SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A few thoughts on the San Francisco 49ers' 17-13 defeat of Washington at Levi's Stadium:
What it means: The 49ers jumped Washington early, driving for a touchdown on their first offensive series, and then got sluggish until the fourth quarter, when they converted a fourth-and-1 opportunity and then took advantage of a personal foul penalty on safety Ryan Clark on a long catch and run by Anquan Boldin. Carlos Hyde's 4-yard touchdown run with 2:59 to play was the difference.
The 49ers are now riding a three-game winning streak for the second time this season.
Three turnovers -- two lost fumbles (one each by Hyde and Frank Gore) and an interception by Colin Kaepernick -- kept Washington in the game.
Stock watch: Falling -- the Niners' run game. In victories over the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants the previous two weeks, the 49ers imposed their will early and often with a power running game. Against Washington, though, not so much. With 5:36 to play, the 49ers had just 51 yards rushing, and tailbacks Gore and Hyde each lost a fumble. They made up for it, though, with 12 yards of rushing on the Niners' game-winning drive, including Gore's 3-yard pickup on fourth-and-1, and Hyde's 4-yard TD run.
Chasing Young: Kaepernick's 30-yard touchdown pass to Boldin in the first quarter did more than give the Niners the 7-0 lead; it also tied a franchise record. It was the 18th straight game in which Kaepernick had thrown a TD, tying him with Hall of Famer Steve Young, who did it from Oct. 9, 1994, through Nov. 26, 1995.
Game ball: Aldon Smith essentially had a clean stat sheet in his season debut last week, save for two QB hurries. This time? Smith, who missed the first nine games of the season serving a league-mandated suspension, made his first start and made life rough for Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III, sacking him twice and giving him a serious case of happy feet throughout the day. The Niners rarely seemed to blitz, relying mostly on standard pressure, and Smith's mere presence definitely made an impression on Griffin, who looked skittish. Smith had two of the Niners' five sacks.
What's next: The 49ers (7-4) play host to the Seattle Seahawks (7-4), who handed the division-leading Arizona Cardinals their second loss of the season Sunday, on Thanksgiving night in what many see as a possible playoff elimination game between two second-place clubs. It will also be the first of two meetings in three weeks between the NFC West rivals. The Niners have won the past five games played between the two in the Bay Area.