San Francisco 49ers defeat Atlanta Falcons 20-10

San Francisco’s season that has been equal parts charmed and snakebitten continued Sunday with another victory even though many of the team’s playmakers remain injured.

This time, in a 20-10 win over Atlanta on “Sunday Night Football,” they remained without starting quarterback Brock Purdy and were playing for the first time without star linebacker Fred Warner following his season-ending injury last week. And yet the 49ers yet again found a way to win despite the attrition by limiting star Atlanta back Bijan Robinson and receiver Drake London.

San Francisco (5-2) held Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to 21-of-38 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown.

Robinson entered Week 7 as one of three players all-time to have gained at least 822 yards from scrimmage through a season’s first five games, yet outside of a 10-yard touchdown catch, he was largely held in check, gaining 92 yards from scrimmage.

Atlanta fell to 3-3. Its passing defense this season was the best in the league, but its rushing defense could do little to stop Robinson’s offseason training partner, 49ers back Christian McCaffrey. He gained 129 yards on the ground with two touchdowns and also caught seven passes for 72 more yards.

London, Atlanta’s leading receiver, had four catches for 42 yards.

San Francisco quarterback Mac Jones completed 17 of his 26 passes for 152 yards and threw an interception. With Warner, the All-Pro linebacker, watching from a suite, his injured leg elevated — he is one of six key 49ers players who has missed significant amounts of time this season because of injury — Tatum Bethune took over his spot on the defense and finished with 10 tackles, a team high.

The win helped the 49ers keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams (5-2) in the NFC West, with the possibility that still another division rival, Seattle, will match that record Monday. The 49ers improved to 5-1 against NFC teams. Atlanta, meanwhile, remains third in the NFC South.

Final: 49ers 20, Falcons 10

Gutsy performance tonight by a heavily injured 49ers squad.

Christian McCaffrey ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns in his best game of the season to lead San Francisco to a double-digit victory.

The 49ers held the Falcons to under 300 yards on offense and pitched a shutout in the first and fourth quarters.

San Francisco is now 5-2, while Atlanta falls to 3-3.

Falcons turn it over on downs

Michael Penix threw incomplete on fourth-and-10, and the 49ers will have the ball back leading 20-10 with 1:27 to go.

The Falcons have two timeouts left, but that should basically do it for this one.

Watch: McCaffrey can’t be tackled en route to touchdown

San Francisco scores the dagger touchdown

When Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison tackled Christian McCaffrey for a five-yard loss, leaving the 49ers a third-and-13 situation deep in Atlanta’s territory, it felt like a play that might have kept the Falcons in the game. Trailing by three, a touchdown by San Francisco would all but end the game, while a field goal would give them a chance.

Yet one play after Harrison’s hustle, the 49ers converted their long third down behind a 17-yard pass to McCaffrey, just four yards from the end zone. The 49ers would go on to punch in a touchdown run, on an unbelievable effort play by McCaffrey, to lead 20-10 with 2:31 to play.

Falcons have now allowed most rushing yards this season

Atlanta had allowed 114 yards on the ground this season on average, with 147 the most it had given up, back in Week 4. The 49ers have surpassed that already, however, now up to 158 yards while rushing for 4.8 yards per carry. Atlanta’s defense under new coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been perhaps the most improved unit in the NFL this season, but San Francisco has repeatedly gashed it.

Atlanta fails on fourth down

Instead of attempting a 53-yard field goal that could have tied the score at 13-all, Atlanta went for fourth down and 1 but Michael Penix’s pass to Drake London was incomplete. He was lucky it wasn’t intercepted by defensive back Chase Lucas.

Can Falcons get the ball to best receiver?

Drake London entered tonight averaging nearly seven catches for 85 yards per game and had benefited most from quarterback Michael Penix’s strong last two games. Yet tonight, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has found ways to cover London and limit him to six targets. Those targets have resulted in four catches for 42 yards. The Falcons badly need to find ways to stretch the field to give star back Bijan Robinson more room. Can they get the ball to London in the fourth quarter?

No catch, no flag on physical play

The 49ers punt after a six-play drive to open the fourth quarter after their third-down conversion fell through the arms of receiver Demarcus Robinson. There was physical coverage on the play, but a penalty for pass interference was not called.

