ATLANTA — Michael Penix Jr. threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns and rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels had a key fourth-quarter interception on Sunday to help the Atlanta Falcons earn a 29-20 victory over the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers.
Daniels also collected a team-high 11 total tackles and recovered a fumble for Atlanta (3-4), which earned its first home win of the season.
Brock Purdy completed 27 of 40 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown, but was picked off twice as San Francisco (6-1) turned over the ball over four times.
The Falcons opened the third quarter with a 10-play, 59-yard drive and took a 19-14 lead on Penix’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts Sr.
Jessie Bates III intercepted Purdy on the next drive to return the ball to the Falcons at their own 10-yard line.
Atlanta then pieced together a 90-yard drive and pushed its lead to 12 on Penix’s 21-yard touchdown strike to Drake London on the first play of the fourth.
The 49ers reached Atlanta’s 23-yard line on the next possession, but Za’Darius Smith’s fourth-down sack of Purdy gave the Falcons the ball back with 11:30 remaining.
After an Atlanta punt, Purdy hit Kyle Juszczyk for a 1-yard score to cut the deficit to 26-20 with 5:05 left. Eddy Pineiro missed the extra-point attempt.
After the Falcons’ Jake Bailey shanked a 20-yard punt, Daniels — who was carted off last week with a neck injury — intercepted Purdy’s pass and returned it to the 49ers’ 19 with 2:34 remaining.
Nick Folk then knocked through a 31-yarder to make it a two-score game before Bates punched loose a George Kittle fumble, which was recovered by Daniels to seal the win.
Christian McCaffrey’s 1-yard rushing score on fourth-and-goal gave the visitors a 7-0 lead.
Folk’s 39-yard field goal made it 7-3.
San Francisco took its biggest lead on the first play of the second quarter as Kaelon Black rushed for the first touchdown of his career, a 30-yard scamper to extend the lead to 14-3.
Penix answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Nick Muse. Folk missed the subsequent extra-point attempt to leave the Falcons’ deficit at five.
San Francisco fumbled on consecutive plays on its next drive. After 49ers tight end Luke Farrell recovered Jordan James’ fumble, Atlanta’s Gervon Dexter Sr. recovered Black’s miscue at the Falcons’ 29-yard line.
Folk hit a 33-yarder as time expired to cut Atlanta’s halftime deficit to 14-12.
–Jack Batten, Field Level Media
