After two straight rough losses, the Falcons needed a reset, and they got one in the loudest way possible. Atlanta shocked the 6-0 49ers on Sunday, grinding out a 29-20 win in a game they trailed at halftime and then closed out after surviving a late push from San Francisco.
The result came with plenty of signatures that were missing in the previous two weeks. Atlanta won the turnover battle, intercepted MVP favorite Brock Purdy twice, forced two red-zone fumbles, and got enough from every phase to pull off its biggest victory of the Stefanski era so far. The mistakes and warning signs from Weeks 5 and 6 barely showed up.
One of the biggest differences was how the Falcons handled their offense. Tommy Rees said the team would stay committed to running the ball, and this time the plan matched the words.
Bijan Robinson wasn’t especially efficient, but Atlanta made a point of feeding him after he was limited to nine carries last week. He finished with 20 carries for 63 yards, and the Falcons ran it 29 times overall while controlling possession.
That ground game also helped settle Michael Penix Jr., who turned in his best outing of the season. He went 25-for-34 for 213 yards and three touchdowns, and he did most of his damage when he had a clean pocket.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 49ers got pressure home just three times on 34 dropbacks. Penix made them pay, and so did an offensive line that bounced back after some shaky recent work.
Zachariah Branch also answered the bell after last week’s two-fumble performance against the Bears. The Falcons kept their trust in the rookie, especially with Olamide Zaccheus inactive, and Branch responded right away.
His first return of the game went 60 yards and flipped the field for Atlanta on its opening possession. It was a clean reset, and it showed why the Falcons are comfortable using him in bigger ways.
Once Zaccheus returns, Branch looks like the player who should hold that role.
The defensive front had a huge hand in the win too, and Maason Smith finally had the kind of game his pressure numbers had been hinting at. ESPN research said he entered Week 7 with an 87% pass-rush win rate, yet he still hadn’t picked up his first sack of 2026.
That changed Sunday. Smith sacked Purdy, recorded two tackles for loss, and forced a red-zone fumble from Kaelon Black that Atlanta recovered.
It looked like the best game of his career, and it only adds to what the Falcons have gotten from their revamped tackle group alongside Gervon Dexter Sr.
Atlanta also kept finding answers in the backfield. With Brian Robinson Jr. sidelined by a hamstring injury, the Falcons were down to Bijan Robinson and a practice-squad call-up in Khalil Herbert.
Herbert didn’t put up eye-catching numbers, but he contributed in relief and nearly took a 19-yard catch to the house. It was another reminder that the Falcons have a workable solution behind their starter.
Then there was Kendal Daniels, who came through in the biggest moments after a scare that could have ended much differently. He was stretchered off last weekend with a neck injury, then got back on the practice field this week and was forced into a major role with Divine Deablo inactive because of a forearm injury.
The rookie handled the green dot and delivered the finishing blows. With Atlanta up six, Daniels picked off Purdy to set up a field goal that pushed the lead to nine, then recovered a George Kittle fumble on the next possession to put the game away.
In Other News...
Raheem Morris Returns With A Test Michael Penix Must Answer
Raheem Morris is set to come back to Atlanta in a new role, this time guiding the undefeated 49ers defense instead of running the Falcons. For a team still trying to settle in under Michael Penix Jr., the matchup adds a familiar face to an already meaningful stretch, especially with the quarterback facing another early test in his development.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft, is expected to see Morris across the sideline when San Francisco visits. The reunion gives the Falcons a look at a coach who once led their sideline, and it puts Penix in front of a defense built to make life difficult as Atlanta tries to keep moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Harris Falcons Revival Is Slipping Away Fast
Christian Harris came to Atlanta this offseason looking for a reset, hoping the Falcons could offer the kind of fresh start that once seemed out of reach after injuries knocked him out of his job with the Texans. He got an early look during OTAs and appeared to have a path into the linebacker mix, but the room has shifted quickly around him as younger players have pushed their way up the board.
What looked like a chance to revive his career has now turned into a waiting game, and not a very encouraging one. Harris has slid behind Kendal Daniels, Harold Perkins Jr. and others, leaving him with a shrinking role and a spot on the roster that feels increasingly fragile as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Drake London Exit Put Falcons Offense In A Tense Spot
For a stretch in the third quarter against the 49ers, the Falcons had to make do without Drake London after he went off the field for a concussion evaluation following a helmet-to-helmet hit. Atlanta was already leaning on its top wideout, and before the injury scare, London had a team-high five catches for 43 yards, a reminder of how central he has become to the offense.
The good news for the Falcons was that London was eventually cleared and returned to the game, easing what could have been a much bigger concern in a tight spot. Even so, any time a receiver with that kind of role leaves the field after a hit like that, it puts the offense on edge and leaves Atlanta watching closely for the next update. [Read more 🡒]