SANTA CLARA, Calif. — On their most important defensive play of the game, the Atlanta Falcons had a key piece missing: an 11th man on the field.
The San Francisco 49ers took advantage of that blunder to convert a key third down, setting up the touchdown that helped lock down a 20-10 victory over Atlanta on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
On a night when the Falcons (3-3) made several mistakes, that might have been the most egregious.
The 49ers were facing third-and-13 at the Atlanta 21-yard line with less than three minutes left in a game they were leading 13-10. A stop by the Falcons would have forced a field-goal try and given quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the offense the chance to drive for the go-ahead touchdown.
With one defender missing, though, San Francisco quarterback Mac Jones was able to find running back Christian McCaffrey on a 17-yard slant route down to the 4. McCaffrey ran it into the end zone on the next play, and the ensuing extra-point kick provided the final margin for the 49ers (5-2), who are tied for first place in the the NFC West Division.
The Falcons got to midfield on their final possession before turning the ball over on downs with a minute and a half to play.
“It was absolutely embarrassing,” Atlanta second-year head coach Raheem Morris said of the defense being a player short. “It was my fault. I’ll get it fixed.”
That wasn’t the only mistake the Falcons made on a night when the defense struggled to contain the versatile McCaffrey and San Francisco’s ground game.
Penix fumbled on a sack to set up a field goal by San Francisco late in the second quarter, and then the second-year pro committed an intentional grounding penalty with Atlanta in field-goal range in the closing seconds of the half. Penix threw the ball away before getting outside the tackle box, leading to a 10-second runoff that ended the half without the Falcons getting any points on the drive.
“You get rid of the ball, and that’s the way we’re taught in that situation,” he said. “I don’t know. I just knew I couldn’t take a sack in that situation right there.”
Despite all of that, Atlanta still had a chance in the fourth quarter to pull off the win.
On the drive before McCaffrey’s game-sealing touchdown, Atlanta had driven to the San Francisco 35 and had a chance at a game-tying field goal or a touchdown.
With Atlanta facing third-and-1, Bijan Robinson was stuffed for no gain and Morris opted to go for it in fourth down. Penix threw a quick out to No. 1 receiver Drake London, but backup slot cornerback Chase Lucas read the play perfectly and broke up the pass.
“Any time you get a chance to throw it to one of your best players, you feel pretty good about it,” Morris said. “They made a great play.”
The Falcons struggled most of the night on offense, generating only two scores on nine possessions.
Robinson was held to 40 yards on 14 carries and failed to reach 100 yards from scrimmage for the first time this season as his six catches tallied 52 yards. With the running game stalled, Penix was unable to make up for it as he was off target on several throws and under pressure for much of the night.
“At the end of the day, we just have to find a way to win,” Penix said. “If it’s on the ground, if it’s in the air, whatever it takes, that’s what we have to do. They did do good on the run game, but we’ve got to find a way. We’ve got too many good players on this team to not find a way.”
McCaffrey ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns in his first game with 200 yards from scrimmage in six years. His first score came with less than two minutes remaining in the first half and provided the first points of the night for the 49ers.
“That should be our plan every time,” left tackle Trent Williams said about feeding McCaffrey. “He’s one of the better players on our team, so putting the ball in his hands as much as possible works out good for us.”
The usually run-focused 49ers had struggled to generate much on the ground all season before getting back to their old style with help from the return of tight end George Kittle, who was activated Saturday after spending the previous five games on injured reserve. His hamstring injury came during the first half of the season opener.
“It’s a different ballgame when he’s in there,” McCaffrey said. “Even when he doesn’t have a big statistical game, the attention that he draws opens so much up.”
McCaffrey also had his first 100-yard rushing game since the 2023 season, when he was the NFL offensive player of the year, and his 201 yards from scrimmage were his most since 2019, when he was a third-year pro with the Carolina Panthers.
“He’s the most consistent player I’ve been around,” San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He just allows you to stay on track. He gets every yard in the run game and more. What he does in the pass game, it’s rare that you throw the ball to him and not get a completion.”
McCaffrey’s decisive touchdown was scored with help rookie offensive lineman Connor Colby, who pulled him into the end zone in a move that is technically a penalty but almost never called.
“I wouldn’t say carried,” Colby said. “His legs were still moving. I was just helping him along.”
The 49ers won for the fourth time in five starts this season with backup quarterback Jones playing in place of injured starter Brock Purdy. Jones threw for only 152 yards with an interception after averaging a league-high 313 yards through the air in his first four starts.
Penix finished 21-for-38 for 241 yards with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Robinson. Atlanta’s Parker Romo kicked a 38-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Falcons, who sit third in the NFC South, host the AFC East’s Miami Dolphins (1-6) next Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.