Grading 49ers' offense, defense in Week 6 loss to Falcons

Share

ATLANTA — The 49ers returned home Sunday afternoon after spending the previous 10 days in the Eastern time zone. The 49ers were happy to be heading home, but they were certainly not pleased to be returning to the Bay Area with a 28-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

“Self-inflicted wounds were the story of the day,” 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo said.

Yes, the Falcons played well.

And it’s equally true the 49ers did not.

Here’s a look at the 49ers' grades coming out of their lackluster Week 6 performance:

Rushing offense

Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. got off to a horrible start after rushing for 120 yards a week earlier.

San Francisco 49ers

Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.

Warner, Kittle subtly recruit Garrett to 49ers after trade request

Source: Bradley hired by 49ers as defensive assistant under Saleh

Wilson’s first-quarter fumble was returned for a touchdown, which gave the Falcons an early 14-0 lead.

Not gaining a bunch of yards on the ground can be overcome, but a turnover that turns into points is inexcusable.

Wilson gained just 25 yards on seven rushing attempts. The 49ers averaged just 3.1 yards on 16 rushing attempts as a team.

Grade: F

Passing offense

Garoppolo did not play poorly. He had 29 completions on 41 attempts for 296 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

His first interception came at the end of the first half on a play in which he tried to make a play with a deep pass.

The 49ers certainly could have been a lot better on third downs, where they converted just three of eight attempts.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a strong game with eight receptions for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

George Kittle also caught eight passes for 83 yards, and Deebo Samuel had seven receptions for 79 yards.

Ray-Ray McCloud had a chance for a big play but could not hang onto a deep Garoppolo throw despite getting both hands on it.

Tight end Charlie Woerner also let a potential big play get away.

Aiyuk had a 39-yard reception nullified by Jack Brendel’s holding penalty.

Grade: D-plus.

Rushing defense

For the first time this season, the 49ers’ run defense struggled. It came as no surprise the Falcons wanted to run the ball, and they did it successfully in a number of different ways.

The Falcons kept drives alive and were able to run the ball 40 times for 168 yards for a 4.2 average.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota had a key third-down run in the second quarter to help set up the team’s go-ahead touchdown.

Grade: D-plus

Passing defense

The 49ers’ pass defense was not the same without most of its starting defensive line and both starting cornerbacks.

Emmanuel Moseley is out for the season with a torn ACL, and the 49ers played most of the day without Charvarius Ward. He sustained a groin injury and did not play in the second half.

Mariota did not throw often, but he was effective when he did. He completed 13 of 14 pass attempts for 129 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 144.6.

Grade: D-plus

Special teams

Ray-Ray McCloud showed a little something in the return game with a 35-yard punt return to the Atlanta 32-yard line, which set up the 49ers’ second TD of the game.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky averaged 52.7 yards on three punts, but the 49ers also gave up 48 yards on returns.

Grade: C

Coaching 

Atlanta coach Arthur Smith wanted to execute a game plan similar to what the 49ers have done in their successful games.

The Falcons were physical, did not turn the ball over and piled up a ton of running plays.

Simply, the Falcons beat the 49ers as their own game.

Coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up some opportunities for big plays, but the 49ers could not finish the job. There were a couple of drops on deep throws, and one potential big gain to Aiyuk got called back by a penalty.

Grade: C-minus

Overall

This came down to third-down efficiency and turnovers.

That’s where the 49ers faltered, and that’s where the Falcons made their mark.

Yes, the 49ers had to turn to a bunch of backups. But that’s no excuse. Kittle declined to blame this loss on injuries.

“We are the San Francisco 49ers,” Kittle said. “We have a standard to play at. We play at a high level with a lot of energy and 100-percent effort on every play. I haven’t watched the tape, yet, but I don’t know if we gave that today at every single position.”

Grade: D

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

Contact Us