End of third quarter: 49ers 13, Falcons 10

Through three quarters, San Francisco and Atlanta have each produced 15 first downs, one turnover apiece and virtually the same yardage (226 for San Francisco, two fewer than Atlanta). They’ve gotten there via different methods, with San Francisco’s 122 rushing yards far more than Atlanta’s 55.

Bijan Robinson is up to 72 yards from scrimmage, while Christian McCaffrey has 134 yards, including 101 on the ground.

Falcons drive doomed by penalty

Atlanta was in position to potentially score again, facing third-and-9 from San Francisco’s 42-yard line, when quarterback Michael Penix found tight end Kyle Pitts for a gain that would have been close to the first-down marker. But the play was blown dead almost immediately due to a false start, and the Falcons couldn’t recover after that.

They have punted to San Francisco, which gets the ball back with a minute remaining in the third quarter.

49ers have (mostly) done well containing Bijan Robinson

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has called running back Bijan Robinson the best player this season in the NFL for his versatility as a pass-catcher and runner. As Atlanta prepares for its seventh drive, Robinson has mostly been held in check, with four receptions for 30 yards, and a touchdown, and 10 carries for 39 yards.

49ers go three-and-out after touchdown

A quick offensive possession for the 49ers.

San Francisco punted after only three plays as fullback Kyle Juszczyk was unable to pick up a 3rd-and-1 on the ground.

The 49ers still lead 13-10 with 4:18 left in the third.

San Francisco is finding overdue success on the ground

The 49ers are having their best rushing game of the season.

Entering Sunday, San Francisco had run for over 100 yards as a team only once this season, in a Week 1 win over the Seahawks. Since then, the 49ers had not eclipsed over 83 yards in a single game.

Tonight, San Francisco has run for 120 yards on its first 23 carries, the team’s season high with still more than a quarter to play.

Bijan for the touchdown

The Atlanta Falcons are back in the game after Bijan Robinson catches a short screen pass and evaded four tacklers for a 10-yard touchdown catch. The point-after is good, bringing the Falcons within 3 points. The 49ers lead, 13-10, with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

Falcons begin with excellent field position

After a field goal puts San Francisco ahead 13-3 in the third quarter, Atlanta kick returner Jamal Agnew brought the ball back 45 yards to allow the Falcons to begin their drive on the San Francisco start of the field. It’s the best field position of the night for the Falcons.

49ers add to lead with field goal

San Francisco traveled 43 yards on 11 plays on its first drive of the second half but stalled out on the edge of the red zone.

Eddy Piniero came on for a 43-yard field goal and drilled it, giving the 49ers a 13-3 lead with 10:09 left in the third quarter.

Falcons will play without starting linebacker

Divine Deablo will not return tonight because of a forearm injury, the team has announced. Deablo had one tackle on the night.

The second half is underway

The 49ers will start from their own 32 with a 10-3 lead.

First half ends on a Michael Penix mistake

Wild end to the first half.

After a muffed kickoff return, Michael Penix made two beautiful throws for 58 yards to get the Falcons into field-goal territory.

But on 1st-and-10 from the 49ers’ 22-yard line, Penix committed an intentional grounding penalty that necessitated a 10-second runoff. With only 10 seconds left, all the time came off the clock and the second quarter ended.

So now San Francisco will take a 10-3 lead into the break (instead of a potential 10-6 one). The 49ers will also receive to start the third quarter.

San Francisco adds field goal after turnover

The 49ers managed to gain only three yards after the Michael Penix fumble, but it was enough to get Eddy Piniero in field goal range.

Piniero drilled a 55-yarder to give San Francisco a 10-3 lead with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.

Fumble! 49ers recover!

What a turn of events!

The Falcons were in their two-minute offense looking for a score before halftime, but Bryce Huff strip-sacked Michael Penix, and the 49ers recovered on Atlanta’s 40-yard line.

San Francisco now has a chance to score again before halftime — and it will also receive the ball to start the third quarter.

Touchdown, 49ers!

The 49ers are now in front!

Christian McCaffrey scored from one yard out to cap a 13-play, 80-yard drive that took over six minutes off the clock in the second quarter.

San Francisco leads 7-3 with 1:48 left in the half. The Falcons will get the ball with two timeouts remaining.

