49ers vs. Commanders Live Updates: San Francisco Pulls Away After Sam Howell Interceptions Seal Seventh-Straight Loss

The Washington Commanders host the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers.

Can the Washington Commanders pull off the upset? They face a tall task on Sunday when they face the San Francisco 49ers at 1 p.m. ET at FedEx Field.

Washington has lost six-straight games, though they made late runs with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback in losses to the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets in the last two games. Head coach Ron Rivera named Brissett the starter earlier in the week, but a hamstring injury led to Sam Howell remaining the starting quarterback.

Howell has struggled mightily in his last five games, throwing just two touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. He'll be backed up by Jake Fromm, who Washington signed off of its practice squad on Saturday. 

Nov 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) signals to the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field / Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Brissett is one of many injured players who will be out on Sunday. Left tackle Charles Leno is out for the year with a calf injury, and an already struggling Commanders defense will be without a trio of defensive backs in cornerbacks Benjamin St-Juste, Kendall Fuller and safety Percy Butler against a high-powered 49ers offense that's second in points per game. 

San Francisco averaged 34.5 points per game during its six-game winning streak before losing 33-19 to the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day.

Here are the inactive players for both teams:

Commanders

QB Jacoby Brissett (emergency 3rd QB)

CB Benjamin St-Juste

CB Kendall Fuller

DE Jalen Harris

OT Andrew Wylie

TE Cole Turner

WR Mitchell Tinsley

49ers

TE Ross Dwelley

QB Brandon Allen

OL Jaylon Moore

DE Arik Armstead

S Ji’Ayir Brown

WR Jaquan Jennings

LB Jalen Graham

49ers vs. Commanders GAMEDAY: How to Watch, Betting Odds

Stay here for live updates throughout the game. 

1ST QUARTER:

San Francisco gets the ball at its 25-yard line to start the game after the touchback from Joey Slye. 

Christian McCaffery runs for 9 yards and then gets 2 more on 2nd down to move the chains. 

McCaffery runs for 1 yard. Brock Purdy's first pass of the game is completed to Brandon Aiyuk for 6 yards. On 3rd and 3, Purdy scrambles for 4 yards to extend the drive.

Purdy's pass to George Kittle gains 6 yards to the Commanders' 47-yard line. McCaffery runs for 13 yards for another first down. 

Defensive holding on Tariq Castro-Fields gives San Francisco a 1st down. Purdy's pass to McCaffery gains 10 yards to the Commanders' 19-yard line. 

After a 5-yard run by McCaffery, Purdy's pass to him loses 5 yards. On 3rd and 11, Purdy's pass is incomplete. 

Jake Moody's 38-yard field goal is good with 8:06 left in the 1st quarter.

49ers 3, Commanders 0

End of possession

Moody's kickoff goes through the end zone for a touchback.

Sam Howell's pass to Curtis Samuel gains 6 yards. After an incomplete pass on 2nd down and a false start on Trent Scott, Howell's pass on 3rd and 9 is also incomplete. 

Ronnie Bell returns the punt 15 yards to the 49ers' 36-yard line.

End of possession

After a 6-yard run by McCaffery, Deebo Samuel runs for 11 yards on an end-around to the Commanders' 45-yard line. 

After Purdy's pass to Aiyuk gains 6 yards, McCaffery is tackled for a 5-yard loss. On 3rd and 9, Purdy and Aiyuk connect for a 17-yard pass to the Commanders' 28-yard line.

Purdy and Deebo connect for a 16-yard gain, and then McCaffery runs for 10 yards to the Commanders' 2-yard line.

On 1st and goal, McCaffery is stopped for no gain. Purdy finds Deebo on a pop pass and he runs it into the end zone for a touchdown.

Moody's extra point is good with 1:31 left in the 1st quarter.

49ers 10, Commanders 0

End of possession

Moody boots it through the end zone for another touchback. 

