49ers' offensive mistakes lead to 29-20 loss to Falcons

Cam Inman, The Mercury News on Oct 25, 2026

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

ATLANTA – The San Francisco 49ers were bound to stay undefeated Sunday with a fourth-quarter comeback.

Then Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels got in the way.

Daniels intercepted Brock Purdy’s third-and-9 pass with 2 1/2 minutes remaining, sealing a 29-20 defeat for the 49ers.

The 49ers (6-1) now enter the bye surely fuming over their multiple mistakes against the Falcons (3-4).

Four turnovers by the 49ers’ offense, four penalties by their defense and a couple of replay reversals of potential 49ers’ touchdowns spelled their doom.

George Kittle’s last-minute fumble at the Falcons’ 19-yard line had the home crowd celebrating the Falcons’ first win in four games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

After two reviews nullified fourth-quarter touchdown catches from Jordan Watkins and Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk’s 1-yard scoring catch held up and pulled the 49ers within 26-20 with 5:05 remaining. But Eddy Piñeiro botched the ensuing point-after kick, his fourth miss this season.

The 49ers defense did its part in forcing a three-and-out, then the Falcons’ Jake Bailey shanked a punt out of bounds at the 49ers’ 47.

With four minutes to finish off the comeback, the 49ers failed to pull it off. Completions to Kittle and McCaffrey had the 49ers at third-and-4 from the Falcons’ 47. Then Brandin Cooks committed a false-start penalty, and Purdy tried to force a third-and-9 pass to Watkins.

Atlanta converted Daniels’ interception into a 31-yard Nick Folk field goal with 1:56 remaining, making it a two-score game.

Cooks? Watkins? Yes, the 49ers’ attrition at wide receiver had Purdy targeting nine different players, but no passes went to Christian Kirk in his 49ers debut.

Mike Evans (Achilles) was out for the first time this season, and the receiving corps also lacked Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Demarcus Robinson (ankle), De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle), and Ricky Pearsall (season-ending knee surgery).

The 49ers’ defense played a fifth straight game without Nick Bosa (calf).

Purdy finished 27 of 40 for 288 yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions; he’d thrown just two interceptions through the 49ers’ 6-0 start.

Because McCaffrey went out for the first half with a left thigh injury on that opening series, Kaelon Black saw a lot of action. Although Black scored his first career touchdown on a 30-yard second-quarter run, he also recorded his first career lost fumble.

The fourth-quarter comeback initially looked promising when officials ruled that Watkins made a 23-yard touchdown catch with 11:43 remaining. However, a replay review reversed that score; Purdy followed with back-to-back incompletions and then got sacked on fourth down.

That drive opened with a 35-yard Purdy bomb to Watkins, who later had a potential 21-yard catch at the 13-yard line deemed an incompletion.

The 49ers led 14-3 before the Falcons scored the next 23 points, pulling ahead with a Michael Penix 5-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts to open the second half.

Penix opened the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Drake London, leaving the 49ers with a 26-14 deficit while Falcons fans were swag-surfing in the stands.

Turnovers on back-to-back possessions, on each side of halftime, swung the lead and the momentum away from the 49ers, who further hurt themselves with four defensive penalties, including two on reserve cornerback Jack Jones.

Trailing 19-14, Purdy completed his first four passes of the second half before an apparent throwaway was intercepted at the 10-yard line by safety Jesse Bates III. It was Purdy’s third interception all season, and his fourth came later courtesy of Daniels.

McCaffrey scored on a leaping 1-yard touchdown on the game’s opening drive, but he was out the previous three plays because of the thigh issue. He returned in the second half and finished with 39 yards on seven carries, plus 6 catches for 61 yards. Black led the 49ers in rushing with 63 yards on 12 carries.

____