Christian McCaffrey is hooping

Christian McCaffrey ran for 79 yards on his first 10 carries tonight, already reaching a season high in rushing yards in the first half.

McCaffrey entered today’s game averaging only 3.1 yards per carry. His highest rushing total of the season before this game was 69 yards in Week 1.

McCaffrey hasn’t run for 100 yards in a single game since Christmas 2023.

Still no catches for George Kittle

Playing in his first game since Week 1, 49ers tight end George Kittle has no catches and only one target with two minutes left in the first half.

49ers bending but not breaking so far

On one hand, the Falcons have dominated time of possession in the first half and have already run 25 plays.

On the other, an injury-ravaged 49ers defense has done a good job keeping Atlanta out of the end zone. The Falcons are averaging only 3.3 yards per play, and two of their seven first downs have come via penalty.

Considering the players (Fred Warner, Nick Bosa) San Francisco is missing tonight, it’s been a more than solid showing from the defense in the first half.

Falcons punt

Atlanta couldn’t string together positive plays on its third drive, and San Francisco’s coverage led Penix to throw the ball away, leading to a punt with 7:58 to go in the first half. Penix is 9-for-14 for 56 yards, while the Falcons are averaging 3.1 yards per rush.

Falcons pick off 49ers

Atlanta had been gashed on the ground to start this game, allowing 7.0 yards per rush, but its excellent pass defense all season comes to the rescue and intercepts Mac Jones in the second quarter. Linebacker Kaden Elliss caught a tipped pass.

Atlanta strikes first!

The Falcons score first, turning a long and winding 19-play drive lasting 10:40 into a 38-yard field goal. They lead, 3-0, with 12:54 to play in the second quarter.

End of first: Falcons 0, 49ers 0

A no-scoring first quarter, as the teams are knotted at zero after 15 minutes.

The Falcons are slowly but surely moving the ball down the field right now. They are in the midst of a 15-play, 58-yard drive and will have a first down from the San Francisco 22 when the second quarter begins.

Falcons convert on third down

Atlanta’s second drive continues after a conversion on third-and-1 from San Francisco’s 24-yard line after facing as long as second-and-18. Since going three-and-out on their opening drive, the Falcons are 3-for-3 on third down on this drive.

Falcons involving Pitts early

Tight end Kyle Pitts was the highest-drafted player at his position in NFL history but has dealt with inconsistency during his previous four seasons. He entered tonight with 23 catches and has added three more — one, for 27 yards, was called back on a penalty — on Atlanta’s second drive to help the Falcons near field-goal range.

49ers punt back to Atlanta

San Francisco eschewed a 60-yard field goal attempt and punted back to the Falcons at the end of its first drive.

A promising sign for the 49ers offense, though? It ran for 27 yards on only four carries on their opening drive. San Francisco entered this game ranked 29th in the NFL in rushing yards per game.

It’s Mac Jones time

Mac Jones is making his fifth start of the season tonight.

He’s 3-1 with six touchdowns and three interceptions so far this year. His 93.7 passer rating is a career-high mark.

Falcons punt on opening drive

Atlanta has scored on 37 percent of its drives this season, which ranks 21st in the league, and that inconsistency showed itself on the game’s first possession, which ended with a three-and-out punt. Raheem Morris didn’t want to go for a short fourth-down attempt on his side of the field.

The 49ers have kicked off to the Falcons…

…And “Sunday Night Football” is underway! Atlanta will begin its first possession from its own 23-yard line.

Almost kickoff by the Bay

Win would move 49ers back atop division

The Los Angeles Rams won the day’s first game, in London, to improve to 5-2 overall. But the Rams are just 0-1 in the division, after a loss to the 49ers earlier this season. A win tonight by San Francisco would also improve it to 5-2, but the 49ers are already 3-0 against the NFC West. Seattle, which doesn’t play until Monday, also can improve to 5-2 this week.

Michael Penix gears up for SNF

Atlanta will need a third consecutive good game from quarterback Michael Penix. The 49ers have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 66 percent of their passes, around the middle of the pack defensively.

Key 49ers playmaker returns

Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is active tonight after being sidelined since Week 1.

