and penalties gifting opponents first downs. An ugly October victory might not mess with playoff seeding right now, but it’s a gut check. And honestly, for us 12s who watched the Seahawks lose this very same kind of sloppy game in Week 6, we know exactly what it means when a team overcomes these self-inflicted wounds: it’s supposed to be the mark of a contender. But man, does it feel like they barely escaped.
The Mike Evans Lifeline, Then The Cliff
Seriously, the difference Mike Evans makes for that offense is wild. Before he got hurt, he was Brock Purdy’s absolute security blanket on late downs, seeing a massive 40% of his targets on third down. The dude caught three of his five targets for 94 yards, including a ridiculous 54-yarder on what was basically a standard 25-yard in-breaker. Evans had more yards by himself than Washington did at halftime. Think about that for a second. It’s fascinating how much that offense relies on him, because the second he left with that injury, they hit a wall. Suddenly, we’re watching three consecutive three-and-outs to finish the game. It’s not the kind of finish you expect from a supposed powerhouse, and it screams that Evans is their lifeline. What happens when that lifeline is gone?
Defense Steps Up When Everything Else Crumbles
Good thing their defense had some absolute monsters stepping up when the offense went to sleep. Malik Mustapha was just flying around out there, laying down some bone-chilling hits that felt straight out of the 2022 highlight reel. He made a massive run stop on third down, then had the game-sealing play on fourth down, plus a quarterback hit. He set the tone early, just flattening Stefon Diggs with a big lick. Mustapha is one of the only guys you can trust in that secondary, and he’s out there making receivers second-guess catching balls over the middle, stopping running backs in their tracks. Then there’s Romello Height. That guy was living in Washington’s backfield, finishing with a Next Gen Stats pressure rate of 21.7% – way above the league average of under 13%. He had the fastest get-off time among 49ers defenders this season at 0.72, led the team with four quarterback hits, and even got a split sack. When the 49ers are playing with a lead, they need their pass rush to bail out that secondary, and Height absolutely did that on Monday night.
Purdy’s Mixed Bag: Brilliant Flashes, Glaring Flaws
So what do you make of Brock Purdy’s performance? He completed 72.4% of his passes, with 11 of his 29 attempts going for 10+ yards. He had the sixth-highest EPA in Week 6 and the fourth-best success rate. You see flashes of brilliance there, for sure. He threw three completions over 20 yards and two over 14 yards, layering throws and zipping a couple of seeds. His aggressiveness was definitely on point when Mike Evans was on the field. But then you look closer: he was sacked twice. One was on a free rusher, but the other? Two of his own receivers ran into each other downfield. That’s just wild. The good news? Purdy generated the most EPA with his legs this week, nearly double the next guy. He picked up multiple first downs in short-yardage situations and scrambled for a key 11-yard conversion as part of his 24 total rushing yards. So he’s making plays, but relying on Evans, taking questionable sacks, and needing his defense to bail him out? This win might be in the books, but it raises some serious questions about what’s next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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