Golden Nuggets: We’re on to Washington

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 20: San Francisco 49ers defenders Arik Armstead (91) (front) , DeForest Buckner (99) and Nick Bosa (97) slide on the wet turf to celebrate sacking Washington Redskins quarterback Case Keenum (8) to end the game at FedEx Field. (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Commanders are a fascinating team. The same guys that beat Seattle also just tied the New York Giants. At 1-3-1, they'll be desperate to save their spiraling season. A win on national TV against the hottest team in the league would be exactly what the doctor ordered for them.

With Sonny Styles leading the way, their front seven will be a problem. He's been really really good... maybe one of the few linebackers that can keep up with George Kittle or Christian McCaffrey. Their secondary looks much more exploitable.

On the other side of the ball, their interior offensive line seemed like their biggest vulnerability before the season started. They've stabilized by signing Lucas Patrick to play center and getting starting guard Sam Cosmi back from injury. The x-factor, which I'm sure will be talked about ad nauseam, is none other than Jayden Daniels.

Niners LB Dre Greenlaw's appeal of suspension rejected, will sit vs. Commanders
Rookie Jaden Dugger, who filled in for Greenlaw against the Seahawks, is likely to start in Greenlaw's place Monday night."

NFL Week 5 film review: How Mike Evans, Kyler Murray, Jordan Love provided answers (paywall)
The Seahawks' two-deep shells discourage deep passing and can make the picture cloudy for quarterbacks. However, they play a fair amount of one-on-one outside when they rotate their safeties or when one of their safeties is poaching." Matthew Stafford has made a living finding those one-on-ones, and Puka Nacua and Davante Adams win in those situations. This week, Brock Purdy found those matchups, and Evans made the Seahawks pay.

Here, the Seahawks lined up with two deep safeties, as they usually do. This could dissuade quarterbacks from looking deep because there could potentially be deep help on both sides of the formation.

However, after the snap, the weak-side safety turned his hips and looked to the three-receiver side. They were playing a form of quarters that left the backside corner Josh Jobe one-on-one with Evans. Some quarterbacks might still see the safety's presence on that half of the field and decide not to throw deep, but Purdy knew the safety couldn't help Jobe on the outside with his technique."

49ers report card, grades: The defensive line saved their best game in years for the Seahawks
Let's talk about that intentional grounding play. On the left side, Luke Farrell is the in-line tight end;

Brayden Willis is lined up next to him, but off the line of scrimmage. The wide receiver split out left is Jordan Watkins, who motions that he's off the line, but lines up on the line of scrimmage. That covers Farrell up, making him ineligible.

And those are the types of plays that are why we see Watkins only run nine routes. On one of those routes, Watkins was bullied and couldn't shake free from press.

Cooks made himself available on the touchdown, but was called for a penalty, had another declined, and

looks disinterested as a blocker.

There is a weird amount of hate for Jacob Cowing that I do not understand. The coaching staff is starting to figure out how and where to use Cowing.

Against Seattle, Cowing ran 41% of his routes in the slot and leaned more on underneath routes where he could find soft spots in the zone. He will still run clear out routes, but in my opinion, Cowing could be Purdy's best friend. Without Deebo, I see Jacob taking over that role....Any time a defensive lineman reads a screen, it's a sign their IQ is through the roof. Guess what Mykel Williams did? Keion owes Mykel a steak dinner for the sack, since Williams forced Sam Darnold to move off his spot....Dugger was a difference-maker. He got caught peeking on a play-action pass and allowed a first down. Honestly, that may have been his lone mistake. His discipline was incredible. He stayed in windows where Darnold wanted to throw to JSN, instead of taking the bait on a shorter throw. Those are the plays that don't go in the stat sheet.

Dugger was in the stat sheet plenty. He ran through the right tackle's block to stop a screen that could've resulted in a first down. Dugger set the edge, made multiple stops, and played with starter-level physicality."

49ers game review: How Gracen Halton and defense's recent draft picks saved the day in Seattle (paywall)
Mustapha channeled the best of his promising 2024 rookie season by also breaking up would-be completions to wideouts Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with shot-from-a-cannon blows before he sealed the win by belting Kupp out of bounds on a 9-yard reception on 4th-and-10 from midfield with just under a minute left.

Three plays earlier, Mustapha's shot on Smith-Njigba was vital. After Mustapha whacked him to break up a first-down pass, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year rose slowly and went to the sideline for a snap with the game on the line. When he returned,Smith-Njigba dropped a deep third-down pass before Mustapha punctuated his violent performance with his fourth-down tackle.

49ers overreactions: Was Mike Evans missing piece to finally winning Super Bowl?
Now, we can't confidently say that Corliss Waitman isthebest punter in the NFL this season. But the point is . . . he has been very good for the 49ers this season.

On Sunday, none of his five punts were returned. As a result, the Seahawks began those five drives at the 11, 18, 8, 9 and 4.

And, yes, Gracen Halton's touchdown was a direct result of that last Waitman punt right before the end of the first half.

Waitman's net punting average is 43.6 yards, and that is nearly a 7-yard improvement over Thomas Morstead from last season."