The 49ers decided they weren’t going to let Falcons running back Devonta Freeman beat them and the best way to do that was to keep him between the tackles.
They executed their plan to perfection while beating the Falcons 17-16 on Sunday. The 49ers held Freeman to a season-low 12 yards on 12 carries without a rushing touchdown.
Freeman said game 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman told him after the game that Freeman was the focus of their game plan.
“They know I’m a slasher and if I get to the edge it could be a long night for them,” Freeman said. “They just watched a lot of film. They set the edges on us and they weren’t going to let me get outside. I respect that.”
Freeman entered the game as the NFL’s rushing leader with 709 yards and also had the most yards from scrimmage with 1,062. He had eight catches for 67 yards against the 49ers, including a 17-yard touchdown just before halftime, but he couldn’t find much room to run.
Freeman had a long rush of seven yards and another for six. He had two rushes for one yard and four carries that lost yards.
“Much credit goes out to the defense,” Freeman said. “They’ve got some great players over there. They had a nice scheme. They just did their job. They did a hell of a job, actually. It still comes down to us making plays, creating opportunities.”
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