No one expected the Washington Commanders to defeat the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Eve. Yet, in the first half, the Commanders and 49ers exchanged heavyweight blows and were tied 7-7.
However, the second half was a different story as Washington’s defense couldn’t stop 49ers tight end George Kittle, and San Francisco scored 30 second-half points to come away with a 37-20 victory.
The most notable takeaway from Washington’s perspective was the benching of quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Carson Wentz replaced Heinicke with around 10 minutes remaining in the game.
The loss dropped the Commanders to 7-7-1, but they remain in possession of the NFC’s No. 7 playoff seed, thanks to losses from Detroit and Seattle.
Here are five takeaways from Washington’s loss.