Falcons 29-20 49ers: Penix and four takeaways end San Francisco's perfect start
Atlanta handed the previously unbeaten 49ers their first loss of the season behind a turnover-free Michael Penix Jr. and a defense that forced four giveaways.
The NFL's last perfect record is gone. The Atlanta Falcons beat the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers 29-20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, snapping a two-game skid, grabbing their first home win of the season and handing the 6-0 visitors their first loss, per ESPN's final and the Falcons' game breakdown.
Penix clean, Purdy harassed
Michael Penix Jr. finished 25-of-34 for 213 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, at one point completing 11 straight passes in the first half. Kyle Pitts caught a touchdown that was also his 300th career reception, Drake London added a 21-yard score after being evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter, and tight end Nick Muse grabbed the first touchdown of his career. On the other side, Brock Purdy went 27-of-40 for 288 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions; George Kittle caught eight passes for 88 yards and Christian McCaffrey ran for a short score.
The middle eight
San Francisco led 14-12 at the break, but the stretch around halftime swung it. Maason Smith forced a fumble to kill a 49ers drive, Nick Folk's 33-yard field goal trimmed the deficit, and Atlanta opened the second half with a 59-yard march that Penix finished with the touchdown to Pitts for a 19-14 lead the Falcons never gave back. The turnover column told the rest of the story: San Francisco gave the ball away four times — two interceptions and two lost fumbles — while Atlanta had none. Kendal Daniels, back only a week after a neck injury, picked off Purdy and returned it 29 yards, then recovered a late fumble to seal it.
What it means
San Francisco drops to 6-1, beaten on a short week while missing several starters — a loss that stings more for how it happened than for where it leaves them. Atlanta, now 3-4, has a takeaway in five straight games and carries that defensive identity into a Week 8 division trip to Tampa Bay.