The San Francisco 49ers week seven matchup is somewhat of a revenge game for head coach Kyle Shananan. He served as the Washington Redskins offensive coordinator from 2010 to 2013. The young coach may say he has moved on, but deep down he probably wants to stick it to his former employer.

Luckily that shouldn’t be too difficult for San Francisco. The team sits atop their division at 5-0, and Washington owns a 1-5 record with the lone win coming against the 0-5 Miami Dolphins, by a single point. If the records don’t give the team by the Bay enough confidence, a 10 point spread should.

Of course, as the saying goes: “Anyone can beat anyone on any given Sunday,” so the favorites need to put the work in, but if the team can accomplish these three keys, they should have no problem.

Stick to what you do best

Shanahan won’t admit it but the 49ers are a significantly better team than the Redskins. One team is competing for playoff position, and the other is probably spending more time watching college film than its own games.

As such a heavy favorite, one of the worst decisions coaches can make is trying to do something that your team isn’t used to executing. The Redskins might have a specific weakness San Francisco’s coaching staff wants to exploit, but let’s be honest, Washington has a lot of holes. There is no need to try something that is out of character for the team, just to attack a particular weakness.

The plan should be simple for the Red and Gold, don’t get cute and try something your players haven’t done before and isn’t a strength of the team. Just stick to what your guys are good at and force your opponent to stop it.

Keep the Rookie in check

There hasn’t been very many positives for the Redskins this season, however, rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin is one of the few bright spots. The Ohio State product has reeled in 23 receptions for 408 yards and five touchdowns on the year. Clearly he is a problem for an opposing team’s secondary.

Luckily for San Francisco, the defensive backs are playing at a high level. Pro Football Focus gives the team the second best coverage grade in the league, so there is no reason to believe the 49ers can’t contain McLaurin. Stalwart corner Richard Sherman may have some issues with him since he struggles with speedy receivers.

However, the pass rushers of the 49ers will see to it that McLaurin will not have the chance for a deep shot. If the rookie is kept in check, the Redskins may run out of options offensively.

Let Deebo be the Bully on the Block

Sticking with the theme of rookie wide receivers, the Red and Gold have a pretty good one of their own. Deebo Samuel hasn’t seen the same success as McLaurin, but has put together some fairly impressive games. Sunday is a great opportunity for the former Gamecock to have a breakout game, that is if he is active.

Other than Landon Collins, Washington’s defensive backs struggle in slot coverage. Jimmy Moreland and Fabian Moreau have taken the majority of slot coverage snaps for the team, and that combination has allowed 26 receptions on 28 targets for 266 yards on the inside. Also, those two have passer ratings of 137.8 and 103.4 when targeted in slot coverage, respectively.

It’s time to let Samuel loose and this matchup is the perfect opportunity to build his confidence. If he is not able to go, then it should be on Dante Pettis to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him. Regardless, a wide receiver from the 49ers needs to show out against Washington.