Four turnovers undo the unbeaten 49ers
San Francisco arrived in Atlanta at 6-0 and left with its first loss. The Falcons won 29-20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, snapping a three-game losing streak and moving to 3-4.
The box score explains most of it. The 49ers outgained Atlanta 400 yards to 295 and had 26 first downs to 21, yet they gave the ball away four times: three fumbles, two of them lost, and two Brock Purdy interceptions. Atlanta committed no turnovers at all.
Purdy was 27 of 40 for 288 yards with one touchdown and the two picks. The touchdown was a 1-yard pass to Kyle Juszczyk in the fourth quarter, but Pineiro’s extra point went wide left, so the deficit stayed at six.
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Penix and Folk do the damage
Michael Penix Jr. was efficient: 25 of 34 for 213 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He found Muse from a yard out in the second quarter, Kyle Pitts from 5 yards in the third and Drake London from 21 yards early in the fourth to make it 26-14. London finished with seven catches for 66 yards.
Atlanta’s kicker Folk was perfect on field goals, three for three. His 33-yarder as the first half expired cut San Francisco’s lead to 14-12 at the break, and his 31-yarder late in the fourth quarter made it 29-20. One of his extra points did bounce off the upright.
San Francisco got a 1-yard touchdown run from Christian McCaffrey in the first quarter and a 30-yard run from Black in the second. McCaffrey left the game with a thigh injury. George Kittle led the 49ers with eight catches for 88 yards.
A familiar face on the other sideline
The game carried a subplot: Raheem Morris, who used to coach Atlanta, now runs San Francisco’s defense. Kyle Shanahan said before kickoff that his players care about Morris but were not treating the game as personal. The 49ers still lead the all-time series 49-33-1.
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