The Atlanta Falcons are sitting at 2-4 after a disappointing two-week stretch. Atlanta desperately needed to find a win over the past few weeks, instead dropping a game to the Tyler Huntley-led Ravens and (understandably) to the finally healthy Bears. The Falcons didn’t play terribly in either game, but in both, it was too little too late from Atlanta’s offense.
TNow the team enters the unenviable situation of needing a win against an undefeated 49ers team that has pretty consistently looked like one of the NFL’s best units despite a growing injury list. That lengthy injury list, along with some rest and off-field advantages, could help the Falcons pull off the unlikely upset in Week 7. The bettors seem to think so as well, as Atlanta is just a 2.5-point home underdog according to FanDuel.
Falcons vs 49ers predictions
On paper, the 49ers are clearly the superior team. San Francisco is one of only a handful of teams who are top-10 in both offense and defense, and one of only two who are top-5 in both categories. To put it simply, there aren’t any obvious glaring weaknesses on this team—except their long injury list, which is only growing heading into Week 7. That’s something the Falcons will have to take advantage of to come away with an improbable victory.
The 49ers offense struggled mightily once Mike Evans, who Falcons fans know quite well, left the game against the Commanders in Week 6. Washington was close to mounting a comeback, but was ultimately unsuccessful due to their own issues. Evans, along with Deebo Samuel, have both been declared out for Week 7. Those are major losses, and when combined with San Francisco’s other injuries at the position, could be too much for the passing game to overcome.
Atlanta is dealing with their own injury problems, particularly on defense. Starting slot corner Billy Bowman and linebacker Divine Deablo are both out, and three other cornerbacks are questionable. It does sound like A.J. Terrell and C.J. Henderson are likely to play on Sunday, but a new injury (and questionable designation) for rookie Avieon Terrell throw a wrench into things. Veteran Mike Hughes, who has struggled mightily this season, will be on track to start again unless those players are cleared.
Already down Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., Atlanta is looking at questionable designations for Za’Darius Smith and Samson Ebukam on the edge. Standout interior pass rusher Gervon Dexter Sr. also picked up a questionable tag heading into the weekend. Atlanta is perilously thin on the edge and can’t afford any more losses here.
If Atlanta can get most of these players in the game on Sunday, they may have a significant health advantage over San Francisco. History is also unkind to West Coast teams traveling to play in the 1pm timeslot on the East Coast, and the 49ers are working off a rest disadvantage after just playing on Monday Night Football. Health and extra rest could be critical to the Falcons pulling off the upset.
That’ll, plus Atlanta figuring out how to deal with blitz pressure and opposing defenses crowding the line of scrimmage. Michael Penix Jr. has been outstanding when kept clean this season, but he’s absolutely cratered when faced with pressure. Part of the issue is that Atlanta has been allowing the fastest time to pressure in the NFL by quite a wide margin, giving Penix little time to react. Hopefully that’s been a major point of emphasis in practice this week.
I’m not confident in Atlanta’s ability to take down a superior opponent, especially coming off the past two weeks. So I’m going to say that the 49ers should win this game. However, Atlanta’s potential health advantage along with the extra rest and the West Coast-East Coast factors could combine to give the Falcons a real shot in this one. Plus, Evan would be remiss if I didn’t mention the RED HELMET ENERGY. It’s uncanny, but the Falcons typically play great in this uniform. Will they pull it off? That’s the question I don’t feel confident answering.