McCaffrey scores twice as 49ers hold off Commanders 23-17

Christian McCaffrey scored two 1-yard touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the Washington Commanders 23-17 at Levi's Stadium on Monday, October 19, holding off a fourth-quarter Washington rally.

McCaffrey ran for 64 yards on 16 carries. His first score, late in the first quarter, made it 13-3. The second came with 0:13 left in the second quarter and sent San Francisco to halftime up 20-3.

That second touchdown capped a 16-play, 69-yard drive that took 6:13. The 49ers had fumbled earlier in the quarter, but the drive left the Commanders with a 17-point hole they spent the second half climbing out of.

Brock Purdy went 21 of 29 for 264 yards and a touchdown, an 11-yard pass to Kittle that opened the scoring. Mike Evans caught three passes for 94 yards, including a 54-yarder on the first play of the nine-play, 72-yard drive McCaffrey finished from the 1.

Pineiro's 33-yard field goal early in the third quarter made it 23-3. Washington then scored the last 14 points of the game, and the 49ers' offense added nothing more.

Jayden Daniels went 29 of 40 for 300 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Diggs to end the third quarter and a 9-yard score to Rachaad White early in the fourth, finishing an 11-play, 80-yard drive that made it 23-17. Chig Okonkwo caught seven passes for 69 yards.

Washington could not run to balance it. The Commanders gained 53 yards on the ground to San Francisco's 126 and took four sacks.

Their next drive went 13 plays and 61 yards before it ended on downs. With 2:00 left, Daniels' deep pass to Burks fell incomplete, and San Francisco's win probability rose from 79% to 94%. Daniels was called for intentional grounding with 0:21 left, and 10 seconds ran off the clock.

The 49ers are 6-0; the Commanders are 1-4-1.

Up next

Commanders: host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, November 1.

49ers: visit the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, October 25.