SINKING FEELING
Niners barely alive in wild-card chase following loss against Washington
The 49ers lost Sunday for the fifth time in six games, the clearest sign that their reign as NFC champions is coming to an injury-riddled end without a playoff return.
Washington scored touchdowns directly off two Nick Mullens turnovers and held on to down the 49ers 23-15 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., where the 49ers relocated this month because of Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Three games remain for the last-place 49ers (5- 8), starting next Sunday at Dallas before likely playing their final two games back in Arizona against the Cardinals on Dec. 26 and the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 3.
Nine NFC teams have a better record than last year’s conference champs, who officially have been ousted from the NFC West race and are barely mathematically alive for the third wildcard berth.
“No matter what the circumstances are, we’re going to finish strong,” defensive end Kerry
Hyder Jr. said.
The 49ers continued their season-long theme and saw two of their top players exit early with injuries: wide receiver Deebo Samuel ( hamstring) got hurt after a 9-yard run on the game’s first snap, and linebacker Fred Warner (neck/shoulder nerve stinger) left two snaps after halftime.
Alex Smith was credited with his fourth straight win as Washington’s starter, but the former 49ers quarterback left just before halftime with a calf injury to his surgically repaired right leg. Washington (6-7) leads the NFC East.
Here are all the highs, lows and everything else you need to know: SCOOP-AND- SCORE >> The 49ers lost their first-half lead in horrendous fashion, when a strip- sack of Mullens produced Chase Young’s 47-yard fumble recovery for Washington’s goahead touchdown 58 seconds before halftime.
As Trent Wi l l ia m s got f lattened by Montez Sweat and as center Daniel Brunskill tried to block a blitzing Jon Bostick, Mullens tried to slide out of the pocket. Mullens held the ball low as Payne peeled off Mike McGlinchey’s block, and Payne slapped it free to set up the scoop-and-score by Young, this year’s No. 2 overall draft pick.
“It’s impossible to win when the defense is scoring points for their offense. It’s disappointing,” Williams said. “We won’t beat anybody on our schedule giving the ball away like we did these last few games. All we can do is control these last three games, win each of them and see where that gets us.”
Young became the first player in Washington franchise history with a fumble return for a touchdown, a forced fumble and a sack, and he’s just the eight player in NFL since 1982 with that hat trick, according to his team.
MORE MULLENS’ MISERY >> Washington’s five-man rush came at Mullens when he threw toward the right sideline, toward where Kyle Juszczyk was before heading up field, toward Kamren Curl, who made the interception and returned it 76 yards for a 23-7 lead.
Mullens was allowed to stay in the game, but C. J. Beathard began warming up on the sideline, and it’s worth wondering which will get the start next Sunday at Dallas.
“It wasn’t all on Nick. We didn’t play good around him either,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “After the pick6, I wanted to give C. J. a chance to warm up. He was warming up during the next drive, and during it, Nick made some big third downs and we went down there and scored. After he took us on a scoring drive, I changed my mind.”
On that interception-following drive, Mullens threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Juszczyk and a twopoint conversion to Kendrick Bourne, cutting their deficit to 23-15. Mullens finished 24-of- 45 for 256 yards and a 70.2 passer rating.
“The way our defense was playing against that offense, you have a very good chance to win as long as you just don’t turn the ball over,” Shanahan said. “For us turning the ball over three times and them getting 17 points off it, two (touchdowns) without our defense going on the field, it was a borderline backbreaker.”
DEEBO DONE FAST >> The 49ers lost Samuel to a left hamstring injury after a 9-yard run on the first snap, and he will undergo an MRI on Monday. He clearly aggravated an Oct. 25 strain that kept him out three games. Samuel had 206 receiving yards over the past two games combined, but he was held out of the past two Wednesday practices, first for a sore hamstring and this past week for a foot contusion.
“We had to adjust a number of things losing Deebo early,” Shanahan said. “... We felt pretty big about Deebo from that first play on. We lost a pretty big element but it’s not why we lost today, with the way our defense played. Deebo would have helped a ton. That wasn’t why we lost.”
Brandon Aiyuk further established himself as the No. 1 receiver, catching 10 of 16 targets for 118 yards and saying: “It was, ‘ Our guy went down so let’s pick him up and make plays.’ “
Kendrick Bourne had 42 yards on three catches while four other passes went off his hands. Richie James had three catches for 30 yards while tight ends Ross Dwelley and Jordan Reed each had two catches.
OTHER INJURIES >> Warner, the 49ers’ top defender this season, was evaluated for a head injury in the first series after halftime. Cleared from a concussion, he did not return because of the nerve stinger and finished with five tackles, pushing his season total to 96.
Left tackle Trent Williams ( leg) and running back Raheem Moster t ( head) returned to action before halftime after getting medical clearance.
Mostert was evaluated for a potential head injury after a 6-yard run to open the second quarter. Williams hobbled off with a right knee injury. Williams’ left leg slid on the natural grass and his right leg appeared to buckle under him, but he returned for the 49ers’ next series. On the one play Williams missed immediately after his injury, his replacement, Justin Skule, gave up a delayed sack to Young.