Injuries & Mistakes Allow Falcons to Stomp 49ers, 28-14

From the opening kickoff, it never felt like the 49ers’s day.

The San Francisco 49ers lost their third game of the season Sunday, getting dominated by the Atlanta Falcons, 28-14.

Atlanta was able to drive down the field with ease too open the game, working an 11-play, 74-yard drive that capped off with a two-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Marcus Mariota. The journeyman quarterback was simply unstoppable in Week 6, putting up a near perfect stat line as his team dedicated the game from start to finish.

On the flip side, San Francisco couldn’t get out of their own way to start the day. After the first TD allowed in a first half this season, the offense struggled with a three-and-out to start the day. On the next possession, running back Jeff Wilson Jr. fumbles the ball on a short yardage attempt, allowing a scoop and score touchdown by the Falcons.

14-0 Atlanta with time left in the first quarter.

The 49ers eventually showed some life in the second quarter, thanks to the arm of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers quickly, Jimmy G and the Red & Gold moved the ball down the field effectively, taking an eight-play, 79-yard drive to the house via a screen pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. With some momentum, San Francisco moved the ball down the field again after a three-and-out by Atlanta. Four plays, 32 yards later, Aiyuk found pay dirt again, spring from 12 yards out on a nasty zig route.

Smooth with it 🤝 #BudLightCelly | @budlight pic.twitter.com/ZO2VXlBpsB

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 16, 2022

14-14 and it’s a ball game.

Despite the shift in momentum, Mariota and the offense controlled the clock and executed with precision, reaching the end-zone with less than a minute to go in the second half, via a run to the outside by their quarterback. 21-14 Falcons and the momentum shifts again.

Garoppolo tried to push the ball downfield to hopefully salvage a field-goal before the end of he half, instead throwing his first pick of the game to ice the score temporarily.

After the break, the 49ers were as lethargic as they were to open the game, going three-and-out to start the half. Atlantas takes possession after a minute of action and immediately dominates the game-clock once again. They take their opening possession nine-plays, 65 yards, ending in an easy touchdown toss to tight end Kyle Pitts. 28-14 halfway thigh the third quarter.

The 49ers were unable to muster up much offensively after that, going punt, punt, interception, and a turnover on downs over their next four possessions. Jimmy Garoppolo tried to get the team back in the contest, but drops from pass-catchers Ray-Ray McCloud and Charlie Woerner halted San Francisco at pivotal moments.

He finished the day with a relatively impressive stat line: 29 for 41, 296 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 INTs and a 87 passer rating. Meanwhile Mariota finished almost perfect: 13 for 14, two passing touchdowns, no INTs and a 144.6 passer rating.

“You know we gotta go back to the drawing board,” Garoppolo said postgame Sunday. “Suck it up ,watch the film on the flight home. Get after it tomorrow and move on.”

Injuries have played a massive part in the team’s outlook this season, again proving fatal Sunday with seven starters on the defense out at some point. San Francisco went into Week 6 with defensive linemen Nick Bosa (groin), Arik Armstead (foot, ankle), and Jason Kinlaw (knee) all out of the contest, leaving the team’s previously stout D-line weakened.

Thanks to a depleted defense, Atlanta was able to run the ball 40 times for 168 yards compared to the 49ers’s 16 attempts for a measly 50 yards. They controlled the clock for seven more minutes than the visiting team Sunday.

To make matters worse, star cornerback Charvarius “Mooney” Ward was sidelined in the second quarter with a groin injury, ruled out at half-time. Safety Talonoa Hufanga and DE Samson Ebukam were also in-and-out of Week 6 with injuries that were able to play through.

49ers injury roundup: pic.twitter.com/QQYZNorlHq

— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) October 16, 2022

Down to backups and third-stringers on both sides of the ball, the 49ers feel that injuries and self-inflicted wounds cost them the win in Atlanta.

“None of us played good enough to win,”head coach Kyle Shanahan stated. “I think we had our chances to overcome and we made it harder on ourselves…We had every chance to pull that off.”

Heading home to face the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes next week, the 49ers will need to get healthy fast before this season turns ugly for the Red & Gold.

Follow @AmilianoFragoso

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