49ers sputter in second half after Mike Evans' injury but hold on to beat Commanders to improve to 6-0

At some point, the San Francisco 49ers' injuries might bring them down. It almost happened in the second half on Monday night. For now, San Francisco's perfect season rolls on. The 49ers raced out to a 20-point lead and it looked like they would cruise to an easy win over the Washington Commanders. But San Francisco's offense stalled with No. 1 receiver Mike Evans sidelined with an Achilles injury he suffered late in the first half, allowing the Commanders to get back in the game. The Niners' defense, which has been a big surprise all season, came up with two big stops in the final two minutes to seal the 23-17 win. The 49ers improved to 6-0 to start the season. Treylon Burks couldn't haul in a fourth-down pass at the goal line as safety Malik Mustapha, who made a huge hit on a run the previous play, slammed him to the ground. FANTASTIC PBU TO PREVENT THE TD ‼️WASvsSF on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/hMlXf1fdwc— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2026 Washington got one more shot after forcing a punt, but an intentional grounding penalty set the Commanders back and then the 49ers ended the game on a sack. Brock Purdy played well in the first half, as he has all season, but he needs some help. The 49ers are depleted at receiver and it showed in the second half. That allowed the Commanders to get back in it. Washington hurt themselves, particularly with a facemask penalty that negated a touchdown with a little more than four minutes remaining. Jeremy McNichols had a TD here that was wiped away from Chris Paul’s facemask penalty Heartbreaking pic.twitter.com/bvk5eSwiYt— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) October 20, 2026 The 49ers look like the best team in football about one-third through the season. It has been a great start, but the injuries are becoming a real concern. The Niners have been the unluckiest team when it comes to injuries for a few seasons, and the bad fortune hasn't stopped. Mike Evans injured in first halfIt wouldn't be a 49ers game without a key injury. Evans, who came into the game with injuries to his ribs and Achilles tendon, left Monday night's game due to the Achilles. He stayed down after a catch late in the second quarter and went straight to the locker room with athletic trainers. He was ruled out of the game by the team.The 49ers are getting desperately thin at receiver and the injury to Evans, who has made an immediate impact on San Francisco's offense, would be a big blow if he has to miss time. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that he didn't expect the injury to be long-term.Still, it's still a lingering issue for a 33-year-old receiver. And a glimpse at the 49ers' offense without Evans wasn't pretty.The 49ers slowed down on offense in the second half without Evans and the Commanders got back in the game. Jayden Daniels hit Rachaad White on a touchdown pass with 9:22 left and suddenly Washington had cut San Francisco's lead to 23-17. San Francisco had led 23-3 late in the third quarter. The Commanders forced a quick punt after that and had the ball with a chance to take the lead with 7:46 to go. It looked like an easy night for the 49ers, but Washington was putting San Francisco's perfect record in jeopardy. Second half tightens upOnce Washington started getting momentum, the Commanders were hard to stop. Daniels hadn't had a great night, including strangely throwing the ball away on a fourth down in the first half, but he helped get his team back in the game. He did so without top receiver Terry McLaurin, who was lost in the first half when he was carted off due to a knee injury. The Commanders seemingly took the lead with a little more than four minutes left on a Jeremy McNichols touchdown run, but there was a facemask penalty on Washington guard Chris Paul that negated the score. The 49ers had a big penalty of their own later, when a fourth-down sack was wiped off the board due to an illegal contact penalty that gave Washington a first down. San Francisco came up with the plays it needed, with Mustapha having two big hits on third and fourth down. Washington wasn't finished. It forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with less than a minute to go, but no timeouts. A fair catch interference call helped with field position. The Commanders were running out of time but a 17-yard catch by rookie receiver Antonio Williams got the ball to San Francisco's 28-yard line. But an intentional grounding penalty on Daniels was a crushing blow, especially since there was a 10-second runoff, leaving only six seconds on the clock. A sack on the final play sealed the win.The 49ers survived a scare. Even a great season isn't always going to pretty. And it looks like it could be a memorable year for the 49ers. The injury issues might be the biggest threat to stopping them.