The Falcons (5-9) are now on a 2-game win streak, following a 29-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers (11-3) on Sunday.
The game went down to the wire, with Atlanta battling on both sides of the ball throughout the day. Atlanta's offense had a decent outing, generating 290 yards of total offense. San Francisco's offense was solid, registering 313 yards total for the day. 49ers tight end George Kittle played a huge game against the Falcons defense, finishing his big day with 13 catches for 134 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 22 out of 34 passes for 200 yards.
Here are the main takeaways from the Falcons-49ers game:
Tabeek: Falcons proving great expectations were justified
For the second time in six weeks, the Falcons knocked off one of the best teams in the league and currently stands at 4-2 since the bye week. Heading into the game, the San Francisco 49ers were the top seed in the NFC and have fallen back to fifth in the division following the loss to the Falcons.
This season, the Falcons completed the sweep against the Panthers, beaten the Saints and 49ers on the road. The two upset victories against New Orleans and San Francisco this season, will go down as some of the biggest victories in Dan Quinn's career.
To read Matt Tabeek's column on the Falcons season and their latest major wins, click here.
Falcons offense delivers knockout but defense makes it possible
Since the bye week, the Falcons defense have stood tall against their opponents, showcasing a sense or urgency and improving in many facets. Heading into Sunday's game, the Falcons understood what it would take to compete with the No. 1 ranked team in the NFC.
"We knew we would have to have a good road mentality to come out here," coach Dan Quinn said. He added, "The last couple of times on the road we won at New Orleans and Carolina and here. You've got to really be connected to make sure you're ready for a fight, and we knew this was a very good team."
For more coverage on Atlanta's defense against the San Francisco 49ers, click here.
Other notable performances:
- Quarterback Matt Ryan ended the day completing 25 of 39 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns.
- Wide receiver Julio Jones had another explosive game, reeling in 13 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. This is Jones' fifth game of the season recording over 100 yards receiving.
- Linebacker De'Vondre Campbell led the defense in tackles, racking in 11 tackles total for the game.
- Linebacker Deion Jones was the second leading tackler amongst the defense ending with nine total.
- Defensive end Vic Beasley registered five tackles and a sack in the game.
For those who want further analysis of Sunday's game between the Falcons and 49ers, check out an archive of our live blog below.