Brian Robinson Jr. runs for 12 yards for Washington's first first down of the game. Howell then finds Robinson Jr. for a 22-yard gain to the 49ers' 41-yard line.

Howell finds McLaurin for a 5-yard gain on the final play of the 1st quarter.

End of the quarter

2ND QUARTER:

Robinson runs for 3 yards and then gains 4 more on 3rd and 2 to move the chains. 

Howell's short pass to Antonio Gibson gains just 2 yards. Howell is stopped for a 1-yard loss on a play that was ruined from the start, and then he throws an incomplete pass on 3rd down. 

Slye's 47-yard field goal is good with 12:05 left in the first half. 

49ers 10, Commanders 3

End of possession

Jordan Mason returns the kickoff to the 49ers' 31-yard line. 

McCaffery runs for 12 yards on 1st down.

McCaffery gains 2 yards on back-to-back carries to make it 3rd and 6. Purdy's pass is incomplete to end the drive. 

Jamison Crowder calls for a fair catch at the Commanders' 16-yard line.

End of possession

After an offsides penalty on Javon Hargrave makes it 1st and 5, McLaurin runs for 12 yards.

Howell's pass to Samuel gains a yard, and then another short pass to Robinson gains 7 yards. On 3rd and 2, Howell goes deep and finds McLaurin for a 42-yard gain to the 49ers' 18-yard line. 

42 up top to @TheTerry_25!#WPMOYChallenge | #SFvsWAS: FOX pic.twitter.com/nGbcJhjqRZ

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 31, 2023

Robinson runs for 4 yards and then gains 8 more to set up 1st and goal at the 6-yard line. 

Robinson runs for 3 yards, and then Howell's pass on 2nd and goal is incomplete. On 3rd and goal, Howell finds McLaurin for a touchdown. 

.@TheTerry_25 cashes it in 💰#WPMOYChallenge | #SFvsWAS: FOX pic.twitter.com/lYULJmTmWt

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 31, 2023

Slye ties the game with the extra point with 4:33 left in the 2nd quarter.

49ers 10, Commanders 10

End of possession

Slye kicks it through the end zone for a touchback. 

Purdy has back-to-back big plays with an 18-yard pass to Kittle and a 22-yard pass to Aiyuk, setting up the 49ers at the Commanders' 35-yard line.

Deebo runs for 8 yards, and the McCaffery runs for 14 to the Commanders' 13-yard line. The game has reached the two-minute warning.

Purdy's pass to Deebo gains 7 yards, and then McCaffery runs for 6 yards to the 1-yard line. On 1st and goal, McCaffery is stopped for a 3-yard loss. Washington calls its first timeout with 35 seconds left in the 1st half. Purdy throws back-to-back incompletions to make it 4th and goal. 

Moody's 22-yard field goal is good with 22 seconds left in the 1st half. 

49ers 13, Commanders 10

End of possession

After a touchback, Gibson is stopped for a 1-yard loss on the final play of the 1st half.

HALFTIME: 49ers 13, Commanders 10

3RD QUARTER:

Moody kicks it through the end zone for a touchback. 

Robinson runs for a yard, and then Howell's pass to Logan Thomas gains 8 yards. On 3rd and 1, Howell is sacked for a 5-yard loss. 

Tress Way's punt is downed at the 49ers' 18-yard line. 

End of possession

After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Purdy finds McCaffery for a 10-yard gain. 

Elijah Mitchell runs for 7 yards and then gains 10 more on 2nd down to move the chains. 

Mitchell runs for 6 yards just past midfield. Purdy's pass to Aiyuk gains 9 yards to the Commanders' 40-yard line. 

Mitchell runs for 7 yards, and then McCaffery is stopped for a 1-yard loss, but a facemask on Cody Barton moves the 49ers up 15 yards to Washington's 19-yard line.

McCaffery runs for 4 yards, and then Purdy's pass to Deebo gains 5 yards. On 3rd and 1, McCaffery runs for 5 yards to the Commanders' 5-yard line. 