Bijan Robinson on playing with Penix, playing for Morris

In an exclusive interview, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson tells Rodney Harrison what it’s like to play for head coach Raheem Morris and play with quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Playoff drought looms over Falcons

Atlanta hasn’t played in the postseason since 2017, a seven-season playoff drought that ties with Carolina for second longest in the league, eclipsed only by the Jets’ 14-year drought.

Atlanta went 8-9 last season in Raheem Morris’ first season as coach.

“There is no secret,” Morris said after an upset win over Buffalo in Week 6. “We want to be a playoff organization. We want to be able to go compete in those types of games, and we played one tonight, and there’s going to be no secret. Nobody is going to shy away from those moments.”

49ers rule out WR Ricky Pearsall

The 49ers officially ruled out quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee).

Mac Jones is set to make his fifth start for Purdy.

He was limited in Wednesday’s practice with knee and oblique injuries before returning to full participation on the final two practices of the week. Jones does not have an injury designation.

Jones will have tight end George Kittle, who has no injury designation after working his way back from a hamstring injury. The 49ers will activate him from injured reserve on Saturday. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens (pectoral) also could be cleared to return from injured reserve.

Read the full story here.

Bijan Robinson is the NFC offensive player of the week

The Falcons picked up a big win over the Bills on Monday night in Week 6 and running back Bijan Robinson did a lot of work to get them that 24-14 victory.

Robinson ran 19 times for 170 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown in the second quarter that pushed Atlanta’s lead to 14 points at halftime. Robinson also caught six passes for 68 yards in his most productive day so far this season.

The NFL named Robinson the NFC offensive player of the week in recognition of that effort. It’s the first time that Robinson has ever taken that prize.

Read the full story here.

Is this the (odd) year for 49ers?

Since Kyle Shanahan took over as coach in San Francisco in 2017, his team has always performed better in odd-year seasons. In 2019, 2021 and 2023, the 49ers advanced to two Super Bowls — losing each time — and another conference title game. In 2020 and 2024, however they missed the playoffs entirely. (It hasn’t been all bad in even years; in 2022, they also made the conference title game.)

This year, despite a litany of injuries, the 49ers entered this week tied atop the NFC West with a 4-2 record.

London calling

Falcons wide receiver Drake London has benefited from quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s increased production over the last two weeks. London has back-to-back games of 100-plus receiving yards with a touchdown. He is coming off a 10-catch, 158-yard outing in a Week 6 win against Buffalo. Only two other receivers this season, Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua, have produced a game with 10-plus catches and 150-plus yards.

Will the 49ers finally get an interception?

Entering this week’s games, only two teams had yet to intercept a single pass — the winless New York Jets and the 49ers.

Unlike the Jets, who have just one forced turnover all season, the fewest in the league, the 49ers have had success forcing fumbles, with five. Atlanta, meanwhile, has intercepted five passes and forced three fumbles.

Robinson on players he emulates in his game

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson sits down with Rodney Harrison to share running backs he looked up to growing up, training with Christian McCaffrey, playing with Michael Penix Jr. and much more.

Two of league’s best backs are also workout partners

Both San Francisco’s and Atlanta’s offenses hinge on the production of running backs. Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris has called Bijan Robinson “the best player in football,” while the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey has in the past been an MVP candidate. The similarities between their shifty games owe partly to the fact that Robinson and McCaffrey spent time working out together during the last offseason.

“He taught me a whole bunch of nuanced moves that I got to learn on the field, and I did the same with him,” Robinson said. “I think it’s just really cool having McCaffrey be a brother to me, as well, and so I can learn all the cool things that he has done on the field, and vice versa.”

Strength meets strength

This will be a fascinating showdown between an Atlanta defense that allows the fewest passing yards and a San Francisco offense that throws for the most yards.

49ers quarterback Mac Jones could expect heavy pressure. The Falcons have blitzed on 49% of opponents’ dropbacks, which is 10 percentage points higher than the next-closest defense, according to Next Gen Stats.

Robinson, McCaffrey join elite company

Jim Brown holds the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage gained through the first five games of a season — 988, in 1963. It’s rare when any player even comes close.

Yet this season, Christian McCaffrey of San Francisco gained 866 yards through five games, second most all-time, and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson gained 822, sixth most.

A much different sacks story this season

Last season, Atlanta produced only 31 sacks, the second fewest in the NFL. Not even halfway through this season, however, the Falcons already have 14.

