49ers (5-0) at Redskins (1-5)
Redskins schedule
L ... at Philadelphia ... 32-27 L ........... Dallas ........... 31-21 L ......... Chicago ......... 31-15 L ...... at N.Y. Giants ...... 24-3 L ...... New England ...... 33-7 W ........ at Miami ........ 17-16 Oct. 20 ... San Francisco ... 1 Oct. 24 at Minnesota 8:20 Nov.3 ....... atBuffalo ....... 1 Nov. 10 ............. BYE ............. Nov.17 ....... N.Y.Jets ....... 1 Nov.24 ........ Detroit ........ 1 Dec. 1 ...... at Carolina ...... 1 Dec. 8 .... at Green Bay .... 1 Dec. 15 .... Philadelphia .... 1 Dec. 22 ..... N.Y. Giants ..... 1 Dec.29 ....... atDallas ....... 1
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FedExField, Landover, Maryland
TV: Fox
Danny Sheridan’s line: by 9 ⁄2
1
49ers’ keys to victory: They’ll likely find success by just covering the basics against the Redskins. If QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s offensive line can give him sufficient time in the pocket, he will have no problem picking apart the Redskins’ secondary and finding WR Marquise Goodwin and TE George Kittle open downfield. An improved rushing attack with RBs Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman will also keep Washington honest up front, allowing the passing game to remain productive.
Redskins’ keys to victory: For the Redskins to even make this game competitive, they will need to run the ball successfully against the 49ers’ strong defensive front, which has been dominant when rushing the quarterback. Under interim coach Bill Callahan, the Redskins showed a renewed commitment to the run in Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins. The makeshift offensive line in Washington is unlikely to give QB Case Keenum enough time in the pocket to get the ball downfield.
Matchup to watch: Redskins RB Adrian Peterson vs. 49ers DE Nick Bosa, DE Arik Armstead and DT DeForest Buckner. The Redskins are likely to avoid a pass rush by running the ball, so it will be critical that they give Peterson room to run. The 49ers’ rush defense ranks sixth in the NFL.
Who wins? The records speak for themselves. The Redskins are still searching for an answer to their offensive woes, and the 49ers have cemented their place near the top of the league. There’s very little reason to believe that either team’s outlook will change in this game.
49ers, 31-10 49ers