Falcons Blow Opportunity To Beat Depleted 49ers on Sunday Night

After a huge win on Monday night football last week against the Bills, the Falcons had another opportunity in prime time to prove to the NFL they were legit.

They did not take the opportunity.

The Falcons started off slow, managing only 3 points in the first half. A field goal chance was taken away at the end of half due to an intentional grounding call.

The Falcons even intercepted a ball near midfield in the first half but were unable to turn it into any points on the drive.

The 49ers were missing several key contributors on defense, including Nick Bosa and star linebacker Fred Warner.

The 49ers on offense were without Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsal, and also lost their center during the game but the Falcons still could not capitalize.

In the end, the story of the game came down to how the star running backs played for each team. Bijan Robinson was neutralized, while McCaffrey shined.

McCaffrey had close to 200 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns while Atlanta only had 62 rush yards and zero rushing touchdowns.

This was not entirely Robinson’s fault, as the Falcons offensive line could not get the zone run going throughout the game.

If the Falcons could’ve gone 2-0 in this two week stretch against the Bills and 49ers, it could’ve been a sign of greater things to come.

Instead, there will be questions such as: Are the Falcons only able to perform well when they’re playing on their own home turf?

Did the Falcons really play that well last week - or did the Bills just play that bad and aren’t as good as everyone initially thought?

This is a young Falcons team with a lot of room to grow, but these are the games they need to start winning if they want to be contenders.

The Falcons needs to learn from tonight and get better if they want to get above .500 or make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

I won’t be holding my breath after this performance.