The Atlanta Falcons face another primetime challenge when they travel to face the San Francisco 49ers for Sunday Night Football. The last time the Falcons were on the road in primetime, they came away with an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings back in Week 2.
Can they repeat that success? If so, it’ll require improved play from some, while others need to maintain high-level play. That creates plenty of intrigue for this matchup, and thus, the task falls to me to name five Falcons who will captivate
our attention on Sunday night.
Michael Penix
Quarterback Michael Penix will need to improve his performance on the road if the Falcons want to continue climbing the standings to remain in playoff contention. The numbers for Penix at this early stage in his career have been poor when playing away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and that needs to change with the Falcons traveling five times over their next seven games.
Kyle Pitts
Despite tight end Kyle Pitts being off to arguably the best start of his NFL career, he had a quiet night this past week against the Buffalo Bills. Fortunately for the Falcons offense, Bijan Robinson and Drake London dominated enough to make the need for Pitts to contribute minimal. However, getting Pitts more involved this week against the 49ers could be very effective, especially given the absence of future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Fred Warner due to a season-ending injury.
Warner’s absence should create a void in the middle of that 49ers defense that a player like Pitts could help exploit. That could do wonders for Penix and the Falcons’ passing game.
Jake Matthews
Another thing that could do wonders for Penix’s success on Sunday will be having the presence of left tackle Jake Matthews on the field. The veteran tackle’s 183-game active consecutive-starts streak is in jeopardy, as Matthews is questionable for this 49ers game due to an ankle injury he suffered this past Monday.
While head coach Raheem Morris has expressed optimism about Matthews’s chances of playing against the 49ers, it’s still a game-time decision. And even if Matthews plays, will playing on a bum ankle make him less effective than we’re used to from the usually steady left tackle? That could have a dramatic impact on this matchup.
Divine Deablo
Steady play is precisely what the Falcons have seen from linebacker Divine Deablo, which has already earned his status as a homerun free-agent signing this season, mostly because he has answered every challenge put in front of him thus far this year. However, on Sunday Night, he’ll have the potential to add two more notches to his belt if he can help keep 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.
McCaffrey leads NFL running backs in receiving yards, and Kittle is expected to make his triumphant return to the lineup after missing five weeks due to a hamstring injury. It’ll take a group effort by the entire Falcons defense to keep both All-Pros in check, but Deablo will be at the heart of those efforts.
Dee Alford
Nickel cornerback Dee Alford will also play a part in keeping the 49ers’ playmakers in check, with the corner expected to make his second consecutive start filling in for injured rookie starter Billy Bowman. Alford is coming off one of the best games of his career, where he tallied a sack, interception, and multiple pass breakups. Alford’s improved play thus far this season makes him one of several players who have benefited the most from the presence of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
The nickel cornerback won’t figure too prominently into Ulbrich’s gameplan this weekend, since the 49ers are among a handful of teams that use three-wide receivers on less than half of their offensive snaps. But when the 49ers do utilize it, it’s been very effective, ranking in the top 10 in expected points added per pass, according to SumerSports. Alford’s ability to follow up with another strong performance will help limit the 49ers’ effectiveness and help boost the Falcons’ chances of walking away with another win on the road.
Can you name any more Falcons that intrigue you in this 49ers matchup? Who else needs to step up or continue to play at a high level for the Falcons to walk away with another road win in primetime?
