The Atlanta Falcons got off to a promising start against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, but they failed to put enough points on the board in a frustrating 20-10 loss on the road. The Falcons fell to 3-3 for the season, dropping to third place in the NFC South in the process.
The offense was not able to seize on a few promising drives and the 49ers offense came up clutch in the fourth quarter. There were some questionable calls on the part of both the Falcons and the referees on Sunday, but it all came down to a lack of execution by Atlanta in big moments.
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Here are five takeaways from the Falcons’ 20-10 loss to the 49ers in Week 7.
Falcons can’t overcome offensive miscues
Michael Penix Jr. had an okay day but made some critical errors that kept the Falcons from scoring points. The second-year quarterback completed 21 of 38 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown. Unfortunately, he lost a fumble on a sack and was later called for an intentional grounding penalty, resulting in an automatic 10-second runoff to end the first half. There was a lack of balance, primarily from the team’s inability to run the ball against the 49ers. Bijan Robinson had just 22 rushing yards on seven attempts at halftime and finished with 40 rushing yards on 14 carries for the game.
Kyle Pitts keeps chains moving
It feels odd to say that Kyle Pitts continues to play well despite what’s going on around him each week. Pitts was consistently involved all game long and did a nice job to bring in a few tough catches. The fifth-year tight end finished with seven catches for 62 yards. It’s not an eye-popping stat line, and he has yet to really blow up, but Penix has been targeting Pitts a lot this season, starting in Week 1. The 25-year-old has 30 receptions for 285 yards and a touchdown this season.
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Penalties, missed calls cost Falcons
There were some crucial penalties and bad calls that Atlanta was unable to overcome. The team committed six penalties for 43 total yards. Penix’s intentional grounding hurt the team, but there was some debate as to whether or not the Falcons should have another second to run an additional play before halftime. Later in the fourth quarter, the 49ers got away with illegally pulling Christian McCaffrey into the end zone on their game-clinching touchdown. The NBC officiating expert pointed this out on the broadcast, and it would have changed the dynamic of the game. There are always bad calls, but these were pretty hard to stomach in a close game.
Divine Deablo injured, does not return
Deablo suffered a forearm injury in the first half and was ruled out for the game. The veteran linebacker is having an outstanding season, so if he’s out for an extended period, it would be a major loss for the Falcons defense. Former fifth-round pick JD Bertrand took over for Deablo at linebacker for the rest of Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Bertrand finished with 10 tackles (four solo).
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What’s next for the Falcons?
In Week 8, the Falcons will return home to host the Miami Dolphins at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. While it’s been a few weeks since the team played an afternoon game, Atlanta will face Miami in the usual 1 p.m. ET time slot. The Dolphins are 1-6 and suffered a brutal loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 7. Many are calling for the Dolphins to fire head coach Mike McDaniel after the team’s rough start to the season. McDaniel’s status is something to keep an eye on this week.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons lose to 49ers: Game recap of NFL Week 7
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