3 Takeaways from 49ers 27-10 win over Commanders

After a long, hard-fought season, the 49ers have accomplished greatness with a 27-10 road win against the Washington Commanders.

A slow, grinding start to the game gave Commanders fans hope, but the 49ers slowly but surely pulled away in the second half. Led by a bounce-back performance from QB Brock Purdy, a pair of defensive interceptions that San Francisco quickly capitalized on, and the re-emergence of RB Elijah Mitchell from injury (17 carries, 80 yards, 1 TD), San Francisco left FedEx Field with their 12th win of the year and prime playoff position.

Here are three quick takeaways from the 49ers' 27-10 win vs. the Commanders.

Brock Purdy, 49ers passing king

The 49ers have a new all-time single-season passing leader.

Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has surpassed Steve Young and Jeff Garcia with his latest 22-28, 230-yard, 2 TD performance. With 4,280 yards on the season, Purdy has gone from fourth-string backup to the most prolific passer in any season in San Francisco history. The achievement is even more impressive coming during the 49ers' 16th game of the season, which places Purdy's accomplishments in the same time frame as Young and Garcia, who accomplished their yardage totals before the NFL added a 17th game to the schedule.

Despite an embattled 4-interception performance last week against the Ravens, Purdy bounced back impressively against Washington, distributing the ball quickly and efficiently early on. But Purdy, in even more typical fashion, displayed skills far beyond that of your typical "system quarterback." Late in the game, looking to put the Commanders away for good, Purdy showed off his athleticism and creative play-extending ability, spinning out of pressure and finding WR Brandon Aiyuk for a long touchdown. The play served as the punctuation mark for a season that has been oft-criticized, uniquely productive, and quietly spectacular.

Turnovers key for defense

In what has become a recurring theme in the past month of play, San Francisco's vaunted defense clamped down on Washington, but allowed several big plays that remain worrisome heading into the postseason.

After forcing a three-and-out on their opponent's first possession, the Niners held a 10-point lead by the time Washington got the ball a second time. But from there, Sam Howell and the Commanders orchestrated two dominant, 9-play scoring drives that ate up most of the second half. Each drive featured a pair of big plays, with Howell connecting with WR "Scary" Terry McLaurin for a 42-yard strike en route to their only touchdowns on the day. The methodical pace meant the first half featured only 7 full drives, but that played into Washington's favor, with San Francisco only up by a field goal going into the half.

Washington continued to threaten in the third quarter, when the 49ers defense allowed three straight explosive plays due to key missed tackles. Any points would bring the Commanders to within one score, but inside the red zone, the Niners struck back. An intense blitz package by defensive coordinator Steve Wilks pressured Howell into an ill-advised throw, and CB Charvarius Ward beat McLaurin on the route for an interception, the first turnover of the game for either side.

From there, the defense salted the game away, looking every bit like the juggernaut they've been the past few years. CB Deommodore Lenoir added another interception two drives later, and Howell ended his day with a mediocre line of 17-28 for 169 yards, including a touchdown and two interceptions. The difference before and after Ward's pick can't be understated: once San Francisco wrested control of the turnover battle, Washington had no chance. This much is clear: in order to go all the way and capture their elusive sixth Lombardi trophy, the 49ers defense must find a way to force turnovers early and often.

San Francisco secures #1 seed

The San Francisco 49ers will now have home field advantage up to the Super Bowl, should they make it that far.

Their 27-10 victory over Washington placed them a game up in the loss column over Dallas and Detroit, two of the other contenders for the #1 seed. That only left Philadelphia, who the 49ers still hosted the head-to-head tiebreaker over. Should those teams enter Week 18 with the same record, a 49ers loss and an Eagles win would have given Philadelphia the #1 seed in the NFC.

But that particular playoff permutation is now impossible. Shortly after the 49ers wrapped up business in Washington, the Arizona Cardinals shocked the NFL with a 35-31 upset over the Eagles, placing Philadelphia one loss behind San Francisco. Now, with every other competitor one full loss behind SF and with the Niners holding all relevant tiebreakers, San Francisco will end 2023 as the NFC's top team.

A final home game against the Los Angeles Rams, who themselves escaped with a narrow victory in Week 17, awaits the Niners to end the year. With a string of injuries nipping at San Francisco's heels, the Niners now have the option to use the final game of the season as a de facto dress rehearsal, allowing their ailing players a full three weeks of recovery time around Week 18 and the Wild Card weekend bye.

The 49ers will not play a playoff game until mid-January's Divisional Round, where they will face the lowest surviving seed after the Wild Card Weekend. As things currently stand, this would be one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4), Philadelphia Eagles (5), Los Angeles Rams (6), or Seattle Seahawks (7).