It was a tale of two halves for Washington quarterback Sam Howell. Howell was excellent in the first half of Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers before struggling in the second half, allowing the 49ers to pull away for a comfortable 27-10 victory.
Washington was competitive with the 49ers throughout the first half, answering each San Francisco score before the Niners kicked a field goal just before halftime for a 13-10 lead.
Howell’s play was a big reason for the Commanders’ first-half success, as Terry McLaurin had four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. Howell’s 42-yard pass to set up McLaurin’s touchdown was one of his best passes in weeks.
Washington’s defense also played well.
Unfortunately, as has been the case recently, Howell fell apart in the second half, throwing two interceptions, including one inside the 10-yard line, with the Commanders only trailing 20-10 in the third quarter.
The 49ers made them pay, pulling away for a 27-10 win.
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy had a relatively easy day in the pocket as Washington applied no pressure on the second-year quarterback. Purdy completed 22 of 28 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers rushed for 184 yards, with Elijah Mitchell leading the way 80 yards on 17 attempts. Christian McCaffrey carried the ball 14 times for 64 yards but was injured and didn’t play for much of the second half.
Howell finished the game completing 17 of 28 passes for 169 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Washington’s offensive line, which was without three starters, did a good job against San Francisco’s excellent defensive line. Howell was sacked once, and that was on a play in which he was eluding pressure and went out of bounds.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. returned to the lineup and carried the ball nine times for 44 yards. He also caught four passes for 32 yards.
The Commanders’ undermanned secondary played well, considering they were without so many starters and lost two more cornerbacks during the game.
Washington wraps up the 2023 season next Sunday at FedEx Field against Dallas, which will be playing for the NFC East title.
