The 49ers (1-12) travel to the Georgia Dome for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons (8-5).
Matt Ryan leads the Falcons' offense in his MVP-frontrunner season. Dan Quinn coaches Atlanta. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman split the backfield. Colin Kaepernick continues at quarterback for the 49ers. Carlos Hyde at lead back.
Matt Ryan is the MVP frontrunner with 29 touchdown passes through 13 games. The Falcons are 8-5 and lead the NFC South. Julio Jones averages 95 receiving yards per game. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman split the backfield. The Falcons have averaged 35 points in their last four games.
The 49ers, at 1-12 with seven straight losses, travel to the Georgia Dome for the kind of Sunday-afternoon road game where the rebuilding team gets thrown into a contender's home stadium. Kaepernick's eighth start.
Underdog by 14 on the road. The Sunday road spot is the kind of game where the rebuilding 49ers' offensive identity, against the conference's hottest offense, gets a primetime-level matchup.
Week 15 is the late-December playoff-positioning sort. The Cowboys (12-2), Patriots (11-2), Raiders (10-3), and Steelers (9-4) lead their conferences. The Falcons (8-5) lead the NFC South. The Lions, Giants, Buccaneers, and Vikings are in the NFC's wild-card chase. The 49ers (1-12) compete for next year's draft positioning. The Sunday road game is the kind of week the rebuilding 49ers face one of the league's most-efficient offenses.
Through thirteen games the 49ers are 1-12 with a -142 point differential. The Falcons are 8-5 with a +135. Matt Ryan has 29 TDs and 7 INTs (MVP frontrunner). Julio Jones averages 95 receiving yards per game. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combine for 1,500 rushing yards. Kaepernick 1,693 total yards in 7 starts. Vegas opens the Falcons as 14-point home favorites; total 50.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 11-2 | W4 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8-5 | W1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-7 | L2 |
| New York Jets | 4-9 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 8-5 | W4 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 7-6 | L1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 5-7-1 | W2 |
| Cleveland Browns | 0-13 | L13 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 7-6 | W1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 7-6 | W2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 6-7 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-11 | L8 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10-3 | W3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 10-3 | L1 |
| Denver Broncos | 8-5 | L1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 5-8 | L2 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 8-4-1 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 5-7-1 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 4-9 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1-12 | L12 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-2 | L1 |
| New York Giants | 9-4 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 7-5-1 | W1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-8 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 9-4 | W5 |
| Green Bay Packers | 7-6 | W3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 7-6 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-10 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | 8-5 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-5 | W5 |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-8 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 5-8 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Devonta Freeman 5 yard rush ( Matt Bryant kick) | 0-7 |
| Falcons | Taylor Gabriel 9 yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick) | 0-14 |
| Falcons | Austin Hooper 9 yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick) | 0-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Garrett Celek 16 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick ( Phil Dawson kick) | 7-21 |
| Falcons | Devonta Freeman 9 yard rush ( Matt Bryant kick) | 7-28 |
| 49ers | Rod Streater 5 yard pass from Colin Kaepernick ( Phil Dawson kick failed) | 13-28 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Matt Bryant 50 yard field goal | 13-31 |
| Falcons | Devonta Freeman 34 yard rush ( Matt Bryant kick) | 13-38 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Matt Bryant 41 yard field goal | 13-41 |
Matt Ryan threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns and the Atlanta Falcons crushed the 49ers 41-13 at the Georgia Dome. Julio Jones caught four for 50. Devonta Freeman ran for 139 and a touchdown. Colin Kaepernick threw for 183 with one INT. Carlos Hyde ran for 35. The 49ers fell to 1-13 with their eighth-straight loss.[1][2][3]
Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes Sunday afternoon at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons beat the 49ers 41-13 in the kind of Sunday-afternoon road blowout where the rebuilding 49ers' competitive identity, against the league's most-efficient offense, was the worst.
Devonta Freeman ran for 139 yards and a touchdown. Mohamed Sanu caught a TD. Aldrick Robinson (the future-49er) caught a touchdown. Taylor Gabriel caught one of his own. The Falcons' offense produced 41 points and the defense generated three sacks.