On 1st and goal, Mitchell runs for 2 yards, and then he punches it in on 2nd and goal for a touchdown. Moody's extra point is good with 5:44 left in the 3rd quarter.

49ers 20, Commanders 10

End of possession 

Washington starts its drive at the 25-yard line after Moody's touchback. 

Howell's pass to Thomas gains 6 yards, and then Robinson runs for 5 for a first down. 

Howell's pass is incomplete, and then a 7-yard pass to McLaurin is negated by illegal hands to the face on Scott. On 2nd and 20, Howell finds Samuel for a 24-yard gain to midfield for another first down. 

Howell's pass to Gibson gains 15 yards, and then he gets a handoff and runs for 16 yards to the 49ers' 18-yard line. 

Robinson runs for 5 yards, and then a false start on Scott makes it 2nd and 10. Howell's incomplete pass is negated by illegal contact by 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward to make it 1st and 10. 

Gibson runs for 2 yards and that's the final play of the 3rd quarter. 

End of the quarter

4TH QUARTER:

Howell's incomplete pass makes it 3rd and 8 from the 49ers' 11-yard line. Howell is intercepted by Ward at the 5-yard line. 

End of possession

Mitchell runs for 6 yards. Purdy's pass to Kyle Juszczyk gains 7 yards for a first down. 

Mitchell runs for 2 yards. Purdy finds Juszczyk again, this time for 9 yards to move the chains. 

Purdy goes deep and finds Aiyuk for a 38-yard gain to the Commanders' 18-yard line. San Francisco calls its first timeout of the 2nd half with 10:38 left to play. 

A pop pass to Deebo turns into a 15-yard run, but holding on Bell negates the big play. Commanders cornerback Christian Holmes is down on the field. 

On 1st and 14, Mitchell runs for 4 yards. Purdy's pass on 2nd and 10 is incomplete. On 3rd and 10, Purdy evades pressure and finds Aiyuk in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. 

Moody's extra point is good with 9:20 left in the game. 

49ers 27, Commanders 10

End of possession

After a touchback and a six-yard pass to Thomas, Howell is intercepted again, this time by defensive back Deommodore Lenoir at the Commanders' 42-yard line with 8:50 left in the game. 

End of possession

Mitchell runs for three yards and then Deebo runs for 16 to the Commanders' 22-yard line. San Francisco calls its second timeout with 7:25 left in the game.

Mitchell runs for 6 yards. Purdy's pass to Juszcyk gains 7 for a first down to set up 1st and goal at the Commanders' 8-yard line. 

Mitchell runs for a yard before going out of bounds. Purdy's pass to Kittle gains 6 yards to the 2-yard line. On 3rd and goal, Mitchell runs for a yard. On 4th and goal, Mitchell is stopped for a turnover on downs. 

End of possession

On 1st and 10 from the Commanders' 2-yard line, Howell's pass is complete to Robinson and he's stopped for a one-yard loss. Howell's pass is complete to Robinson for 3 yards. On 3rd and 7, Howell's pass is incomplete.

Bell is stopped at the 49ers' 47-yard line on the punt.

End of possession

Mason loses two yards and the game has reached the two-minute warning. Mason runs for 5 yards, and Washington calls its first timeout with 1:54 left in the game. Sam Darnold loses the ball and falls on it. The Commanders call their second timeout with 1:49 left in the game. 

Jamison Crowder is tackled at the Commanders' 16-yard line. 

End of possession

Gibson runs for a yard, and then Howell's pass on 2nd down is incomplete after he throws it away and he throws another incompletion on 3rd down. Howell's pass to John Bates on 4th and 8 gains 6 yards for a turnover on downs at the Commanders' 26-yard line.

End of possession 

Darnold takes two knees and that's the ballgame. 

FINAL: 49ers 27, Commanders 10