QB Kirk Cousins opened the scoring with a touchdown pass to WR Josh Doctson, and Washington run out to a 17-point lead early. The 49ers benched QB Brian Hoyer in favor of C.J. Beathard, and he would lead a scoring drive that ended with a HB Carlos Hyde touchdown run at the close of the half.
The 49ers would find more offensive success in the second half, scoring 17 points, including Beathard’s first career touchdown pass to WR Aldrick Robinson. However, Washington’s lead, built on another field goal and a Cousins rushing touchdown, would hold, as CB Kendall Fuller would secure the game-ending interception and they would win 26-24. With that, we give you our PFF exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.
TOP 5 GRADES:
CB Quinton Dunbar, 88.0 overall grade
G Brandon Scherff, 87.9 overall grade
S D.J. Swearinger, 86.3 overall grade
CB Kendall Fuller, 85.8 overall grade
T Morgan Moses, 82.5 overall grade
PERFORMANCES OF NOTE:
G BRANDON SCHERFF, 87.9 OVERALL GRADE
A fine performance from the former first-rounder out of Iowa. In addition to planting at least three defenders on their backs, Scherff didn’t allow a single pressure on 39 pass-blocking snaps (100.0 pass blocking efficiency). His 87.9 overall grade currently stands his single-game high this season after some early season struggles.
T MORGAN MOSES, 82.5 OVERALL GRADE
It’s been an up-and-down season thus far for the 2014 third-round selection out of Virginia. However, the bye week gave Moses an opportunity to regroup, and he did just that with a season-high 82.5 overall grade. He limited the San Francisco front to a pair of pressures for the NFLs 11th-best pass blocking efficiency from an offensive tackle thus far this week.
CB QUINTON DUNBAR, 88.0 OVERALL GRADE
Dunbar was targeted 14(!) times on the day, yet yielded an average of only 5.9 yards per target. Dunbar broke up two passes and should have added a third that luckily found the hands of Pierre Garcon on the final drive of the game.
CB KENDALL FULLER, 85.8 OVERALL GRADE
With Josh Norman and Breshaud Breeland out by the end of the game, this one could have gone much worse. Fuller though only allowed 1 catch all day on three targets while adding a pick and pass breakup to his stat line.
