Brock Purdy and the 49ers are still unbeaten, and they carry that perfect start into a Week 7 road trip against the Falcons.
San Francisco handled the Washington Commanders on Monday night in Week 6, keeping its run intact through the first six weeks of the season. Now the challenge shifts to Atlanta, where Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons are trying to stop the slide after back-to-back losses to Baltimore and Chicago.
The 49ers are dealing with plenty of damage on the injury front, including the loss of Mike Evans in Week 6. He is expected back this season, but the offense is getting thin at receiver, and that creates at least some uncertainty against a Falcons group with dangerous pieces in Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
Even so, the bigger concern in this matchup sits on the other side. Atlanta’s defense has been the problem over the last two weeks, and that is a rough place to be heading into a meeting with the No. 2 team in EPA/Play this season.
The betting market has already moved in San Francisco’s direction. The 49ers opened as 4.5-point road favorites, but the line has dropped to three points with the injury situation piling up. Still, the expectation here is that San Francisco gets the job done.
Iain MacMillan of SI Betting is also backing the 49ers in his Road to 272 column. He sees the Falcons’ secondary as a major issue against a quarterback like Purdy, and he pointed to Atlanta’s recent defensive struggles as reason to trust the road favorite.
"Until the Falcons' secondary gets healthy, they're going to get torched by any competent quarterback, and this week they have to take on an MVP candidate in Brock Purdy, which will be the Falcons' toughest test yet."
MacMillan also raised concerns about Penix after the quarterback’s early-season surge, saying the accuracy problems have resurfaced over the last two games.
"I also have some concerns about Michael Penix Jr. After a few strong starts to begin his 2026 season, his accuracy issues have shown up again, and his completion percentage over expected numbers has been dreadful the past two weeks."
He added that the Falcons look overwhelmed in this spot and said he was surprised the number was only a field goal. He also noted that, even with the injuries, San Francisco keeps finding answers with Purdy steering the offense.
Atlanta was beaten badly by the Bears in the first half of its Week 6 loss, and MacMillan believes the earlier talk of a turnaround no longer looks sustainable. The Falcons have already slipped out of the top 10 in EPA/Play on defense, while the 49ers remain third in the league in yards per play and No. 2 in points scored in 2026.
The pick here is San Francisco on the road, with the 49ers expected to keep their undefeated season rolling.
In Other News...
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The response was strong enough that Atlanta changed its X avatar soon after, even though the original post is still live. The reaction also split fans into two camps, with some insisting the comparison was overblown while others argued the decades-old mark was a bad look in the first place, leaving the team in the middle of an argument it did not set out to start. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Get A Needed Boost As Injury Concerns Keep Growing
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Michael Jerrells move to injured reserve only underscored how much strain the Falcons are carrying up front, and the list of sidelined players still includes wide receiver Beaux Collins and offensive tackle Cameron Williams. Getting Terrell back helps on a defense that will need all the help it can get against San Francisco, but the bigger question is how much stability Atlanta can recover with so many moving parts still in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Catch A Break As 49ers Face A Serious Week 7 Problem
Nick Bosas absence is becoming one of the defining stories around San Franciscos week, and it matters in Atlanta too. The 49ers are already dealing with a serious injury situation, and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team could be short of 48 healthy players for its upcoming matchup with the Falcons, a grim spot for any roster to be in this late in the week.
Bosa was originally hopeful he could work his way back after the calf injury he picked up in practice before Week 3, but the return never quite got there. Shanahan said a workout left him sore, which pushed the timeline back again and kept the star pass rusher on the sideline, leaving the Falcons with a little more room to breathe as they prepare for a San Francisco team trying to piece itself together. [Read more 🡒]