Commanders Holding Their Own vs. 49ers; Upset Coming?

The San Francisco 49ers hold a small lead against the Washington Commanders after the first half.
Commanders Holding Their Own vs. 49ers; Upset Coming?
Commanders Holding Their Own vs. 49ers; Upset Coming? /

The Washington Commanders were arguably the biggest underdog entering New Year's Eve, but after the first half against the San Francisco 49ers, they look far from it.

The Commanders trail by just a field goal, 13-10, against the Niners heading into halftime. Considering the Commanders are 4-11 and have lost six straight games and the Niners are the NFC's best team at 11-4, this is somewhat of an accomplishment for Washington.

Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) and receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrate a play in Week 18.
Geoff Burke, USA Today

After surrendering 10 points in the first quarter, the Commanders responded with 10 points of their own in the second quarter with a 47-yard field goal from Joey Slye and a 2-yard touchdown from Sam Howell to Terry McLaurin.

In the final full drive of the first half, the Niners drove down the field inside the 5-yard line, but the Commanders defense locked in and prevented San Francisco from sniffing the end zone. The Niners tacked on a chip shot field goal from Jake Moody, giving them a 13-10 lead going into the locker room.

WATCH: Commanders' Terry McLaurin Scores TD vs. 49ers

In order for the Commanders to come back and pull off the upset, they have to maintain the composure they held in the first half. They've done a good job at limiting turnovers and keeping the ball in their hands, but there may need to be a little more aggression in order to flip the result.

The Commanders will receive the second half kickoff when the two teams return to the field.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.