Falcons 29, 49ers 20: Four Takeaways End San Francisco's 6-0 Start

October 25, 2026 - Atlanta - Christian McCaffrey scored from a yard on the opening drive. Kaelon Black scored from 30 on the next one that counted. The San Francisco 49ers were 14-3 and still unbeaten.

They left Mercedes-Benz Stadium 6-1. The Atlanta Falcons forced four turnovers, scored on four straight possessions in the middle of the game, and won 29-20. Atlanta is 3-4. It was the first home win of the season, the Falcons wrote. Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdowns and no picks. Tua Tagovailoa is a Falcon this season. He did not appear in the weekly line.

NFL Research said Penix is the third quarterback in 25 seasons with at least three passing scores and no interceptions in a win against a 6-0 or better team, after Andrew Luck in 2013 and Drew Brees in 2018.

14-3, then the floor fell out

McCaffrey's 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal capped 10 plays and 64 yards. The 49ers said it extended his rushing-touchdown streak to six games, tying Raheem Mostert (2019) and Derek Loville (1995) for the longest such run by a San Francisco back. Nick Folk answered from 39. 7-3.

Black, filling in when McCaffrey left with a thigh injury, ran 30 yards. 14-3, 14:54 of the second. Then Maason Smith punched the ball out of Black's hands, the Falcons and NFL.com both have it, and Atlanta's offense finally stayed on the field.

Ten plays, 68 yards. Penix hit Nick Muse from a yard. Folk's extra point failed. 14-9. Jessie Bates toe-tapped an interception on the sideline, NFL.com wrote. Fourteen more plays ate the rest of the half. Folk made 33 as time expired. 14-12.

Khalil Herbert, elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, returned the second-half kick 38 yards. Ten plays, 59 yards. Penix found Kyle Pitts from 5. 19-14. Atlanta had gone from down 14-9 to up before San Francisco touched the ball again. The Falcons called that stretch the middle eight.

London from 21, then Daniels ends it

Eleven plays, 90 yards. Penix hit Drake London from 21. 26-14, 14:55 of the fourth. San Francisco still had 400 yards to Atlanta's 295, ESPN's team stats show, and 6.2 yards per play to 4.7. It did not have the ball.

Brock Purdy drove 82 yards. Kyle Juszczyk scored from a yard. Eddy Pineiro's extra point missed wide left. 26-20, 5:05 left. Atlanta went three-and-out. Purdy came back. On third down he threw left for Jordan Watkins. Kendal Daniels, in the green-dot role with Divine Deablo out, jumped the throw, bobbled it, and returned it 29 yards. One week earlier Daniels had left a game on a stretcher with a neck injury, the Falcons wrote.

Folk made 31 after four plays and six yards. 29-20. Bates and Daniels then combined on the fumble that ended George Kittle's last chance, NFL.com said.

Penix finished 25 of 34 for 213 yards, three scores, no picks, no sacks. Next Gen Stats had him pressured on 6 of 35 dropbacks (17.1%). NFL.com said Atlanta had four straight double-digit-play drives in the middle of the game, three of them over 5:30, and 16 plays to San Francisco's six in the third quarter alone. The last three Falcon series did not pick up a first down. Complementary football still held because the defense kept taking the ball.

London caught seven for 66 and the 21-yarder. Bijan Robinson ran 20 times for 63 and caught five for 59. Pitts had five for 22 and the 5-yarder. Folk made 39, 33, and 31 and missed the extra point after Muse. ESPN team stats: Atlanta 30:47 of possession, San Francisco 29:13, Falcons 0 turnovers, 49ers 4. San Francisco was 3 of 4 on fourth down and still lost. Fred Warner had 13 tackles, ESPN's box shows. Jacob Cowing caught three for 38. Jordan Watkins had three for 56 on the throw Daniels jumped.

Purdy went 27 of 40 for 288, one touchdown, two interceptions, and two sacks. McCaffrey ran 7 times for 39 and caught six for 61 after the early exit and return. Black had 12 carries for 63, the 30-yard score, and the lost fumble. Kittle caught eight for 88 on National Tight Ends Day. Attendance was 72,165.

San Francisco is on a bye in Week 8.

AthX Engine on four takeaways

AthX Engine NFL scoring already has the Week 7 Sunday line in. Bates is 61.50, the top total in this game. Daniels is 54.50. Maason Smith is 45.00. Fred Warner is 39.50. Penix is 34.79. McCaffrey is 34.00. Robinson is 33.00. Atlanta's team line is 75.50. San Francisco's is 4.75.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for a 49ers offense that still piled up 400 yards in its first loss, and for a Falcons defense that just took four possessions from a 6-0 club. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Penix, London, Robinson, Purdy, McCaffrey, Tagovailoa, and both clubs on the marketplace. San Francisco is on a bye. Atlanta visits Tampa Bay next Sunday.

*Sources: ESPN game page, Falcons.com, Falcons on Daniels, 49ers.com, 49ers scoring. ESPN, both clubs, and nflverse agree on 29-20. ESPN recap HTML timed out; scoring plays are from the ESPN game page and club scoring. AthX Engine Week 7 lines scored from nflverse weekly stats (CC-BY 4.0). Information only; not financial advice.*