The Atlanta Falcons have struggled to play a complete game this season, but the team dominated on both sides of the ball during Sunday’s 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers.
The Falcons scored early, didn’t turn the ball over, and put their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter when it mattered most. Kyle Pitts scored a touchdown, the defense racked up three turnovers and Atlanta held San Francisco to just 50 rushing yards.
Here are six takeaways from the Falcons’ Week 6 win over the 49ers.
1
Mariota played well
Mariota was decisive and efficient on Sunday, completing his first 13 passes and using his legs to keep the 49ers defense guessing. Mariota finished 13-for-14 passes with 129 passing yards and a passer rating of 144.6. He also rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Falcons were aggressive early and efficient on third down (9-for-14). It wasn’t flashy, but Mariota played winning football on Sunday and did not turn the ball over.
2
Defensive turnovers
Speaking of turnovers, the Falcons defense capitalized on a careless 49ers performance on Sunday. Atlanta picked off quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo twice and recovered a fumble — which was returned for a touchdown by the defense. Isaiah Oliver intercepted Garoppolo in his first game back from the injured reserve list, then Jaylinn Hawkins got Jimmy G again in the fourth quarter. Overall, turnovers were the biggest difference in Week 6.
3
Kyle Pitts scores his first TD of season
The wait is over, Kyle Pitts catches his first NFL touchdown in America and at MBS ‼️
📺: FOX || NFL+ #SFvsATL || #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/C4ULGavB88
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 16, 2022
Pitts scored his second career touchdown (his first on American soil) during the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the 49ers. For the game, Pitts finished with just three catches for 19 yards. Obviously, the Falcons’ passing offense isn’t the most explosive and the team’s pass-catchers will have to accept this isn’t going to be a monster fantasy season for any of them.
4
Falcons run defense was stellar
The 49ers struggled to run the ball against the Falcons defense on Sunday, finishing with just 50 total yards on 16 carries. Everyone assumed it would be the 49ers running all over the Falcons defense, but the opposite came true in Week 6. Atlanta finished with 168 total rushing yards, 118 more than San Francisco. Grady Jarrett and Co. dominated the line of scrimmage and the 49ers offense never got going as a result.
5
Injuries
Not only did the Falcons lose A.J. Terrell to a thigh injury, starting defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham went down with a knee injury shortly after. Graham returned in the fourth quarter, but then CB Casey Hayward got hurt. Terrell and Hayward did not return and we’ll see what the coaching staff says about both players on Monday.
6
What's next for Atlanta?
The Falcons travel to Cincinnati in Week 7 for a matchup against the Bengals. In Week 6, the Bengals defeated the Saints and now are tied with the Ravens at 3-3 in the AFC North. Atlanta nearly took down the Super Bowl champions in Week 2, perhaps they can finish the deal against the Super Bowl losers next Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
