49ers vs. Washington: Preview, Prediction, and Details

Do or die for the 49ers, in a tough game against an old friend. Revenge for Shanahan and Trent Williams?

Gameday

• San Francisco 49ers (5-7) vs. Washington Football Team (5-7) at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Kickoff: 1:25 PM PST, 4:25 PM EST

• Weather: 59 F° clear, 7 MPH, 11% humidity, 0% precipitation

• Spread: SF -3

• Over/Under: 43.5 points

• Channel: FOX, FuboTV, Streaming (in comments)

• Radio: KNBR 680, KSAN 107.7, SiriusXM Channel 27

• Announcers (FOX): Chris Myers, Greg Jennings, Jen Hale

Injury Report (will be updated):

San Francisco 49ers:

• OUT:

  • Hroniss Grasu

  • D.J. Jones

  • Emmanuel Moseley

  • K'Waun Williams

  • Trent Taylor

  • Austin Walter

  • Kevin Givens

Washington Football Team

• OUT:

  • Antonio Gibson

  • Dontrelle Inman

  • David Sharpe

  • Cole Lucas

  • Jeff Badet

  • Jordan Kunaszyk

(Glendale) - The playoffs have begun for the 49ers, and what I mean by that is - as a FTN Slack user noted, if they lose any of their remaining games, all playoff hopes are dashed.

It’s an argument that is one of the most heated among fans - should the 49ers even want to win, with such a talented draft class headlined by 4 incredible QB prospects? The answer is different for fans, but for NFL teams, at least ones with rich and winning culture like the 49ers, the answer is always a resounding yes.

So the newly-named Washington Football Team travels to Glendale to play the 49ers in this… weird matchup. Make no mistake, Shanahan and Trent Williams will be looking to make a point to Washington owner Daniel Synder… who does not have the nicest rep around the league, to say the least. This is an emphasis game, and certainly not one to overlook. Although Washington is without Antonio Gibson, their star rookie RB/WR/offensive weapon, former 49er and the beloved Alex Smith has been on fire, getting the WFT a winning record over the past 4 weeks, including a massive upset over the undefeated Steelers last week.

David Lombardi @LombardiHimself

NFL team tiers over the past 4 weeks. Since Alex Smith took over as starter, Washington has been one of the most cumulatively efficient teams in football, while the 49ers have floundered during this stretch:

Terry McLaurin is beginning to enter bonafide star territory and if on a better team, would easily be getting a ton of media attention.

And of course, their defense, specifically, their 2019 49ers-esque DL which features 4 1st round picks. Jonathan Allen has been one of the best DL in football over the past 5 weeks and his PFF grade only supports that. Montez Sweat and Chase Young are a terrorizing combo off the EDGEs, and while Trent Williams should be able to stop one of those two, the other will feast on McGlinchey who has been poor in pass protection this season. Da’Ron Payne is a good NT and he is also flanked by the veteran Ryan Kerrigan. It’s hard to understate how good this DL is, but they have smothered really good teams with really good OL. The 49ers… do not have a very good OL, nor a mobile QB. Expect a ton of short passing to try and mask these flaws within the offense. It will be tough to run against the Washington Football team as well, but they just lost Landon Collins to a season-ending injury, meaning the 49ers can try to attack the middle of the field and get to the second level on blocks.

In general, Nick Mullens will win or lose this game for the 49ers. If he can pull off some magic and keep Washington on their heels, this game is winnable, but if not, it could get ugly, and very fast. McLaurin and Steven Sims Jr have played very well as of late, and Logan Thomas, the QB turned TE, has also played well. Dontae Johnson starting in the slot is a nightmare scenario for a weakened 49ers defense, meaning a big game is needed from Moore, Ward, and Warner.

The 49ers are also dealing with a COVID-19 case that popped up today among John Benton, an OL coach. They released this statement.

“The San Francisco 49ers today were informed that offensive line coach John Benton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not attend today’s game. His duties will be absorbed by the offensive coaching staff.

"Benton immediately went into self-quarantine and the team conducted the appropriate contact tracing as part of the NFL’s intensive COVID-19 protocol. We will continue to communicate with the League and medical professionals and take the necessary precautions in the best interest of health and safety."

Check out this infographic courtesy of 49ers communications.

Predictions by FTN Staff:

SF 24 v. WAS 17 - Shanafandom

Prediction: 49ers win 24-17. This will be an ugly but hopefully close game. Washington has a strong d-line and are hot. The good news is their o-line is banged up and there is no Gibson. We likely won’t get pummeled on defense like last Monday. WFT is coming off a huge win against Pittsburgh, but it is so common to see a team lose after these kinds of upsets. I’ve seen it too much in the NFL, and have a gut feeling the 49ers sneak in a win.

Player of The Game: Fred Warner. Yes, this is a safe pick. Warner is a beast and shutting down J.D. McKissic and Alex’s short passing game is crucial. Except to see what we’ve seen all season.

SF 10 v. WAS 17 - Patrick Holloway

Prediction: I've started to lose confidence in the 2020 San Francisco 49ers. There's so much that needs to be done to make them competitive again on both sides fo the ball. The sad part is they have so many great pieces and weapons. They just don't have an efficient enough quarterback. On the other side they can't get a decent pass rush going which is exposing everyone not named Fred Warner.I've not been the biggest supporter of Robert Saleh and he certainly didn't need to pitch a shutout last week, but that performance was unacceptable, especially when you're a coordinator that is considered a shoe-in for a head coaching job.I predict a very, very boring game where some magic happens late to get Washington up. Enjoy the rest of the season.

SF 20 v. WAS 27 - Riqonator

Prediction: It won’t be as close as the score indicates, as Smith gets off to a hot start and the 49ers struggle to get going on offense. The 49ers need the run game working which I don’t think will happen today.

Player of the Game: Jason Verrett - McLaurin is a tough matchup, but if Verrett can slow him down, the 49ers stand a chance.

SF 20 v. WAS 23 - SportyMiner

Prediction: Quick one from me tonight - I am concerned about the Washington DL and the pressure on Mullens tonight. I fear a few interceptions (seeing as Mullens hasn't been able to keep them down) and if Washington get the lead then Smith is smart enough to maintain that throughout the game. Our saving grace is Gibson is out tonight, so WFT lose some firepower. That makes tonight winnable for sure, but we really need to score early and keep the interceptions down to 0 or 1 if we get lucky.

POTG: Smith, because he shouldn't be on the field, the man is mighty. However, I'm hoping for a re-emergence of Mostert and Wilson attacking strong tonight - one of them may just spring big tonight. Let's hope so.
Go Niners.

SF 23 v. WAS 20 - El Shorts

Niners win 23-20. I expect a defensive battle for the majority of the game, with Alex Smith and the Team having to go through the air to beat this Niners defense. Mullens may be shell shocked after having to take plenty of hits from a fierce Washington defensive line, but I think that being able to move the ball sideline to sideline with Deebo and Aiyuk will help immensely in getting the ball out of Mullens’ hand. This one could really go either way and will just come down to who can make a play at the end of the day.

POTG: Jordan Reed: Revenge game! Mullens and him have been close on several occasions, but I think they finally connect to the tune of a 23 yard touchdown down the middle of the field.