The San Francisco 49ers beat the Washington Commanders 23-17 at Levi's Stadium, and the run game decided it. San Francisco ran for 126 yards and picked up 11 first downs on the ground. Washington managed 53 rushing yards and 2 rushing first downs.

Washington's second-half rally came entirely through the air, and it ran out of room.

How It Happened

San Francisco scored first at 10:53 of the first quarter, when Brock Purdy found George Kittle for an 11-yard touchdown. Drew Stevens answered with a 51-yard field goal for Washington.

Christian McCaffrey punched in a 1-yard run at 4:09 of the first quarter. Eddy Pineiro missed the extra point, leaving it 13-3.

The second quarter produced only one score, and it came late. McCaffrey went in from 1 yard again with 13 seconds left before halftime, and Pineiro's kick made it a 17-point game at the break.

Pineiro added a 33-yard field goal at 5:56 of the third quarter for a 23-3 lead. Washington finally found the end zone with 15 seconds left in the quarter on a 1-yard pass from Jayden Daniels to Stefon Diggs.

Daniels hit Rachaad White for a 9-yard touchdown at 9:22 of the fourth quarter, pulling Washington within 23-17. Those were the last points of the night.

Key Performers

Christian McCaffrey: 2 rushing TD (1 YDS, 1 YDS)
Brock Purdy: 1 TD pass (11 YDS to George Kittle)
Jayden Daniels: 2 TD passes (1 YDS to Stefon Diggs, 9 YDS to Rachaad White)

49ers rushing: 29 ATT, 126 YDS, 4.3 per carry
Commanders rushing: 17 ATT, 53 YDS, 3.1 per carry
49ers passing: 21-29, 249 net YDS, 0 INT
Commanders passing: 29-40, 261 net YDS, 0 INT, sacked 4 times for 39 YDS

McCaffrey's 2 short touchdowns were the payoff of the 49ers' ground game. San Francisco also converted 7 of 14 third downs, while Washington converted just 3 of 12.

Washington actually won the turnover battle. It didn't give the ball away, while San Francisco lost a fumble. But the Commanders were less efficient in the red zone, going 2-for-4 against San Francisco's 3-for-4, and the 4 sacks cost them nearly 40 yards.

Daniels kept Washington alive after halftime. Both of his touchdown passes came after the 49ers had built a 20-point cushion, and the Commanders got within one score with more than 9 minutes to play. The deficit from the first half was too much to erase.

What It Means

San Francisco is 6-0, with a 4-0 mark at home and 2-0 on the road. The 49ers weren't clean, committing 11 penalties for 88 yards, but they won the line of scrimmage and the red zone, and that was enough.

Washington falls to 1-4-1. The split tells the story of its season: the Commanders are 1-1-1 at home and 0-3 on the road.

This was a one-score road loss, which counts for little in the standings. Washington was outgained 375 to 314, and it couldn't run the ball or convert third downs in this one, which turned a close game into another road defeat.