The 49ers (3-2) travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Atlanta Falcons (2-3).
Marcus Mariota starts at quarterback for the Falcons. The 49ers are favored by 7. Aiyuk is in concussion protocol but expected to play.
The Falcons rank near the bottom of the league in passing yards.[1][2][3]
Marcus Mariota is the Falcons' starting quarterback in 2022, the kind of late-career chapter for the former Heisman winner that nobody really projected. The Falcons are 2-3 and have spent most of the season's first month finding ways to run the football.
The 49ers are 3-2 and getting healthier on offense. Aiyuk is in concussion protocol but expected to play. The defense, with Bosa leading the NFL in sacks, is back to itself.
The matchup favors the 49ers. Sunday in Atlanta should be the kind of road game a contender takes care of.
Week 6 is the early-October NFC seeding scan. The 49ers (3-2) sit in the second tier of the conference with the Cowboys, Vikings, Buccaneers. The Eagles remain undefeated. The Falcons are competing with the Saints, Panthers, and Buccaneers for the NFC South. The Sunday game is the kind of week where the favorite is expected to handle business and the conference's middle continues to sort itself.
Through five games the 49ers are 3-2 with a +47 point differential. The Falcons are 2-3 with a -10. Marcus Mariota averages 200 passing yards per game with 4 TDs to 3 INTs. The 49ers' defense ranks 1st in scoring (15.4 ppg). Bosa leads the NFL with 6 sacks. Vegas opens the 49ers as 7-point road favorites; total 44.5.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 4-1 | -- |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-2 | -- |
| New York Jets | 3-2 | -- |
| New England Patriots | 2-3 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 3-2 | -- |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-3 | -- |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-3 | -- |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-4 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 3-2 | -- |
| Indianapolis Colts | 2-2-1 | -- |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-3 | -- |
| Houston Texans | 1-3-1 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4-1 | -- |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 3-2 | -- |
| Denver Broncos | 2-3 | -- |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1-4 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 3-2 | -- |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2-3 | -- |
| Los Angeles Rams | 2-3 | -- |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-3 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | 5-0 | -- |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4-1 | -- |
| New York Giants | 4-1 | -- |
| Washington Commanders | 1-4 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 4-1 | -- |
| Green Bay Packers | 3-2 | -- |
| Chicago Bears | 2-3 | -- |
| Detroit Lions | 1-4 | -- |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-2 | -- |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-3 | -- |
| New Orleans Saints | 2-3 | -- |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-4 | -- |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | MyCole Pruitt 2 yard pass from Marcus Mariota ( Younghoe Koo kick) | 0-7 |
| Falcons | Jaylinn Hawkins fumble recovery in end zone ( Younghoe Koo kick) | 0-14 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Brandon Aiyuk 12 yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo ( Robbie Gould kick) | 7-14 |
| 49ers | Brandon Aiyuk 14 yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo ( Robbie Gould kick) | 14-14 |
| Falcons | Marcus Mariota 3 yard rush ( Younghoe Koo kick) | 14-21 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons | Kyle Pitts 7 yard pass from Marcus Mariota ( Younghoe Koo kick) | 14-28 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| No scoring this quarter. | ||
Marcus Mariota threw two touchdown passes and ran for another, and the Atlanta Falcons beat the 49ers 28-14 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mariota completed his first 13 passes for 129 yards and bootlegged in from the 3 in the final minute of the first half to put the Falcons ahead 21-14. A.J. Terrell scooped a 49ers fumble at the 21 and the Falcons scored on a defensive touchdown sequence. Charvarius Ward (groin) and Mike McGlinchey (calf) both hobbled off the field in the first half. The 49ers fell to 3-3.[1][2][3]
Marcus Mariota completed his first 13 passes Sunday afternoon. Two touchdown passes. A bootleg rushing touchdown. The Falcons beat the 49ers 28-14 in the kind of upset that nobody outside of Atlanta projected.
A.J. Terrell scooped a 49ers fumble at the 21 and the Falcons scored on a defensive touchdown sequence. Charvarius Ward exited with a groin. Mike McGlinchey limped off with a calf. The injuries piled up the way they sometimes do in a road loss to a sub-.500 team.
3-3. The Chiefs next at home in the rematch of the Super Bowl LIV teams. The conversation about who this team is in 2022, eight weeks in, is starting to get loud.
Falcons 28, 49ers 14. Margin: -14. Six-game record: 3-3, +33 differential.
A 28-14 loss in Atlanta. The 49ers fall to 3-3.
How it unfolded
A.J. Terrell scooped a 49ers fumble at the 21 and the Falcons turned the takeaway into points for a 14-0 lead. Mariota threw a touchdown to Drake London to make it 21-7. The 49ers cut it to 21-14 on a Garoppolo touchdown drive. Mariota's bootleg from the 3 in the final minute of the first half pushed the lead back to 21-14 at the break. Wait, scoring sequence: Mariota's bootleg made it 21-7. The 49ers' touchdown closed it to 21-14. The Falcons added a fourth-quarter touchdown to seal it.
The turning point
Mariota's bootleg touchdown in the final minute of the first half. With the 49ers about to take a one-score deficit into the locker room, Mariota's score pushed the lead to 21-7 and reset the second-half script.
By the numbers
Mariota 13-of-14 for 129 yards plus 50 rushing yards and the rushing TD. The Falcons held the 49ers to 50 rushing yards as a team. Garoppolo 296 passing on 30 attempts.
Personnel watch
Ward and McGlinchey both exited in the first half. The 49ers played the second half with backups at both spots. The injuries to the defensive backfield contributed to Mariota's perfect first half.
What it means
3-3 with the season's first really concerning loss. The Chiefs next at home, then the bye is approaching. The 49ers need a Sunday win against Kansas City to keep the season from heading into the bye on a two-game losing streak.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 29/41 | 296 | 2 | 2 | |
| ATL | |||||
| Marcus Mariota | 13/14 | 129 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Jeff Wilson | 7 | 25 | 0 | 9 |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 3 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| Deebo Samuel | 2 | 11 | 0 | 7 |
| Tevin Coleman | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| ATL | ||||
| Caleb Huntley | 16 | 59 | 0 | 16 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 15 | 51 | 0 | 8 |
| Marcus Mariota | 6 | 50 | 1 | 20 |
| Avery Williams | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Keith Smith | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Brandon Aiyuk | 8 | 83 | 2 | 14 |
| George Kittle | 8 | 83 | 0 | 19 |
| Deebo Samuel | 7 | 79 | 0 | 27 |
| Kyle Juszczyk | 4 | 33 | 0 | 10 |
| Jauan Jennings | 2 | 18 | 0 | 9 |
| ATL | ||||
| Olamide Zaccheaus | 4 | 58 | 0 | 37 |
| Drake London | 3 | 40 | 0 | 20 |
| Kyle Pitts | 3 | 19 | 1 | 7 |
| Keith Smith | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Avery Williams | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| MyCole Pruitt | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2022 W6 - 49ers at Atlanta Falcons - Game Thread
