That was as bad as it gets for the 49ers. They fell to the Falcons 29-22 at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday and dropped back into the No. 5 seed.
Here’s what we took away from the loss:
Finally a bad loss
There it was. The 49ers have avoided a bad loss all year by putting teams away early or making enough plays to pull away late. They couldn’t avoid it Sunday when they couldn’t overcome a slow start. San Francisco let the Falcons hang around and it came back to bite them when Julio Jones caught a five-yard pass from Matt Ryan to take a 23-22 lead with two seconds left. This was the trap game of all trap games and the 49ers fell into it face first.
Season is now 2 weeks long
The playoffs have effectively started for the 49ers. Their loss against the Falcons eliminated their margin for error going into their Week 16 matchup with the Rams. San Francisco has to win their next two to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs. That bye week effectively counts as a win since they’d move straight to the divisional round, and get a home game that week. If they don’t get the first-round bye, they would go on the road three times in order to reach the Super Bowl. Sunday’s loss was bad, but the 49ers’ fate is still in their own hands.
It was George Kittle’s day … until it wasn’t
There wasn’t a better player on the field Sunday than Kittle. The 49ers’ tight end pulled in 13 catches for 134 yards and looked to be the only player on offense capable of making a play. Jimmy Garoppolo looked to him on 17 of his 34 pass attempts, including on what would’ve been the game-sealing play. Kittle caught a screen pass on third-and-4 and took off for the first down marker with 1:59 left. A first down would’ve ended the game, but he inexplicably fumbled before getting the first down. He dove on the loose ball and slid out of bounds after picking up 3. San Francisco was forced to kick a field goal and allowed the Falcons to get the ball back. It was a rare mistake from Kittle that came at the worst possible time, but he’s also the only reason they were in a position to win anyway.
Defense feels the injuries
It was clear the 49ers missed the experience Richard Sherman, Jaquiski Tartt and K’Waun Williams provide. They had a tough time in the secondary, particularly against Julio Jones, who had a monster 13-catch, 134-yard, two touchdown game. Atlanta’s offense had the 49ers’ number virtually all afternoon, and when it came time for adjustments, San Francisco didn’t have any. They badly need that trio of defensive backs healthy if they’re going to make noise in the playoffs.
Receivers regress
A week after shining in the Superdome, the 49ers receiving corps took a step back. The trio of Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne combined for four catches and 49 yards on nine targets. They simply didn’t have an impact Sunday, and the result was a sputtering offense that didn’t move the ball unless it was thrown to Kittle. That group can’t disappear down the stretch. The 49ers won’t go far if they do.
