SANTA CLARA — The 49ers just beat the Atlanta Falcons 20-10 to improve their record to 5-2. Somehow, the 49ers keep beating teams that are better than them on paper. Which means the 49ers just might be better than the sum of their parts.
Here are their grades for this performance.
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Mac Jones’ numbers weren’t great — 152 passing yards, 0 touchdowns and one interception. But he was facing a good defense that picked off Josh Allen twice last week and held the Bills to just 14 points. Jones deserves credit for not trying to do too much and not turning the ball over multiple times.
During the broadcast, it was reported that Brock Purdy’s toe injury could keep him out indefinitely. Thank goodness the 49ers have Mac Jones, who is decidedly durable. Since getting drafted in 2021, he has missed just two games due to injury. He’s exactly the kind of quarterback this team needs.
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Christian McCaffrey had 201 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Not bad. McCaffrey deserves credit for being the ironman on the 49ers’ offense this season while so many other players have dealt with injuries.
Against the Falcons, he mostly gained what was blocked for him. His longest run was 15 yards, which shows that he still can’t break away once he reaches the second level of the defense. He’s not elite anymore. But he’s still very good and he’s absolutely essential to this team.
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Lost a yard trying to run the ball on 3rd and 1. Never should run the ball again.
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George Kittle didn’t catch any passes — it seems the 49ers were nervous about him running routes and potentially reinjuring his hamstring — but he was a dominant blocker and one of the main reasons that McCaffrey played so well. I would expect Kittle to catch passes next week.
It’s too bad the 49ers didn’t use Jake Tonges, though. He makes the offense better when he’s on the field. He certainly is better than the fullback.
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They gave up just one sack all night and did a great job creating running room for the 49ers’ running backs for the first time this season. Connor Colby even illegally pulled McCaffrey into the end zone for the game-sealing touchdown. Heads-up play by the rookie left guard. It’s only a penalty if the officials call it.
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This group didn’t miss Nick Bosa at all today. And that’s because Bryce Huff was unblockable for long stretches of the game. The way he explodes out of his stance and dips underneath the offensive tackle’s arms is truly unique on this team. Trading for him was a stroke of genius.
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In Tatum Bethune’s first start as the 49ers’ middle linebacker, he recorded a team-high 10 tackles and one tackle for loss, and the 49ers gave up just 2.9 yards per carry to the great Bijan Robinson. Incredible. Bethune was constantly around the ball. And he communicated well to the rest of his teammates, which is why the 49ers didn’t have any embarrassing coverage busts. Bethune is a star in the making. No one develops linebackers better than the 49ers.
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They essentially erased Falcons No. 1 wide receiver Drake London from the game and forced Michael Penix Jr. to throw to his second and third options all night. Chase Lucas was outstanding in his first start as the 49ers’ nickelback and deserves to keep playing. He’s the best nickel on the team.
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Eddie Pineiro still hasn’t missed a field goal on the 49ers. He has been arguably their best addition of the year.
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Robert Saleh was the difference in this game. His blitzes and pressure schemes made up for the loss of Nick Bosa and kept Penix Jr. uncomfortable in the pocket all game. When some team hires Robert Saleh to be their head coach this offseason, this game most likely will be the reason he gets hired.
On offense, Kyle Shanahan had the perfect game plan to negate the Falcons’ explosive pass rush and exploit their weak run defense. Instead of calling outside zone runs, which force Christian McCaffrey to run sideways before cutting upfield, Shanahan called power runs, which allowed McCaffrey to run straight into the second level of the Falcons’ defense. Shanahan was in the zone.
But if he ever calls another handoff for the fullback on third- or fourth-and-1, I’m going to lose it.
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