Falcons 28, 49ers 14: Win streak ends as offense just cannot rally all around Garoppolo

ATLANTA — Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans huddled his device for a stern, sideline speech as the 49ers’ game fell further more out of arrive at Sunday.

It wasn’t a significant huddle.

This was a various defense without Nick Bosa and five other would-be starters missing due to the fact of accidents. This was not the NFL No. 1 crew.

By the time Ryans lashed out in that moment-very long sideline huddle, the Atlanta Falcons by now had crafted up a 28-14 lead, and that held up as the last rating in advance of a bipartisan crowd in the 49ers’ to start with stop by to the Mercedes Benz-Superdome.

The 49ers (3-3) had a good deal of time to rally, many thanks in portion to Ryans’ defense not permitting any more factors after his moment-lengthy, sideline speech in the 3rd quarter.

Down-industry drops by Ray-Ray McCloud and Charlie Woerner, as effectively as a Falcons interception off a deflected move, seemed to doom the 2nd-half comeback.

What really concluded items off, on the other hand, was a bizarre fourth-down participate in with 2:33 to go. On-focus on throws by Jimmy Garoppolo to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle shoved the 49ers into the purple zone, but after Tevin Coleman lost a lawn on a pitch, the 49ers had just one far more shot to retain alive a critical push.

On fourth-and-2, with nine seconds still left on the play clock, Garoppolo took the snap and threw low to a double-lined Samuel for an incompletion that, essentially, put an conclude to the 49ers’ two-video game earn streak.

A 14-, initial-quarter deficit offered the 49ers a probability to show they — an normally conservative, run-very first offense — could play appear-from-driving soccer. They succeeded — in the second quarter, when Aiyuk caught two landing passes from Garoppolo in a 4 1/2 minute span to tie the score at 14.

The second fifty percent virtually just as discouragingly for the 49ers as their initially: Ray-Ray McCloud dropped a potential, 70-yard touchdown move just after racing past the Falcons’ defense and allowing Garoppolo’s strike tumble at the 25-lawn line.

Garoppolo completed 29-of-41 for 296 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Aiyuk and Kittle the two had 8 catches for 83 yards, and Samuel had 7 for 79 yards.

Garoppolo’s counterpart, Marcus Mariota, done all but his final pass, likely 13-of-14 for 129 yards and two touchdowns as the Falcons once again leaned on their hurrying assault (40 carries, 168 yards).

The 49ers’ protection, not shockingly, missed Bosa, whose groin injury from final game saved him out of uniform for the to start with time in 26 game titles.

Midway by means of the 3rd quarter, following slipping behind 28-14, defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans huddled up his personal injury-riddled corps for a moment-extended tough-lashing.

Cornerback Charvarius Ward (groin) headed to the locker area at the two-moment warning, and he would not return for the 2nd 50 percent, nor would suitable deal with Mike McGlinchey (calf). Other would-be defensive starters out or on wounded reserve were being defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley and protection Jimmie Ward.

Basic safety Talanoa Hufanga and punt returner Ray-Ray McCloud were cleared to return right after evaluations for feasible concussions. Many others wounded in the first 50 percent: defensive ends Samson Ebukam and Drake Jackson and security Tarvarius Moore.

No opponent had scored a lot more than 19 points in the 49ers’ earlier video games, towards a defense that had yielded the fewest yards and was tied with the Buffalo Charges for fewest points allowed.

Up coming up: Sunday’s homecoming in opposition to the NFL’s No. 1-scoring staff, the Kansas City Chiefs, who the 49ers past confronted in the 2019 season’s Tremendous Bowl.

The 49ers entered halftime down 21-14 after permitting a 75-property touchdown generate. Marcus Mariota place the Falcons again in the direct on a 3-property keeper. Rookie cornerback Sam Womack dropped outdoors containment on the participate in-motion pretend, and Womack did the exact gaffe on the prior perform that resulted in a 16-yard operate to the 3 by Caleb Huntley.

That proved to be the selecting score.

After successful final Sunday in 37-15 trend at Carolina, the 49ers figured to retain the offensive momentum rolling, following training all 7 days at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., where by they bunkered every of the prior two seasons in sweeping again-to-back East Coastline game titles.

This time, things opened bleak out the gate — from a 7- deficit just after one particular collection, to a 14- hole when Jeff Wilson Jr.’s third-down fumble was returned for a Falcons’ landing with 1:26 still left in the 1st quarter.

On the opening travel, the Falcons marched 74 yards in 11 performs, culminating with a second-and-goal, 2-yard touchdown move from  Mariota to 49ers’ 2021 camper MyCole Pruitt. Enjoying without Nick Bosa (groin) and 5 other defensive starters, the 49ers saw  Hufanga and Ebukam arrive off with injuries worries on that opening generate. Hufanga cleared a concussion check out throughout most of the generate, and he returned for that touchdown enjoy. Atlanta was 3-for-3 on 3rd-down conversions that opening drive, beginning with a 37-property completion in opposition to protection Tashaun Gipson Sr.