Will the Commanders stop the 49ers’ winning streak?
Best in the West! The San Francisco 49ers are the division winners of the NFC West, making them the second team in the NFL to book their spot in the playoffs. At Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, they host the Washington Commanders on Saturday night, who themselves no longer have a chance to win the division. Most recently, they suffered an additional major setback in the fight for the playoff ticket.
The Niners already defeated the Seahawks in the “Thursday Night Game” on the 15th game day and thus reached the postseason. The win over Seattle was the seventh in a row for San Francisco, who have now gone two months without a defeat. That, by the way, is the longest winning streak in the entire league.
The Commanders, on the other hand, lost the “Sunday Night Game” at the New York Giants. As a result, their odds of making the playoffs dropped to 43 percent. They are currently in seventh and last place in the NFC Conference, which makes them eligible for the postseason.
When the San Francisco 49ers host the Washington Commanders on Christmas Eve, the odds offered in the comparison clearly reflect the home side’s role as favourites.
San Francisco 49ers – Statistics & current form
For the first time since 2019, the NFC West title is going back to the Bay Area and that despite the fact that the San Francisco 49ers’ season went very differently than could have been originally predicted or planned. With quarterbacks Trey Lance injured in Week Two and Jimmy Garoppolo injured in Week 13, Kyle Shanahan’s team is now down to its third playmaker.
Does the scary streak continue?
The third playmaker, Brock Purdy, has been consistently convincing in his performances so far. Above all, head coach Kyle Shanahan seems to have great faith in the 22-year-old. The selection of the play that led to the first touchdown at Lumen Field against Seattle exemplifies this. Of course, he also benefits from his playmakers, who are among the best in the league across the board.
One of these starting positions is running back Christian McCaffrey, who was traded from the Carolina Panthers to California before the seventh day of play. The Niners have gone undefeated since he took over the starting running back position in week eight. He has already recorded six touchdowns in seven appearances in red and gold. That he will also play an important role in the upcoming game is not a particularly bold bet between the 49ers and Commanders.
In addition to a well-oiled offensive line, San Francisco also has the best defensive line in the league. It allows an average of only 15 points and has its greatest strength against the opponent’s running game. However, the unit seems to be particularly vulnerable – and the Seahawks recently proved this – when the opponent uses its passing game. Between the 49ers and Commanders, our prediction is that the visitors will try to start right there.
Key Players:
QB: Brock Purdy
RB: Christian McCaffrey
WR: Brandon Aiyuk
TE: George Kittle
K: Robbie Gould
Washington Commanders – Statistics & current form
Despite the loss last Monday, the Commanders don’t have to bury their playoff hopes quite yet. However, the remaining schedule in the next three weeks of the “regular season” also offers real top-class opponents in the form of the 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys.
In retrospect, the defeat against New York is all the more bitter because the touchdown that could have equalised the score did not count because of a penalty. This was the sixth defeat of the season and the second since quarterback Taylor Heinicke took over as playmaker.
Can the Offense Get Rolling Again?
In both games against the Giants in Weeks 13 and 15, the offensive line emerged as the weak point. Playmaker Heinicke conceded eight of his 14 sacks this season in those two games, and now a defence that includes NFL sack leader Nick Bosa awaits him. That’s why, between the 49ers and Commanders, we dare to predict that Heinicke will once again have to deal with plenty of pressure from the opposing defence. That is exactly what would – as it did twice recently against the Giants from New York – seriously impair the offensive performance.
They proved just how much potential Ron Rivera’s team has when they were able to inflict the Eagles’ only defeat of the season so far. This was also the only time they managed to put more than 30 points on the scoreboard. Their average points output for the entire season is 18.9 points, leaving only seven teams behind them in this statistic.
The three-time Super Bowl winners owe the positive turnaround of the season primarily to their own defence. In ten consecutive games, they have allowed a maximum of 21 points. In comparison: On game days one to four, this was not achieved in a single match. If this series continues after the 49ers vs. Commanders game, odds of 2.00 are on the cards. But be careful: The Niners offence is putting up an average of 24.1 points.
Key Players:
QB: Taylor Heinicke
RB: Brian Robinson Jr.
WR: Terry McLaurin
TE: Logan Thomas
K: Joey Slye
San Francisco 49ers – Washington Commanders Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The last meeting between the two teams took place in 2020, which the then “Washington Football Team” won against a 49ers team that was weakened by replacements. That duel took place in Glendale, Arizona. Ergo, Washington has never been able to win at “Levi’s Stadium”. The Niners’ last success dates back to 2019, when they prevailed 9-0 in pouring rain. In that season, San Francisco’s path led all the way to the Super Bowl.
The clash between playmakers Brock Purdy and Taylor Heinicke is, of course, the first meeting as Purdy plays his debut season. Between the 49ers and Commanders, however, the betting odds don’t seem to be affected by the fact that he has just 28 fewer games under his belt than his counterpart.
San Francisco 49ers – Washington Commanders Tip
After recent performances, it’s hard to pinpoint a weakness for the home team, though we’d most likely see it in the offense. Against a below-average Seattle defence, that has been tough at times lately. In addition, Purdy is and remains a rookie who will make one or two mistakes at some point.
Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that San Francisco will spare some regular players in the course of the game, as they have secured third place in the NFC Conference. The second place, which the Vikings hold, is only attainable if Minnesota drops at least once
Using the handicap of seven points that the bookies have on offer, we see a win for the visitors as quite realistic.
