The 49ers are coming off a rough week after losing to the Buccaneers 30-19, and losing Fred Warner for the rest of the season.
Now they will have a chance to bounce back against a hot Atlanta Falcons team that just beat the Buffalo Bills on Monday. The 49ers may have multiple injuries across the board, including Ricky Pearsall and Brock Purdy, but they do have two big returns in George Kittle and Kevin Givens, who will become immediate contributors for this team. With all of that, what are some predictions for Sunday’s game?
Oct 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws downfield during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Mac Jones has proven to be a quality backup QB for the 49ers. In his 4 starts this season, Mac has thrown more than 320 yards in 2 of them. Those two games in particular were big-time dueling games against the Buccaneers and Rams.
To me, it seems clear that if the Niners want to win this game, Jones is going to need to beat the Falcons in the air. Having an amazing backfield threat in CMC, a clear connection with Bourne, and a returning Kittle who is a Top 3 Tight End every season, it seems easy to achieve. If Jones struggles with his passes and can’t find receivers, it’ll be a recipe for disaster.
Oct 13, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carries the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Bijan is coming off the best game of his season against the Bills, where he rushed for 170 yards. Wow. Bijan is one of the league’s top young Running Backs. He can find holes quickly and sees all the way up to the third level before he’s been given the ball. He is a 1/1 player, and the only way the 49ers can win is by slowing him down.
The 49ers’ defensive line has been a massive discussion point all season, but I do believe that they have shown up. Guys like Alfred Collins, Kalia Davis, Mykel Williams, Bryce Huff, and many more have been making massive plays all season and disrupting the backfield. Everything says the 49ers won’t be able to deal with this Atlanta OLine, but I have a feeling people will be surprised on Sunday.
Oct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddie Pineiro (18) celebrates at the end of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
This game is going to be a close one. I believe the 49ers offense will start off rolling to try and keep up with the Falcons. Mac Jones will throw 3 Touchdowns to keep them in the game, Eddie Pineiro will make 3 field goals, one of them being the game winner, and the Niners will walk away victorious.
It especially feels even more right given the wins the Falcons have had. They would think the 49ers are nothing compared to the Commanders and Bills, which leads me to believe they won’t be ready for the Red and Gold on Sunday. They are coming off a week where they lost their ultimate leader Fred Warner, which will either make you sink or swim. And they will swim.