ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 25: Jessie Bates III #3 of the Atlanta Falcons celebrates after intercepting a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mic
ATLANTA – Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes Sunday as the Atlanta Falcons capitalized on four turnovers to stun the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers 29-20.
What we know:
The victory snapped a two-game skid for Atlanta while delivering San Francisco its first defeat of the season.
The Falcons turned San Francisco miscues into 13 points, completely flipping the momentum of the contest.
Rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels intercepted a Brock Purdy pass meant for Jordan Watkins with 2:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Daniels capped his clutch performance by recovering a George Kittle fumble with under a minute left on the clock.
Earlier in the second quarter, Kaelon Black lost a fumble at the Atlanta 29 that Gervon Dexter Sr. recovered, leading to a 33-yard field goal from Nick Folk.
Jessie Bates III intercepted Purdy at the Atlanta 10 in the third quarter to set up another scoring drive.
McCaffrey was examined in the sideline injury tent, tested his leg by running, and went to the locker room before returning to serve primarily as a decoy.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not confirmed the return timetables for inactive starters Mike Evans, who is nursing Achilles tendinitis, and Deebo Samuel, who sat out with a hamstring issue.
Safety Marques Sigle also remained sidelined with an ankle injury.
By the numbers:
Penix finished 25 of 34 for 213 yards, three scores and no interceptions.
He connected on scoring strikes to tight ends Nick Muse and Kyle Pitts before delivering a 21-yard touchdown pass to Drake London.
Purdy completed 27 of 40 passes for 288 yards and one score, but gave away two costly interceptions and took a fourth-down sack from Za’Darius Smith.
Bijan Robinson paced the ground attack with 63 rushing yards. McCaffrey managed 39 yards on seven carries.
Timeline:
San Francisco grabbed an early 14-3 advantage on the opening play of the second quarter when Black dashed for a 30-yard touchdown.
Atlanta responded with 23 unanswered points to build a 26-14 cushion in the final period. Purdy hit Kyle Juszczyk for a 1-yard touchdown with 5:05 remaining to make it 26-20, but Eddy Pineiro pulled the extra point wide left.
Atlanta punter Jake Bailey shanked a kick that gave the 49ers possession at their own 47 with about four minutes left. Daniels grabbed his interception shortly after, paving the way for a 31-yard Folk field goal that put the game out of reach.
What’s next:
Atlanta heads to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report.