The 49ers (3-8) host the Atlanta Falcons (3-8) at 3Com Park for a 1:00 PT kickoff in the second meeting of the year for the clubs. Atlanta won the first meeting 36-28 at the Georgia Dome in Week 1.
Chris Chandler is on the injury report with a hip pointer; Doug Johnson is the listed alternate. Jamal Anderson is the back. Terance Mathis, Shawn Jefferson and Tony Martin are the receivers. The Falcons have lost five in a row.[1][2]
The first meeting of the year ended in a 36-28 Falcons win at the Georgia Dome. Jeff Garcia threw an Ashley Ambrose pick-six in the third quarter that effectively decided the afternoon. Morten Andersen kicked five field goals. The 49ers walked back to the airport 0-1 and the Falcons walked off 1-0. The Sunday rematch at 3Com is the second NFC home rematch of the year against an opponent that won the first meeting.
Week 12 has the Falcons-49ers rematch plus a slate where the playoff field is settling. The Vikings sit at 10-1; the Bucs at 7-4; the Eagles 7-4; the Saints 7-4. The wild-card race has the NFC's top three teams essentially locked. Around the AFC the Titans and Raiders both hold the top seed lines. The 49ers' Sunday is one of two divisional non-rivalry games on the slate; the loser likely heads to a top-ten draft position.
Through eleven games the 49ers sit at 3-8 with a minus 56 point differential. Garcia leads the league in completion percentage among starters with 200-plus attempts. Owens has 70 catches for 1,089 yards; the organization single-season catch record is 122 (Jerry Rice 1995). Garner is averaging 96 from scrimmage. Atlanta is 3-8 with Chandler averaging 190 passing yards per game when healthy and Anderson 3.4 a carry. The Falcons have scored 14 or fewer in three of the last five games.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 8-2 | L1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7-4 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 5-5 | L2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3-7 | L1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 3-8 | W1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-8 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | 8-2 | W3 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-3 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-4 | W3 |
| New York Jets | 6-4 | L3 |
| New England Patriots | 2-8 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 8-2 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 6-4 | W2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 5-5 | L2 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 4-7 | W2 |
| San Diego Chargers | 0-10 | L10 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Rams | 8-2 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7-3 | W6 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-6 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3-8 | L2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-8 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 8-2 | W1 |
| Detroit Lions | 6-4 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-4 | W3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 4-6 | L1 |
| Chicago Bears | 2-8 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 7-3 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 7-4 | W2 |
| Washington Redskins | 6-4 | L2 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-6 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-7 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Wade Richey 32 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Morten Andersen 21 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| 49ers | Wade Richey 30 yard field goal | 3-6 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jason Webster 70 yard interception return ( Wade Richey kick) | 3-13 |
| Falcons | Morten Andersen 51 yard field goal | 6-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Wade Richey 26 yard field goal | 6-16 |
Jeff Garcia threw for 210 yards and ran for 50 on nine scrambles, Charlie Garner ran for 59 and the 49ers' defense produced three takeaways in a 16-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons at 3Com Park. Wade Richey kicked three field goals. The 49ers held the Falcons to 219 total yards and no offensive touchdowns; the only Atlanta points came on two Morten Andersen field goals. The win moved San Francisco to 4-8.[1][2]
Jeff Garcia threw for 210 yards and ran for 50 on nine scrambles. Charlie Garner ran for 59. The 49ers' defense pitched a shutout against the Falcons' offense and the visitors' only points were two Andersen field goals. The 16-6 win is the kind of grinder that, on a Sunday in late November of a 4-8 season, beat reporters call structurally important.
The 49ers' defense generated three takeaways and held the Falcons under 250 yards. Bryant Young registered two sacks, his fourth and fifth of the season. The linebacker rotation, healthy for the second straight week, kept Jamal Anderson under three yards a carry. The secondary, an issue across the first ten games, surrendered no plays over 30 yards.
49ers 16, Falcons 6. Margin: plus 10. Record: 4-8, minus 46 differential. • Garcia: 16-of-31 for 210, 0 TDs, 0 INTs; 9 rushes for 50. • Garner: 18 carries for 59 (3.3 ypc); 6 catches for 76. • Streets: 4 catches for 73. • Rice: 4 catches for 31. • Defense: 3 takeaways, 0 offensive touchdowns allowed, 2 Bryant Young sacks. • Chandler: 16-of-33 for 154, 0 TDs. • Anderson: 17 carries for 76 (4.5 ypc). • Quarter scoring: SF 3-3-7-3; ATL 0-3-3-0.
A 16-6 home win over the Falcons. The 49ers improve to 4-8 with the second straight November home win.
How it unfolded
The 49ers opened with a Richey 38-yard field goal. Atlanta answered with an Andersen field goal to tie at 3. The second quarter belonged to the defense: an interception of Chandler on the Falcons' second possession set up a Richey 44-yard field goal. The 49ers led 6-3 at the half. The third quarter produced the only touchdown of the day: a Garcia 5-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 13-3. Atlanta added an Andersen field goal in the third to make it 13-6. Richey's closing 35-yarder in the fourth quarter sealed the 16-6 final.
The turning point
The second-quarter Chandler interception. With the 49ers nursing a 3-3 tie and the offense facing a long field, the takeaway gave the 49ers possession at the Atlanta 39. Three plays later Richey hit the field goal that put the home team ahead for good.
By the numbers
Garcia 16-of-31 for 210; his fifth game of the year under 250 passing yards. Garner 18 carries for 59 plus 6 catches for 76; the receiving line was the more productive half of the workload. Streets 4 catches for 73; his second 60-yard afternoon. Bryant Young 2 sacks; 4 takeaways total for the defense (3 turnovers plus 1 turnover on downs at the Falcons 29 in the fourth quarter). The Falcons' offense produced 219 total yards on 61 plays, 3.6 a snap.
Personnel watch
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jeff Garcia | 16/31 | 210 | 0 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Chris Chandler | 16/33 | 154 | 0 | 1 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Charlie Garner | 18 | 59 | 0 | 20 |
| Jeff Garcia | 9 | 50 | 0 | 11 |
| Fred Beasley | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Paul Smith | 2 | 9 | 0 | 5 |
| ATL | ||||
| Jamal Anderson | 17 | 76 | 0 | 29 |
| Maurice Smith | 2 | 15 | 0 | 16 |
| Tim Dwight | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Charlie Garner | 6 | 76 | 0 | 31 |
| Tai Streets | 4 | 73 | 0 | 37 |
| Jerry Rice #80 | 4 | 31 | 0 | 9 |
| J.J. Stokes | 1 | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| Greg Clark | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ATL | ||||
| Shawn Jefferson | 6 | 60 | 0 | 14 |
| Tim Dwight | 2 | 29 | 0 | 19 |
| Bob Christian | 2 | 19 | 0 | 11 |
| Brian Kozlowski | 1 | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| Jamal Anderson | 3 | 17 | 0 | 10 |
| Reggie Kelly | 2 | 11 | 0 | 7 |
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