49ers rally past Commanders as rookie Romello Height shines in win
San Francisco defeated Washington 24-17 on Monday night, improving to 6-0, while rookie defensive end Romello Height recorded six pressures and a sack.
The San Francisco 49ers held off a late comeback by the Washington Commanders on Monday night to improve to 6-0 on the season. Quarterback Brock Purdy led the offense, and the defense made key plays in the second half to preserve the lead.
Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels rallied his team after halftime, but the 49ers' defensive line, bolstered by the return of Nick Bosa, stopped the drive with a sack and a pass breakup on third down. Safety Malik Mustapha, who replaced the injured Marques Sigle, made two pivotal stops, including a pass breakup on Treylon Burks that ended a Commanders drive.
"We trusted our guys to make the play when it mattered," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game.
The 49ers lost wide receiver Mike Evans to an injury before halftime, though Shanahan confirmed the injury was not serious. Evans had approached 100 receiving yards before leaving the game. The team relied on running back Christian McCaffrey and other receivers to sustain the offense in the second half.
Rookie defensive end Romello Height delivered a breakout performance, registering six pressures, two quarterback hits, two hurries and a sack (the sack was negated by a penalty). Height posted a 26.7% win rate on 19 true pass-rush attempts, according to the team's post-game statistics.
The victory positions San Francisco for a potential seventh win before a scheduled bye week, after which several players, including Bosa, Demarcus Robinson and Christian Kirk, are expected to return to full health.