49ers Fall Flat in Costly Loss to Falcons

Atlanta won the game in dramatic fashion, as Matt Ryan found Julio Jones in the end zone in the final seconds to give the Falcons the lead for good.

The initial ruling on the field was that Jones fell short of the goal line. Atlanta had no timeouts remaining, and the clock expired. However, replays showed Jones crossing the plain with possession of the football. An overthrown lateral attempt on the following kickoff gifted the Falcons a cheap touchdown and sealing the loss for the 49ers.

Here are some takeaways from the loss that may end up costing the 49ers the top seed in the NFC Playoffs.

Need Better Receiver Play

It’s no secret that George Kittle is San Francisco’s top threat receiving-wise, but we will get to him in a bit. The 49ers knew they had issues at the receiver position coming into this season, that’s why they went out and got Emmanuel Sanders. Still, there’s been games that leave you wanting much more from this receiving core. This game is one of them. Of the 22 completed passes from Jimmy Garoppolo, true wide receivers caught just four of them. Yes, just four. Those four receptions totaled just 49 yards. Sanders caught just two passes for nine yards. Kendrick Bourne and Deebo Samuel caught just one pass each.

Garoppolo has established himself as one of the top young quarterback arms in the NFL this season. Regardless, poor receiver play can doom the majority of quarterbacks across the league. This is especially concerning against the Falcons, as Atlanta ranks just 23rd in passing yards allowed per game and is far from great in the secondary. 

With the reports of Odell Beckham Jr. wanting out of Cleveland gaining traction seemingly every week, 49ers fans will be wishing for the front office to make a move for OBJ this offseason. San Francisco showed interest in acquiring OBJ this past offseason, but could not get a deal done. With Garoppolo and Beckham apparently forming a nice friendship, could we see Odell in the Bay Area in 2020?

George Kittle is a Machine

This seems to be a theme with these weekly recaps. George Kittle has placed himself among the ranks of Zach Ertz and Travic Kelce. Those two are legitimate receiving threats every play, and Kittle is no exception.

Kittle continued to put the league on notice with his monstrous catch and run late against New Orleans last week that set up the game-winning kick by Robbie Gould. 

Against the Falcons, Kittle once again put up big numbers. He hauled in 13 receptions (a season high) for 134 yards. Despite no touchdowns, Kittle still entertained in the end zone.

Having a downfield threat that is also one of the league’s best safety valves is a luxury few teams enjoy. The 49ers have that in Kittle. 

Kittle now leads all tight ends in receiving yards with 1,377. Kelce and Ertz have also eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving, but each has over 100 receptions on the year. Kittle has just 88. San Francisco may have some work to do with their receiving core, but Kittle has done his part to disguise those issues.

Beyond a Costly Loss

With the Los Angeles Rams losing, the 49ers did clinch a playoff spot yesterday despite losing themselves. The problem is that the playoff spot is far uglier than San Francisco would like.

Losing to the Falcons dropped the 49ers to 11-3. Needless to say, there are plenty of teams who would love to be in that position, and maybe should be. Yet, that record has San Francisco as the fifth seed in the NFC playoff picture. (Note: the following postseason standings were recorded prior to the Monday Night Football Game)

The Seattle Seahawks also moved to 11-3 after defeating the Carolina Panthers. Since Seattle beat the 49ers earlier this year, they own the divisional tiebreaker over San Francisco. So, losing to Atlanta essentially dropped the 49ers from the top seed to the fifth seed. That’s exactly why you do not overlook anyone in the National Football League.

Other Notes

Jimmy Garoppolo was not bad, but this was certainly not his best performance. It was the first time since week nine that his quarterback rating did not surpass 100.

“I need to be better,’ Garoppolo said in his post-game press conference. “I think a lot of guys in the locker room have that same mindset”.

Fred Warner continues to develop nicely with this top-tier San Francisco defense. He eclipsed 100 total tackles on the year, racking up nine against the Falcons and totaling 104 on the year. He is the only 49er with 100 tackles this season.

Arik Armstead and Nick Bosa continue to wreak havoc against opposing offensive lines. Armstead did not record a sack, however, Bosa did record one. Both are in the top 20 in total sacks this season. San Francisco is third in total sacks as well.

Looking Ahead

San Francisco faces a short week as they host the Rams on Thursday night. Even if both themselves and the Seahawks are victorious, the 49ers have a chance to recapture the NFC West as they wrap up the regular season on the road in Seattle.

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