LANDOVER, Md. — The 49ers allowed the lowly Washington Commanders to hang around for a while Sunday before finally slamming the door in the second half and, in the process, claiming the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.
It wasn’t a dominating performance, but the 49ers made enough plays at key times en route to a crucial 27-10 victory on New Year’s Eve at FedExField.
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Cornerback Charvarius Ward supplied one of the big plays when he picked off Washington quarterback Sam Howell’s pass at the San Francisco 2-yard line early in the fourth quarter to enable the 49ers to maintain a comfortable lead. The 49ers then drove the length of the field to put the game away on a Brandon Aiyuk touchdown catch.
The 49ers improved to 12-4 and, with the Philadelphia Eagles’ stunning loss to the Arizona Cardinals completed just minutes afterward, will be the NFC’s top seed, with the accompanying playoff bye week.
Here are three takeaways from the 49ers’ Week 17 win over the now-4-12 Commanders:
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Purdy’s bounce-back game
It wasn’t a spectacular showing for Brock Purdy, but it was a heck of a lot better than the last time he took the field.
The quarterback had a game more in line with what he has done since taking over last year as the 49ers’ starter.
And he needed it.
Purdy was coming back off the worst game of his career, in which he threw four interceptions in a 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.
Purdy put this game out of reach in the fourth quarter when he scrambled to buy time, directed Aiyuk to move into an open space in the end zone, then delivered a strike for a 17-yard touchdown.
The play gave the 49ers a 27-10 lead with 9:20 remaining.
The 49ers’ offense didn’t produce many big plays, and Purdy didn’t have to work hard for his first-quarter TD throw, completing a shovel pass to wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who turned upfield for a 2-yard scoring “reception.”
Purdy completed 22 of 28 passes for 230 yards, setting a record along the way. He became the 49ers’ single-season passing leader, surpassing Jeff Garcia’s record of 4,278 yards in 2000.
More importantly, he avoided the critical giveaways that plagued him on Christmas night against the Ravens.
Mitchell steps in for McCaffrey
Elijah Mitchell has been a productive back when he gets on the field for the 49ers. His problem is that he hasn’t been able to remain healthy for long stretches of time in his three NFL seasons.
On Sunday, Mitchell was called up with Christian McCaffrey nursing issues with both legs. McCaffrey exited in the second half with a calf injury, the team reported, and Mitchell responded with seven carries for 40 yards on the 49ers’ first drive of the second half.
Mitchell’s 2-yard touchdown run with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter gave the 49ers a 20-10 lead.
McCaffrey was unavailable, as he appeared bothered by an issue with the upper quad or hip flexor on his left side. After entering for one carry, he exited with his right calf giving him problems.
Mitchell finished with a team-high 17 carries for 80 yards, and his touchdown was his first of the season. His only two TDs in 2022 came in the regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.
Mitchell missed 18 games the past two seasons because of injuries. As a rookie in 2021, he was sidelined for five games but still managed to gain 963 rushing yards and score five touchdowns.
Wrapping up the NFC
The 49ers took care of business Sunday, but they also received a lot of help in clinching the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.
The Detroit Lions dropped out of top-seed contention with their controversial 20-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. Then, the Cardinals stunned the Eagles 35-31 on Sunday. The Eagles entered as the only team that could have knocked the 49ers from the NFC’s top spot.
Now the 49ers are in a position to rest some of their players, and they avoid a critical regular-season finale against the Rams, who have been one of the NFL’s hottest teams. LA had six wins in its last seven games entering Sunday, with the only loss during that stretch came in overtime at Baltimore.
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