San Francisco 49ers vs. Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins get back to work this week after an early bye that came at the perfect time. The 0-5 San Francisco 49ers come to FedEx Field on Sunday led by former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan’s departure from Washington was a messy one almost four years ago and there will be intrigue around him and Redskins’ quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Shanahan’s hand-picked quarterback for this year, Brian Hoyer, has had his ups and down, reminding everyone why he is essentially on a new team every year. Hoyer will have a terrific game followed by a stinker. He’s good enough to be in the league, but shouldn’t be a 16-game starter for anyone.
Meanwhile, for the Redskins, after a slow start, Cousins is getting better every week. He’s led impressive fourth-quarter drives in a win over the Rams and a game-tying field goal at Kansas City in Week 4. Cousins was almost perfect in Washington’s Week 3 win over the Raiders.
While on paper this feels like an easy Washington win, it won’t be. Shanahan has this team competing on a weekly basis and the 49ers have lost their last four games by a combined 11 points.
San Francisco’s Keys to Victory
For the 49ers, this is all about balance. Will Carlos Hyde play? If he does, will he be effective? If not, rookie Matt Breida could be a featured part of the game plan Sunday. Breida has terrific speed and appears to be a natural fit for the zone-running scheme Shanahan employs. The Redskins are strong against the run, though, ranking No. 5 in the league in run defense.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Hoyer will face plenty of pressure in this game. The Redskins have 12 sacks through four games and are finally getting a push from a young defensive line led by Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis. If Hoyer can protect the ball, the 49ers will stay in this game until late in the fourth quarter.
Washington’s Keys to Victory
Offensively, Washington must make the 49ers’ weak secondary a target. San Francisco has some talent in the front seven, specifically on the defensive line. At corner, the 49ers may have the worst unit in the league. This could be a perfect opportunity for Cousins to get Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder and Terrelle Pryor multiple touches in the passing game.
On defense, the Redskins need to make the 49ers one-dimensional. Washington will be without All-Pro corner Josh Norman for this one. That means Bashaud Breeland likely draws former Redskin Pierre Garcon. Expect a chippy battle between these two all day. Outside of that, the Redskins need to limit emerging rookie tight end George Kittle.
Odds
Point Spread: Washington -11
Moneyline: San Francisco +425, Washington -550
Over/Under: 46.5
Odds via Sportsbook Review
Next: NFL 2017: Picks against the spread for Week 6
Prediction
This will be San Francisco’s third straight road game, including second in a row where it travels across the country. The Niners lost to Indianapolis last in a game that went deep into overtime last week. Now, they’re traveling even further with a trip to Washington. This usually doesn’t bode well for the team traveling to the opposite coast, especially in back-to-back weeks.
In addition to that, the Redskins are the much better team. The 49ers will battle hard in this one, but a strong defensive performance by Washington and some big plays downfield by the Redskins’ receivers will be the difference in this one.
Prediction: San Francisco 49ers: 13, Washington Redskins: 27