The 49ers (7-6) host the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) at Levi's Stadium for a 1:25 PT kickoff.
Matt Ryan is the Falcons' QB1 in his final Atlanta season. The 49ers come off the overtime win in Cincinnati that broke into the wild-card picture.
Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are both healthy. Mitchell starts at running back. The 49ers favored by a touchdown.[1][2][3]
Matt Ryan in what might be his final Atlanta season. The Falcons are 6-7 and trying to keep their wild-card hopes alive. The 49ers, at 7-6, need every win they can find.
Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk both healthy. The defense is finally generating the takeaways at the rate that defines closing-stretch contenders. The kind of Sunday-afternoon game where the home favorite should handle business and the wild-card math continues to clarify.
Garoppolo against Matt Ryan. The 49ers favored by a touchdown.
Week 15 is the late-December playoff-picture sort. The 49ers (7-6) are pushing for a wild-card spot. The Cardinals continue to lead the NFC West. Around the conference the Buccaneers, Cowboys, Packers, Rams remain in the top tier. The Sunday game is the kind of week where the home favorite has to handle business against an Atlanta team trying to keep its own wild-card hopes alive.
Through fourteen games the 49ers are 7-6 with a +28 point differential. The Falcons are 6-7 with a -67. Matt Ryan averages 240 passing per game with 18 TDs and 9 INTs. The 49ers have won 4 of last 5. Mitchell averaging 95 rushing per game in the recent stretch. Vegas opens the 49ers as 7-point home favorites; total 49.5.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 9-4 | -- |
| Buffalo Bills | 7-6 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 6-7 | -- |
| New York Jets | 3-10 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 8-5 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 7-6 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 7-6 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 6-6-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 9-4 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 7-6 | -- |
| Houston Texans | 2-11 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-11 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 9-4 | -- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 8-5 | -- |
| Denver Broncos | 7-6 | -- |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 6-7 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Cardinals | 10-3 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 9-4 | -- |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7-6 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 5-8 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | 9-4 | -- |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6-7 | -- |
| Washington Football Team | 6-7 | -- |
| New York Giants | 4-9 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay Packers | 10-3 | -- |
| Minnesota Vikings | 6-7 | -- |
| Chicago Bears | 4-9 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 1-11-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10-3 | -- |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6-7 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 6-7 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 5-8 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Younghoe Koo 48 yard field goal | 3-0 |
| 49ers | Robbie Gould 30 yard field goal | 3-3 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Kyle Juszczyk 6 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 3-10 |
| Falcons | Russell Gage 20 yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Younghoe Koo kick) | 10-10 |
| 49ers | Deebo Samuel 10 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 10-17 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Jeff Wilson 5 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick) | 10-24 |
| Falcons | Younghoe Koo 22 yard field goal | 13-24 |
| 49ers | Jauan Jennings 4 yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo ( Robbie Gould kick) | 13-31 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 235 yards and a TD, the 49ers ran for three more scores, and the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-13 at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers' fifth win in six games. Atlanta struggled near the goal line, running 13 plays from the 10-yard line or closer without scoring a touchdown (tied second-most plays that close to the end zone without a TD since 1991). The 49ers took a 17-10 lead into halftime after Samuel ran 10 yards for a TD with 33 seconds left. The 49ers improved to 8-6 and remained in wild-card position as the NFC's #6 seed.[1][2][3]
The 49ers beat the Falcons 31-13 Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium. Five wins in their last six games. The kind of December stretch that looks like the run a wild-card team makes on its way to a real January.
Garoppolo threw for 235 and a touchdown. Samuel ran for one. The 49ers ran for three touchdowns and the defense forced the Falcons to run 13 plays inside the 10 without scoring a touchdown.
The Atlanta offense had nowhere to go in the second half. The 49ers' defensive line generated the kind of red-zone stops that defined the year's best stretches. 8-6 with the Titans coming up on Thursday night, then Houston and the Rams to close. The wild-card position is real.
49ers 31, Falcons 13. Margin: +18. Fifteen-game record: 8-6, +46 differential.
A 31-13 win over the Falcons at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers improve to 8-6.
How it unfolded
The 49ers fumbled the opening kickoff at the 12 but the defense held. Atlanta kicked a field goal. The 49ers took the lead on a Garoppolo TD throw. The 49ers built a 17-10 halftime lead on Samuel's 10-yard rushing TD with 33 seconds left. The second half was a defensive performance: the Falcons made it to the 10 or closer 13 times without scoring a TD. The 49ers added two more touchdowns.
The turning point
The Falcons' inability to convert near the goal line. With Atlanta in scoring position multiple times in the second half, the 49ers' defense produced the stops that turned potential 7s into 0s.
By the numbers
Garoppolo 235 yards on 32 attempts with a TD. Mitchell 18 carries for 88 with a TD. Samuel a rushing TD. The 49ers' defense held the Falcons to 13 points on 13 red-zone-area plays.
Personnel watch
Deebo Samuel back at full health. Mitchell continuing as the lead back. The defense in the kind of red-zone shutout that defined the day.
What it means
8-6 with the wild-card math actively in the 49ers' favor. The Titans come up on Thursday night next. The closing stretch favors the 49ers.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 18/23 | 235 | 1 | 0 | |
| Deebo Samuel | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Matt Ryan | 19/32 | 236 | 1 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jeff Wilson | 21 | 110 | 1 | 17 |
| Deebo Samuel | 6 | 29 | 1 | 10 |
| Jamycal Hasty | 1 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| ATL | ||||
| Mike Davis | 6 | 21 | 0 | 7 |
| Matt Ryan | 5 | 20 | 0 | 8 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 11 | 18 | 0 | 4 |
| Qadree Ollison | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| George Kittle | 6 | 93 | 0 | 28 |
| Deebo Samuel | 4 | 60 | 0 | 30 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 1 | 36 | 0 | 36 |
| Jauan Jennings | 3 | 28 | 1 | 15 |
| Jeff Wilson | 2 | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Jamycal Hasty | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| ATL | ||||
| Russell Gage | 8 | 91 | 1 | 21 |
| Kyle Pitts | 4 | 77 | 0 | 49 |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | 2 | 53 | 0 | 49 |
| Hayden Hurst | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Qadree Ollison | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2021 W15 - 49ers vs Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