Leonard Floyd, an offseason signing from San Francisco, has contributed 1½ sacks. Rookies Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr. and Billy Bowman Jr., who were all drafted within the first four rounds last spring, have combined for two sacks.

How McCaffrey can be the difference vs. Atlanta

Jac Collinsworth, Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison preview the Atlanta Falcons’ NFC showdown with the San Francisco 49ers on the road.

Beware of Bijan

Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has averaged 9.1 yards per touch in his last two games and has produced 100 or more yards from scrimmage in every game this season. If he were to continue on his current pace, Robinson would finish with 2,794 yards from scrimmage, the most in NFL history. (The record holder, Chris Johnson, gained 2,509 in 2009.)

Robinson joins Buffalo’s Thurman Thomas, in 1991, as the only other player in NFL history to gain at least 450 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards through the first five games of a season.

Atlanta’s defense is tops

A key to beating Buffalo last week was the play of Atlanta’s defense, which sits atop many statistical categories nearly halfway through the season.

Under first-year coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, Atlanta has yet to allow an opponent more than 300 yards. In fact, the 1,267 yards the Falcons have allowed are the franchise’s fewest in any five-game span since 1998.

Their 253-yards-against average leads the NFL, as does the 139 passing yards they’ve allowed on average. The Falcons have also been excellent on third down, allowing conversions just 32% of the time, which ranks fourth best. Keep this up and they’ll make history; Atlanta hasn’t produced a top five defense in total yards since 1978.

Previewing the game between 49ers and Falcons

The “Sunday Night Football” showdown between the Falcons and 49ers should be a great game, as Atlanta looks to build off a win against Buffalo, and Mike Florio and Chris Simms like them to keep things rolling vs. San Fran.

Super sub

With starter Brock Purdy out, San Francisco plugged in quarterback Mac Jones to great success. He has thrown for six touchdowns against three interceptions and an NFL-best 313 yards per game as an understudy. From passer rating to completion percentage, Jones’ statistics have been better than Purdy’s. There is no quarterback competition, however, once Purdy returns from injury, general manager John Lynch said last week.

49ers activate TE George Kittle, DL Kevin Givens from IR

Help is on the way for the 49ers.

The team announced it has activated tight end George Kittle and defensive lineman Kevin Givens from injured reserve back to the active roster. Both will be available against the Falcons on “Sunday Night Football.”

Kittle tore his right hamstring in the second quarter of the Sept. 7 season opener. He made four catches for 25 yards and a touchdown before leaving.

Givens has not played this season after injuring a pectoral muscle in August.

Read the full article here.

Falcons send Ray-Ray McCloud home

Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud will not be playing for the Falcons this weekend and it’s unclear if he’s going to be playing for them at any point in the future.

McCloud was a healthy scratch for last Monday’s win over the Bills and he did not practice at all this week. The Falcons cited a non-injury reason for his absence and head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday that McCloud was excused as the team tries to work through some issues with him.

Read the full article here.

Michael Penix turning the corner?

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick in 2024, did not have a seamless start to his career, with a 2-4 record with four touchdowns and five interceptions in his first six games, dating to last season.

In his last two, however, he has thrown three touchdowns against one interception, and his completion percentage has risen by 11 percentage points. That includes a win over Buffalo, a preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, in which he threw for 250 yards without a turnover.

“This team is really legit,” Penix said after the win.

Falcons should be ‘small favorites’ against 49ers

With “a lot of positives” for a rising Falcons’ offense against a 49ers defense without several key players, Drew Dinsick and Jay Croucher think there’s plenty of reason to bet on Atlanta.

Injury toll continues in San Francisco

Fred Warner’s season-ending dislocated ankle last week would have been a devastating injury to San Francisco all by itself; Warner has been named a first-team All-Pro linebacker four of the past five seasons.

“Devastating,” receiver Jauan Jennings said.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, Warner’s was just the latest in a string of injuries dating to last season that have derailed their Super Bowl ambitions.

QB Brock Purdy (shoulder, missed four of six games)WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee, yet to play)WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, missed last two games)TE George Kittle (hamstring, missed five games)DL Nick Bosa (ACL, season-ending)Andrew Greif

Andrew Greif is a sports reporter for NBC News Digital.

Rohan Nadkarni contributed.