The Atlanta Falcons’ defensive collapse in the final minutes proved costly as they fell to the San Francisco 49ers 20-10 on Sunday night, largely due to a critical mistake – having an 11th man missing from the field. With less than three minutes remaining and the Niners facing a third-and-13 at the Atlanta 21, a stop by the Falcons would have forced a field goal attempt, giving Michael Penix Jr. and the offense a chance to retake the lead. Instead, Mac Jones connected with Christian McCaffrey on a 17-yard slant to the 4-yard line, and McCaffrey scored on the next play to make it a two-score game.
“It was absolutely embarrassing,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris admitted. “It was my fault. I’ll get it fixed.”
The miscue was just one of several on a night where Atlanta struggled on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Penix fumbled on a sack late in the second quarter, setting up a San Francisco field goal, and later committed intentional grounding in field goal range before halftime, resulting in a 10-second runoff and leaving the Falcons scoreless on the drive.
Atlanta still had a chance in the fourth quarter. On a drive that reached the 49ers’ 35-yard line, the Falcons faced third-and-1. Bijan Robinson was stopped for no gain, and on fourth down, Penix’s pass to Drake London was broken up by backup corner Chase Lucas, sealing the win for San Francisco.
“It was absolutely embarrassing,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris admitted. “It was my fault. I’ll get it fixed.”
The miscue was just one of several on a night where Atlanta struggled on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Penix fumbled on a sack late in the second quarter, setting up a San Francisco field goal, and later committed intentional grounding in field goal range before halftime, resulting in a 10-second runoff and leaving the Falcons scoreless on the drive.
Atlanta still had a chance in the fourth quarter. On a drive that reached the 49ers’ 35-yard line, the Falcons faced third-and-1. Bijan Robinson was stopped for no gain, and on fourth down, Penix’s pass to Drake London was broken up by backup corner Chase Lucas, sealing the win for San Francisco.
Robinson was limited to 40 yards on 14 carries, failing to reach 100 yards from scrimmage for the first time this season. With the running game stalled, Penix struggled under pressure and missed several throws.
“At the end of the day, we just have to find a way to win,” Penix said. “If it’s on the ground, if it’s in the air, whatever it takes, that’s what we have to do. They did well against the run, but we’ve got to find a way. We’ve got too many good players on this team not to.”
Atlanta (3-3) now faces the challenge of correcting mistakes as they look to bounce back in their next matchup.