A marvelous win for the Falcons, but let’s leave it at that for now

As they do, the Falcons are back toying with your emotions.

They beat an undefeated team and its piping-hot quarterback, and even did it in the adverse circumstances of … having their home stadium taken over (again) by the opposing team’s fans.

After making the mistake of underutilizing their best player, they fed star running back Bijan Robinson with 25 touches (for 122 yards) and used him effectively as a decoy on play-action passes and fake-toss plays.

They squeezed the 49ers for four turnovers while committing none themselves. The takeaways included two gigantic interceptions of quarterback Brock Purdy, who before Sunday had thrown two this whole season and had, in fact, established himself last week as the NFL’s career leader in passing efficiency.

They shook off dumpster-worthy efforts from the two previous Sundays and turned a 180.

And after starting the season 0-2 with a quarterbacking situation that was equal parts slapstick and tragedy, they’re now 3-2 since. In the low-rent NFC South, that’s like being an oil baron.

So on the evidence provided Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium — a 29-20 win over the 49ers — who’s brave enough to give their hearts to the Falcons and get back on the bus?

(Note: Falcons fans with sufficient scar tissue are free to replace “brave” with a different adjective of their choosing.)

Just try not to be swayed by linebacker Samson Ebukam!

“We’ve got the right people in the room,” the veteran told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Daniel Flick after the game. “We’ve got the right team. We just have to put it all together every single week and just go 1-0.”

What Falcons fan doesn’t want to believe that?

Of course, the other question is, what Falcons fan actually will?

As a reminder, we also present backup running back Brian Robinson Jr.’s quote that “the sky’s the limit” after the Falcons’ spirit-lifting win at New Orleans on Monday Night Football Oct. 5 that leveled their record at 2-2.

After Robinson’s assessment, the Falcons came up measurably short of the sky and other lower-altitude barriers in home losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears to slide to 2-4.

Still, it was an undeniably impressive performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The offensive line, last seen getting bamboozled by Chicago’s blitz scheme, kept the 49ers pass rush from laying a finger on quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who finished the game without having been sacked or even absorbing a single hit, per the stat sheet.

In the words of left guard Matthew Bergeron: “Oh, wow.”

Rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch bounced back from his two-fumble game against Chicago, opening the Falcons’ first possession with a 61-yard kickoff return that set up a field goal.

After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter to the Bears, the Falcons never let Brock Purdy and the 49ers advance too far ahead, answering two San Francisco touchdowns in its first three possessions with scores of their own.

Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees made smart (because they worked) play calls, such as motioning tight end Charlie Woerner under center on a third-and-2 to take the snap and sneak for a first down on a second-quarter field-goal drive.

And, after losing to Baltimore in overtime after surrendering an eight-point lead in the final minute, the Falcons met the crunch-time moment against the 49ers.

It was a sequence that had Falcons DNA all over it. Trying to keep any sort of grasp on a 26-20 lead after the 49ers had scored a touchdown with 5:05 left in the fourth quarter, the Falcons got stuffed on a run play on first down, dropped a pass on second down and then overshot a downfield target on third down. And, naturally, the punt on fourth down was shanked, a 20-yard sidewinder.

San Francisco had the ball at its 47-yard line with 4:02 remaining. As they do, the Falcons were about to unravel like a ball of yarn.

But then on the fourth play of the drive, Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels dropped into zone pass coverage and Purdy threw it, of all places, right to him.

Daniels tipped the ball, collected it and ran toward the 49ers end zone, tackled at the 19-yard line. A Nick Folk field goal put the Falcons ahead by nine with 1:56 left, effectively sealing the game.

Daniels intercepted the ball at the San Francisco 48. It was no more than five yards away from the same spot on the field where, a week ago, he was taken off the field to Grady Hospital as a precautionary measure after suffering a neck injury making a tackle.

“I’m blessed,” Daniels said. “I just thanked God all week. It was nothing structurally (damaged) and I was just sore all week, but I’ve played through worse pain than that.”

Is this blessing some sort of omen of more providence to fall their way?