Here are some numbers that will be important shortly. These concern a few players on the Atlanta Falcons after their two-game win streak over the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills, respectively.
Let’s start with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Going into the Sunday Night game against the San Francisco 49ers, Penix threw 20-32 (62.5 percent completions), 250 yards passing, one touchdown, and a rating of 97.1. Against the Commanders: 20-26 (76.9 percent completion), 313 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a rating of 126.0
Then there’s running back Bijan Robinson. Against the Bills, Robinson got 170 yards rushing on 19 attempts, averaging 8.9 yards per carry. He also had 68 yards receiving. Against the Commanders, Robinson had 75 yards rushing and another touchdown.
Finally, wide receiver Drake London, who can be considered the Falcons’ No. 1 wideout. London racked up 158 yards receiving and one touchdown against the Bills and then 110 yards receiving with a touchdown against the Commanders.
Those are the numbers the 49ers defense was up against — and this was without their two best players, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. Regardless of their absence, the young 49ers defense flipped every one of the numbers listed above.
Those three players combined for under 300 yards during the 49ers’ 20-10 win over the Falcons. Penix went 21-31 (55 percent completions), 241 yards, a touchdown, a fumble, and a rating of 83.3.
Robinson had 14 carries for 40 yards—2.9 yards per carry.
London had four catches for 40 yards.
You might be wondering why all these stats are getting rattled off. The reason is because of how injured the 49ers’ defense is. This is their first week without their best player, Fred Warner. They are still recovering from losing Nick Bosa earlier in the season, and they lost cornerback Renardo Green during the game due to a toe injury.
And yet, with all of those injuries, they held what looked like a percolating Falcons team to 292 yards of total offense. They also sacked Penix twice, thanks to some creative playcalling by defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. That’s nothing to sneeze at for any defense. The 49ers’ star playmakers are on injured reserve — yet their replacements imposed their will anyway.
Going into the game, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he showed the young defense tape of Fred Warner’s rookie season — back when he wore No. 48, had no dreadlocks, and hadn’t yet become the player we know now.
Apparently, the presentation worked because the young defense stepped up. Nick Martin made an appearance on special teams. Warner understudy Tatum Bethune led the team in tackles (10 total, four solo), Alfred Collins helped clean up on a Bryce Huff sack, securing the fumble and getting the 49ers what would be three valuable points, and Chase Lucas helped on a key fourth-down stop that started the inevitable McCaffrey touchdown.
Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh deserves praise for a masterful defensive game plan that included more blitzes than usual, trying to account for his lack of playmakers.
Now, this was the first game without Warner. What the 49ers a do before the trade deadline or what this defense can do once more and more tape is found on them remains a mystery. On Sunday Night, they certainly had stretches where fans groaned at “soft” coverages or some miscues.
When the game ended, though, one had to look at how uncharacteristic the Falcons looked. The Falcons were a team that out-bullied the Bills just one week ago. Tonight, the 49ers were the bully. The Falcons had a running back getting close to 100 yards each week that couldn’t even get to 50 yards tonight, and a quarterback who was clearly uncomfortable in the pocket.
The 49ers’ defense may be running on fumes, and another injury could be a disaster for 2025. The takeaway from this is how the younger players and backups stepped up in a big way on the national stage to keep the Falcons in check.
Tight end George Kittle returned to the team after a few weeks on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury, and the offense may get some more pieces back: quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall may return for Week 8 against the Houston Texans.
With Kittle’s return, the running game left the dregs of mediocrity that fans have been subjected to for the last few weeks and went back to the efficient ground and pound they expected. If those two pieces on offense can get back, maybe that’s all the 49ers need to make a run at this thing.
And yes — after what we saw Sunday night, maybe a trade for a pass rusher doesn’t sound so far-fetched.
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