Washington limps west after a painful overtime miss to face a 5-0 San Francisco side that has the NFC West in a stranglehold.
Monday Night Football brings a heavyweight mismatch on paper, as the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers welcome a Washington Commanders team still stinging from a self-inflicted wound. A week ago, Washington let a straightforward game-winning field goal chance slip away in overtime against the Giants. Now they travel across the country to face one of the league's most complete teams.
The Commanders sit at 1-3-1 and came into the week with a point differential of minus-34, the second-worst in the NFC. The NFC East is hardly a powerhouse division, so there is still room to stay in the race. But it will take a huge road performance in Santa Clara to keep that door open, and a slow start or sloppy clock management could finish them off early.
San Francisco, meanwhile, has barely broken a sweat. The Niners were widely expected to be part of a brutal NFC West, yet the division has so far looked like Kyle Shanahan's team and everyone else. Defending champions Seattle and a Rams side led by MVP Matthew Stafford have each dropped three games in the opening six weeks. Two of those losses came against the Niners, which gives San Francisco a big cushion in the loss column and, for now, the head-to-head tiebreaker over both rivals.
The pressure is firmly on Washington to play a clean four quarters, while San Francisco can lean on its fast start and a home crowd. Check your local sports broadcaster or streaming provider for kick-off time and viewing options in your region, and settle in for what could be a statement night for the Niners.
