The Atlanta Falcons fell to the San Francisco 49ers with a final score of 20-10 on Sunday Night Football at Levi’s Stadium in Week 7. The game was decided in part by a costly Falcons blunder, which the 49ers capitalized on to set up a sealing touchdown. This loss drops the Falcons’ record to 3-3, putting them in third place in the NFC South. 

Following the game, wide receiver Drake London publicly stated that he felt the referees were favoring the 49ers, which was recorded as he was mic’d up for the game. When a player from the 49ers approached him and asked him why the referees keep throwing flags, London simply responded with;

 “This is your refs. This is crazy out here.”

While the 49ers’ defense shone, their star running back, Christian McCaffrey, was the main difference-maker on offense, posting 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns, often running straight up the middle against the Atlanta defense. Yet, what’s catching fans’ attention online is one touchdown in particular, when McCaffrey was initially stopped short of the goal line before a powerful pile-push carried him across. And now, that very play has everyone talking for one surprising reason.

While the NFL allows offensive players to push a ball carrier, the rule explicitly states that a player cannot pull the runner. Video replays and former NFL officials claimed that one or more 49ers linemen, specifically rookie guard Connor Colby, were seen grabbing and pulling McCaffrey across the goal line. But irrespective of that, the 49ers were given the victory as the time ran out.

On the other hand, for the Falcons, running back Bijan Robinson was solid but not spectacular (40 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards, 1 TD). The team needs more consistent play from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. if they want to find more success.

Mistakes by the Falcons led to their loss against the 49ers

The Falcons lost a close game to the 49ers primarily because they made major mistakes at the worst possible times. The most critical blunder happened right before halftime. After finally moving into field goal range, receiver Darnell Mooney stayed inbounds instead of running out, which forced the team to use its last timeout. This was immediately followed by a disaster: quarterback Michael Penix Jr. tried to throw the ball away to avoid a sack but committed intentional grounding while still in the pocket. The penalty resulted in a 10-second runoff that ended the half, denying the Falcons an easy field goal that could have tied the game or given them the lead.

This missed chance for points proved huge in the second half as Atlanta trailed by only three for most of the game. In the final minutes, with the score still tight, the defense made an embarrassing, game-sealing mistake. They had only 10 players on the field. That simple alignment failure created instant confusion, leaving superstar running back Christian McCaffrey wide open for an easy 17-yard completion and a first down.

That wasn’t just a mistake; it was the game-sealer. The 49ers scored a touchdown right after, locking in the 20-10 final score. Seriously, the Falcons lost a winnable game because of basic, elementary errors, like not having the right number of guys on the field. You just can’t do that if you want to win.