Colin Kaepernick threw for 183 yards and one interception. Carlos Hyde ran for 35. Quinton Patton caught a touchdown. The kind of Sunday-afternoon road blowout where the rebuilding 49ers' eighth-straight loss extended the closer-than-comfortable distance from the franchise's 0-14 record. 1-13 with the Rams on the road next week and the kind of season trajectory that, in mid-December, has the Chip Kelly regime in active questioning.
Falcons 41, 49ers 13. Margin: -28. Fourteen-game record: 1-13, -170 differential.
A 41-13 road loss to the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The 49ers fall to 1-13 with their eighth-straight loss.
How it unfolded
The Falcons built a 24-0 first-half lead behind Matt Ryan touchdowns to Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel and a Freeman rushing TD. Kaepernick threw a touchdown to Quinton Patton to make it 24-7 at halftime. The third quarter was another Ryan touchdown to Aldrick Robinson. Robbie Gould kicked a field goal. The Falcons added a fourth-quarter touchdown drive. Final 41-13.
The turning point
Freeman's first-quarter rushing touchdown. With the rebuilding 49ers' defense expecting the Falcons' run game and Atlanta's offensive line dominating the line of scrimmage, Freeman's score set the tone for the kind of comfortable home blowout the Falcons had been producing for two months.
By the numbers
Kaepernick 16-of-30 for 183 with one TD and one INT. Hyde 12 carries for 35. Patton 3 catches for 49 with a TD. Ryan 17-of-29 for 286 with three TDs. Freeman 27 carries for 139 with a TD. The Falcons' three sacks.
Personnel watch
Freeman in his career game on the ground. Ryan's three-touchdown day continuing his MVP candidacy. Kaepernick's eighth straight start producing the kind of stat line that has the QB's competitive trajectory in serious question. The defense gave up 41 points.
What it means
1-13 with the Rams on the road next week. The Sunday-afternoon road blowout is the kind of result that has the rebuilding 49ers' season firmly in worst-record-in-franchise-history territory. The Chip Kelly regime, now 1-13, will be the offseason's central story.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Colin Kaepernick | 20/33 | 183 | 2 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Matt Ryan | 17/23 | 286 | 2 | 0 | |
| Matt Schaub | 1/1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Carlos Hyde | 13 | 71 | 0 | 17 |
| Colin Kaepernick | 3 | 21 | 0 | 17 |
| Shaun Draughn | 4 | 15 | 0 | 9 |
| ATL | ||||
| Devonta Freeman | 20 | 139 | 3 | 34 |
| Tevin Coleman | 14 | 58 | 0 | 29 |
| Terron Ward | 6 | 52 | 0 | 45 |
| Matt Ryan | 1 | -1 | 0 | -1 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Blake Bell | 1 | 45 | 0 | 45 |
| Aaron Burbridge | 2 | 29 | 0 | 15 |
| Jeremy Kerley | 5 | 28 | 0 | 8 |
| Chris Harper | 3 | 26 | 0 | 12 |
| Garrett Celek | 2 | 22 | 1 | 16 |
| Je'Ron Hamm | 2 | 13 | 0 | 7 |
| Rod Streater | 2 | 11 | 1 | 6 |
| Carlos Hyde | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Quinton Patton | 2 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| ATL | ||||
| Aldrick Robinson | 4 | 111 | 0 | 59 |
| Taylor Gabriel | 3 | 60 | 1 | 31 |
| Mohamed Sanu | 3 | 44 | 0 | 18 |
| Levine Toilolo | 1 | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Devonta Freeman | 2 | 16 | 0 | 8 |
| Justin Hardy | 1 | 16 | 0 | 16 |
| Austin Hooper | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| Tevin Coleman | 2 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Joshua Perkins | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Find or start the canonical thread for this game on r/49ers. The thread title is deterministic so anyone running this Rewatch lands on the same place.
Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2016 W15 - 49ers at Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
