The 6-0 San Francisco 49ers are gearing up for what might be their trickiest test yet this season before hitting their well-earned bye week. They are squaring off against the volatile Atlanta Falcons in a morning tilt in Atlanta, and let me tell you, the Falcons have a brutal turnover problem, averaging two per game, which is the fifth-highest in the entire league. Atlanta looked like one of the worst teams early on, then found some footing to hit 2-2 with Michael Penix back under center, but now they are back on a two-game skid, sitting at a shaky 2-4.
Atlanta Can’t Hold Onto The Rock
Seriously, it’s a mess. The Falcons have coughed up the ball 12 times this season. Four of those were picks thrown by Cooper Rush, who’s not even with them anymore, and five of the 12 turnovers came in their Week 2 loss to Carolina. You’d think with Penix back, things would clean up, right? Nope. They have turned the ball over four times in just the last two games. That includes Tua Tagovailoa’s overtime interception in a loss to the Ravens, though that was their only one against Baltimore. But last week against Chicago? Yikes. Penix fumbled twice, losing one, and Zachariah Branch lost both of his fumbles. It doesn’t matter who is quarterbacking, turnovers are absolutely snakebiting this Atlanta offense. They are one of only five teams in the league that average at least two turnovers a game.
And guess what, Seattle? Our very own Seattle Seahawks have also coughed up the ball 12 times this season, just like Atlanta. And get this: four of those 12 Seahawks turnovers came directly at the hands of those very same 49ers. I’m not saying the Niners are going to force four turnovers from Atlanta this time, but the small sample size tells you all you need to know: that San Francisco defense can absolutely feast when teams aren’t careful with the ball.
They Try To Run, But Will It Be Enough?
To try and avoid those costly turnovers, Atlanta leans heavily on the run game, and honestly, can you blame them? They average 29.5 rushes per game, which is the fifth-highest in the league. They feed Bijan Robinson as much as they can, and the guy is legit. Heading into Week 7, he is top-five among running backs in a bunch of categories: he’s second in rushing yards with 641, fourth in rushing first downs with 30, second in yards per attempt with a stellar 5.8, and fourth in attempts with 11.
It’s not just Bijan carrying the load, either. Former 49er Brian Robinson has settled in nicely as the spell back. Brian’s averaging 35.2 yards on about eight carries per game, which is about three and a half more carries per game than he got with San Francisco in 2025. And get this, he’s matched Bijan with four rushing touchdowns this season. With both Robinsons pounding the rock, Atlanta’s offense ranks fourth in rushing yards with 897 and has the third-highest yards per rush attempt in the league.
The 49ers are pushing for their seventh straight W, while Atlanta’s desperately trying to stop the bleeding and get their season back on track. Can the Falcons finally protect the ball, or will the Niners D feast again, just like they did against us? We’re about to find out in this Week 7 showdown. You know I’ll be glued to it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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