49ers lock up No. 1 seed in NFC with workmanlike win over Commanders

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers had an answer to quarterback Brock Purdy’s four-interception performance in a loss last week to the Baltimore Ravens — his worst game as a pro.

Hand the football to Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell. 

Those two 49ers running backs combined for 144 rushing yards and a score in a 27-10 victory over the Washington Commanders, as San Francisco rebounded to improve to 12-4 on the season. Mitchell totaled 80 rushing yards on 17 carries. The 49ers finished with 184 rushing yards on the day. 

Mitchell was back on the field after missing three games with a lingering knee issue and got more reps because McCaffrey watched from the sidelines in the second half after a calf injury limited his availability. 

Shanahan said McCaffrey suffered a possible calf strain and will be evaluated further on Monday. 

The victory gave the 49ers a 12-win season for the 16th time in franchise history. But the Commanders did not go down easily, trailing just 13-10 at halftime before the 49ers scored 14 answered points in the second half to pull away for the win.

The Commanders lost their seventh straight game and dropped to 4-12 on the year. 

Paired with the Philadelphia Eagles’ surprising 35-31 loss at home to Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers earned the No. 1 seed with one game to play, which includes a first-round bye and home-field throughout the postseason. 

Shanahan said he and his players watched the last seconds of Philadelphia’s loss in the locker room, with a loud cheer erupting after seeing the result. 

“I really didn’t want to pay too much attention to it,” Shanahan said. “Didn’t want to get our hearts broken. But … they pulled it out. It was pretty cool to see.” 

Shanahan said the plan will be to rest some players in the final regular-season game at home against the Los Angeles Rams — but that doesn’t mean the team will let up. 

“I still think there’s…

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Publish date : 2023-12-31 23:00:14

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