49ers News Digest: Niners Survive Commanders Scare to Stay Unbeaten
San Francisco improved to 6-0, but not before Washington gave Bay Area fans a few gray hairs — and the Niners did it without one of their key weapons.
Niners Hang On For Win No. 6
ALRIGHT BAY AREA, we're still undefeated and that's all that matters this morning.
Per ESPN, the 49ers jumped out to a dominant first-half lead on Monday night against the Commanders and looked like they were cruising to another easy win. Then, as these things tend to go, Washington decided to make it interesting with a furious second-half rally that had this one feeling a lot closer than it should've by the final whistle.
San Francisco held on. That's 6-0. Six wins. Zero losses. I don't care how shaky the fourth quarter got — a win is a win, and this team keeps finding ways to get it done.
My bold take: a team that can build a big lead AND survive a scare in the same night is a team that's figuring out how to win multiple ways. That's championship stuff, folks. We'll see if the defense tightens up those second-half lapses, because riding a rollercoaster every Monday night is going to give me an ulcer.
Mike Evans Sidelined With Achilles Issue
The win came with an injury wrinkle worth tracking. According to ESPN, the 49ers ruled receiver Mike Evans out of the Commanders game because of a lingering Achilles issue.
"Lingering" is the word that jumps off the page there. That's not a one-game tweak — that sounds like something the training staff is going to be managing for a while.
Look, when a guy can't suit up for a Monday Night Football game, you pay attention. The Niners found a way to win anyway, which says good things about the depth on this roster. But if Evans is dealing with an Achilles that lingers, the Fog Horn wants updates — and he wants them soon.
Bottom Line
6-0 is 6-0, and I'll take it with a bow on it every single week. But the formula going forward can't be "fall behind in the second half and pray." Clean up the lapses, get healthy at receiver, and keep stacking wins. The rest of the league should be nervous. I know I'm not — yet.