The Atlanta Falcons delivered a statement on Monday Night Football by topping the Buffalo Bills 24-14. With that massive win, the Falcons enter Santa Clara as 1.5-point underdogs against the 49ers on Sunday
Night Football, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
The over/under sits at 46.5 points.
It wasn’t just Atlanta winning on Sunday that was impressive — it was the way in which they won. The Falcons’ defense had Josh Allen flummoxed for the entire evening, sacking him four times and saddling him with two interceptions. He was harassed all game long, and now Atlanta brings that defensive show on the road to Santa Clara.
With quarterback Brock Purdy still on the shelf with a turf toe injury, it will be Mac Jones under center for San Francisco. To his part, Jones has been effective in relief of the injured Purdy, guiding the Niners to a 3-2 record in his starts. He’s averaging 313 passing yards a game, and doing so without some of his top weapons in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.
Aiyuk continues to recover from a knee injury sustained last season, but Kittle plans to be back in action Sunday night.
Atlanta’s defense currently ranks first in the NFL for passing yards allowed and offensive yards per game, and the recent uptick in pass-rushing aptitude spells a tall order for Mac Jones and the 49ers offense.
The Falcons are 33-48-1 all-time against the Niners, and 3-2 over their last five meetings. This game has heavy implications for each squad, and with the Atlanta defense showing out in primetime and the 49ers battling injury, it’s no surprise that it’s a coin flip heading into Sunday Night Football.
