The best thing that happened to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night is that they almost lost. San Francisco beat the Washington Commanders 23-17 and advanced to 6-0 on the season, but that final score should do more than just humble head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co.
The Niners outgained the Commanders 303-90 in the first half, and carried a score of 20-3 into halftime. They stretched the score to 23-3 following the break, but then the offense eased up. Washington scored the last 14 points of the game, drove all the way into the red zone, then managed to get the ball back when that red-zone trip wasn't enough.
It took Malik Mustapha breaking up a fourth-down pass at the goal line with a sack to keep the 49ers' perfect record intact. Thanks to a missed extra point from Eddie Pineiro earlier in the game, the Niners only held a six-point lead. If Mustapha missed on his tackle, that could have easily meant the game.
2nd half was the lesson 49ers desperately need
Let's consider the context here: Washington arrived to this game with a 1-4-1 record, missing its leading rusher, and it lost a top receiver in Terry McLaurin in the first quarter. Yet despite this, Jayden Daniels still threw for 300 yards, completing 29 of his 40 passing attempts, adding two touchdowns in the process without any turnovers.
Mike Evans departed the game for the Niners just before halftime, and the passing game seemingly went with him. The 49ers have been a good scoring team in the second half so far this season, averaging just under 18 points per game in the second half alone.
But then the Niners took their foot off of the gas.
The Atlanta Falcons are next on the list for the Niners, and if the Chicago Bears taught us anything in Week 6, it's not to do that against the Falcons. Atlanta sits at 2-4 and is desperate for a win at home. Chicago managed to walk away with the win, but it was just as narrow as the Niners' win over the Commanders, and it followed a similar blueprint.
The Bears took the lead in the game early, and since they're on a short week, head coach Ben Johnson saw fit to sit some of his starters in an attempt to get them some rest. This was a mistake. in the fourth quarter alone, the Falcons mounted a 16-point comeback and would have gotten the game even closer, had it not been for a timely play from cornerback Kyler Gordon to force a fumble.
This shows that the 49ers must not get complacent, even if they take the lead right out of the gate. Holding Bijan Robinson to as few carries as they can is the way to beat this team, and consistent pressure on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. can help with this.
San Francisco got everything it needed out of Monday night: the win, the wake-up call, and the film to prove the wake-up call was earned.
Now the 49ers get five days to show they learned it before Atlanta teaches it to them the hard way.
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