San Francisco’s undefeated run is officially over. The 49ers dropped their first game of the season in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, a chaotic matchup where penalties and turnovers ran wild, sealing their fate long before a missed extra point made the final drive irrelevant.
Purdy’s Rollercoaster Ride Under Center
Let’s be real, Brock Purdy’s Week 7 outing was a mixed bag. He clocked in 21st in EPA per play, which isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard, but he was sixth in passing success rate. Those two interceptions he threw? Yeah, they definitely tanked that EPA number. Still, Purdy completed a respectable 67% of his passes, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. The man only had two deep attempts all game; you gotta wonder what that EPA could’ve looked like had he connected on that second one.
What stood out, though, was his knack for creating plays. Dude ran out of a couple of sacks and turned them into first downs, keeping drives alive. Atlanta did a solid job of shutting down his scramble game, though; he ended up with zero scramble yards. While Purdy had the eighth-highest on-target percentage, he was throwing short of the sticks more than usual. That fourth-down sack and his first interception absolutely hammered his grade. He’s a playmaker, no doubt, and the Niners are always in the game with him. The source even says a team can be a contender with a QB who throws a pair of picks. Hmm, we’ll see about that.
Ball Security Nightmare for the 49ers Backfield
The running backs got a B+, but honestly, that feels generous when you talk about ball security. Christian McCaffrey had only seven carries before having to leave with a thigh injury. He came back, probably out of pure necessity, but you simply cannot ignore the fumbles! McCaffrey still posted a 71.4% success rate, which is good. James spun off a tackle for a nice six yards, and Black? Black made a great jump cut on his touchdown run and averaged 5.25 yards per carry, with a whopping 61 of his 63 yards coming after contact, forcing two missed tackles. The best Black has looked all season, they say.
But here’s the kicker: Jordan James and Kaelon Black fumbled on back-to-back plays. That’s just unacceptable. Kyle Juszczyk, bless his blocking heart, did have a terrific block to spring Black on that touchdown run and played a huge part in their rushing success. McCaffrey caught six of his seven receptions for 61 yards, James took his one pass for 11 yards, and Juszczyk caught a touchdown on all three of his targets. But those fumbles and a couple of stuffed runs? That’s what sticks with you.
Kittle’s Game-Ending Blunder and the Pass Catching Pains
The pass catchers got a B, and frankly, George Kittle is probably why they aren’t lower. Kittle was all over the place, catching eight of his 19 targets for 88 yards, including 40 yards after the catch. But then, to end the game, he fumbled! Unbelievable. And I was more disappointed he couldn’t haul in either of his contested catches. Luke Farrell caught a first down and was a solid blocker.
Jacob Cowing, who was targeted on the first interception, still managed to catch a first down during a drive and grabbed his other two targets for 38 yards. He even went 1-for-2 in contested situations and adjusted well to lower throws. So Cowing wasn’t the issue, apparently. But when your star tight end fumbles to seal your first loss? That’s a gut punch.
So, the undefeated streak is gone for the 49ers. They’re heading back to the drawing board to figure out how to stop giving the ball away. While they’re doing that, let’s just remember that our very own Seattle Seahawks just took down the Kansas City Chiefs, 20-3! That’s how you respond in Week 7, Emerald City. While they’re struggling, we’re building momentum. The NFC West just got a whole lot more interesting, and our Hawks are ready to make some noise.
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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