The San Francisco 49ers take on the Washington Commanders at Levi's Stadium on prime time for Monday Night Football. The Niners still stand as one of the only teams in the league to remain undefeated.
The Kansas City Chiefs had the early bye last week, meaning their win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 allowed them to advance to match the Niners and Minnesota Vikings at 5-0.
Now, due to the Vikings having Week 6 off, San Francisco has the opportunity to be the first team to advance to 6-0, provided it beats the Commanders.
Brock Purdy loses one of his most reliable targets
Among many different 49ers who are currently injured is Deebo Samuel. It's true that Brock Purdy has been playing some of the best football of his career, but to date, Samuel has been one of his most reliable targets. Samuel has caught 16 of his 20 targets for 206 yards and three touchdowns. In addition to this, he's added another nine carries for 78 more yards.
Removing this type of threatening player is a big break for the Commanders. They've been on a tough stretch to start the season, missing their quarterback Jayden Daniels for a couple games, and an embarrassing clock run-out to tie the game against the New York Giants in Week 5. To date, their only win of the season came against the Super Bowl defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks.
Given they beat the Seahawks last week, but it was a game closer than comfort, the 49ers would be wise to not underestimate Washington.
That being said, with Deebo out, who will Purdy be throwing the ball to? Mike Evans has been the Niners' top receiver this season, but he's also been battling a rib injury while playing, and now there's Achilles soreness.
Evans didn't practice all week, and he carries a questionable designation into Monday night.
Christian Kirk is potentially set to be activated from injured reserve, and the timing couldn't be better. While coach Kyle Shanahan wouldn't commit to a yes regarding Kirk's return, all the signs point toward it happening.
The 49ers are heavily favored in the matchup, but that's no reason for them to be complacent. Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing, and Jordan Watkins are all healthy and ready to go.
All they need to do is provide Purdy with good targets, and the Niners should be in a good position to take their momentum into Week 7.
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