Commander Country

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

The San Francisco 49ers hold a small lead against the Washington Commanders after the first half.

Jeremy Brener

Commanders Holding Their Own vs. 49ers; Upset Coming?
Commanders Holding Their Own vs. 49ers; Upset Coming? /
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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 Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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