Take 5: Five quick takeaways from the Falcons’ 20-10 loss to the 49ers
The Falcons were one of the hottest teams in the league, coming off impressive wins over the Commanders and Bills in the past two weeks.
They had another stiff challenge, hitting the road to face the shorthanded 49ers, who were without quarterback Brock Purdy, but they did have a healthy Christian McCaffrey.
That was enough, as McCaffrey accounted for 201 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns and led the 49ers to a 20-10 victory over the Falcons on Sunday night.
Here are some quick takeaways:
Divine absence
The Falcons defense had to adjust to losing linebacker Divine Deablo, the heart of their defense, early in the game. The Falcons struggled with trying to stop McCaffrey, who was gashing the defense for about seven yards per carry in the early going.
Mac Jones, who started at quarterback for the injured Purdy, didn’t have to make spectacular plays, but with McCaffrey controlling the ground game, they had the Falcons on their heels for much of the game.
Still, the Falcons got an interception from Kaden Elliss, and a stop early in the third quarter while the offense started to figure things out.
McCaffrey was the primary option on the 49ers’ offense, and Jones accounted for just 152 yards on 17-of-26 passing. He didn’t need to do much more.
All eyes on Bijan
Bijan Robinson struggled through most of the first half because the 49ers’ defense took away run lanes and also created pressure on Michael Penix Jr.
The key was to keep plugging away, and early in the third quarter, they figured some things out, and got the touchdown that cut the San Francisco lead to 13-10.
With the primetime stage, the running backs were in the spotlight, with the 49ers’ McCaffrey getting much of the hype from the NBC crew. But Robinson made an impact, scoring the touchdown and making his mark both as a runner and receiver.
Robinson finished with 14 carries for 40 yards and six catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. It’s below what have become high expectations for the star running back, but the 49ers’ defense did a good job of keeping an eye on him.
Pitts and Mooney
The Falcons welcomed back receiver Darnell Mooney, who has been dealing with injuries, and he made a couple of plays early in the game to make his presence known.
Mooney finished with three catches for 68 yards, and simply having another option aside from London is a positive step.
The bigger difference-maker was Kyle Pitts, who was a huge part of the offensive game plan, with seven catches for 62 yards.
That provided balance in the offense for Robinson and Drake London, which has been a key for the Falcons’ offensive success this season.
Fourth-down decision
The Falcons had an opportunity to try a 53-yard field goal to potentially tie the game, but coach Raheem Morris opted to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the 49ers’ 35. The short-pass attempt to London was almost intercepted, but the incomplete pass led to a turnover on downs, giving San Francisco the ball back with 8:16 remaining.
Given the Falcons’ struggles with field goals this season, it wasn’t a difficult choice. The decision not to run Tyler Allgeier could be questioned, though it was a good play by the 49ers to break up the pass to London.
Nothing before halftime
The Falcons had another miscue just before halftime, when they ran out of time while they were in position to score. They had the ball at the 49ers’ 22-yard line with less than a minute left, and as Penix was trying to avoid pressure, he threw the ball out of bounds while he was still in the tackle box.
Within the last two minutes, that penalty results in a 10-second runoff, and with only 10 seconds remaining, that ended the half.
It’s the second straight game in which there was a missed opportunity to score ahead of the half. London ran out the clock against the Bills as the final seconds ticked off and they didn’t get a chance to run another play.
That’s some self-awareness and some execution, but it’s hurting their chances when they give away points. Morris said on the telecast that the Falcons thought there should have been one more second on the clock and that Penix made the right play in trying to get rid of the ball. They didn’t have timeouts, so it’s a tough spot to be in.
About the Author
Rod Beard is the Senior Sports Editor for pro sports at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, joining the team after 20-plus years at The Detroit News, where he was a beat writer for the Pistons for seven years, after five years covering the Michigan men's basketball team.
