Shorthanded 49ers defeat Falcons 20-10

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Fred Warner cheered from a Levi’s Stadium suite with his surgically repaired ankle elevated. Down below, the San Francisco 49ers put on a victorious show for its fallen linebacker and a prime-time audience.

Sunday night’s 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons delivered a much-needed morale boost.

While Christian McCaffrey supplied two rushing touchdowns and 201 yards from scrimmage, it was the 49ers’ defense that proved surprisingly stout, a week after losing Warner to a dislocated and fractured ankle.

The 49ers (5-2) have yet to lose back-to-back games this season, keeping them tied atop the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams (5-2).

Next up, the 49ers return to the road for a Sunday visit to the Houston Texans, who take a two-game win streak and a 2-3 record into Monday night’s game at Seattle (4-2).

McCaffrey ran for over 100 yards for the first time since 2023 (24 carries, 129 yards) and also delivered 72 receiving yards as Jones made his third straight start and fifth this season in place of an injured Brock Purdy.

The 49ers’ defense may have lacked Warner, not to mention Week 3 victim Nick Bosa, but it repeatedly came through with momentum-halting plays, often via blitzes and some of those from Warner’s replacement, Tatum Bethune.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the 49ers produced a fourth-down stop from its own 35-yard line. Rather than give the ball to NFL scrimmage yard leader Bijan Robinson or attempt a game-tying field goal, the Falcons saw Drake London drop a Michael Penix Jr. pass against Chase Lucas’ tight coverage.

From there, the 49ers chewed up the clock, marched downfield, and, on third-and-13, Mac Jones delivered a 17-yard completion to McCaffery. Then came the offense’s grand finale: a 4-yard touchdown run by McCaffrey, who was pulled across the goal line by guard Connor Colby while center Matt Hennessy and guard Dominick Puni assisted. With 2 1/2 minutes to go, the 49ers led by 10, and, unlike so often last season, that margin would prove enough.

The 49ers owned a 13-3 lead before Robinson delivered the Falcons’ first touchdown with 6:28 left in the third quarter. Robinson scored on a 10-yard reception in which he slipped from Bryce Huff’s grasp, zoomed past a turned-around Dee Winters, then barreled through Ji’Ayir Brown and Bethune at the goal line.

McCaffrey artistically catapulted the 49ers into the lead 1:48 before halftime. After his 1-yard touchdown run up the middle put the 49ers ahead 7-3, he somersaulted into the north end zone, stood up and stretched his arms wide as if taking a bow for his second rushing score in as many games.

That capped a 13-play, 80-yard march requiring three third-down conversions, including a 13-yard completion to McCaffrey at the 1.

The 49ers’ defense went without an interception for the 14th consecutive game. But it did create a key turnover. Huff’s strip sack and Alfred Collins’ fumble recovery led to Eddy Pineiro’s 55-yard field goal for a 10-3 halftime lead.

Pineiro finished off the second half’s opening drive with a 43-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 13-3 and making him 17 of 17 on field-goal attempts since replacing Jake Moody in Week 2.

Tight end George Kittle, back from a hamstring tear in the season opener, had no catches on two targets, but his blocking helped revive the 49ers’ dormant rushing attack. After all, the 49ers’ offense entered Sunday ranked first in passing yards (291.5 per game) and were opposing the Falcons’ No. 1-ranked pass defense, coordinated by former 49ers linebacker and San Jose native Jeff Ulbrich.

Atlanta scored first on a 38-yard field goal from Parker Romo, but that came after Huff and Sam Okuayinonu split a third-down sack to minimize a 19-play, 10 1/2-minute drive.

Robinson finished with just 40 rushing yards (14 carries) and 52 receiving yards (six catches). Bethune had 10 tackles for the second straight game.

The 49ers were poised to answer with its first points, but the Falcons’ Kaden Ellis intercepted a Jones pass that Jauan Jennings bobbled at the Falcons’ 18. Atlanta failed to capitalize on that interception or on a pass-interference penalty against Deommodore Lenoir, who nearly had the 49ers’ first interception in 445 passes.

On the 49ers’ ever-growing injury list, cornerback Renardo Green (toe) and center Jake Brendel (hamstring) left with first-half injuries. Brendel has handled almost all snaps since 2022, and Matt Hennessy replaced him on Sunday’s third series.

Purdy could be in line to return next game after missing his third straight start Sunday night and his fifth this season because of a toe injury. He practiced in limited fashion last week and was upbeat Sunday after getting in a pregame workout on the training fields.

Neither team scored through the first quarter, and the 49ers had only one possession, which started with a sack (allowed by Dominick Puni) before McCaffrey and Brian Robinson keyed a drive that didn’t get past the Falcons’ 42-yard line.

Warner made a surprise appearance in pregame warmups, his ankle propped up on a scooter behind the end zone. He waved to the crowd and was greeted by McCaffrey, Brown, linebackers coach Johnny Holland and referee Ron Torbert.

Several players wore Warner-themed T-shirts in warmups, and linebackers Winters and Bethune wore Warner jerseys to the stadium.

Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis made a cameo at practice last week and was at Sunday night’s game. Rather than drill instructions, Willis said his message to simply remind the 49ers this is “their time” and he’s as eager as anyone to see the results.

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