This time, the 49ers went away from their usual script.
Instead of taking an early lead and competing early – and then folding in the second half – the Niners folded in the first quarter.
San Francisco, en route to its 13th straight loss, gave up touchdowns to the Falcons on Atlanta’s first three first-quarter drives en route to a 41-13 loss.
The 49ers defense was torn apart by Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan and his mates, who piled up a whopping 550 yards in total offense. Atlanta rushed for 248 yards, with Devonta Freeman carrying 20 times for 139 yards and three touchdowns. Ryan completed 17 of 23 throws for 286 yards and two scores.
In the second half, the 49ers defense set a franchise record for most rushing yards allowed in a season, surpassing the previous mark of 2,363 in 1978.
The 49ers defense, already thin and run ragged the entire season, was ripe for the picking, with inside linebacker Gerald Hodges deactivated before the game for violating team rules, and fellow inside linebacker Nick Bellore knocked from the game early because of an injury. The losses forced safety Antoine Bethea and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks to be used at inside linebacker at some points in the game.
After the Falcons took their 21-0 lead, the 49ers finally got on the scoreboard on a 16-yard TD pass from Colin Kaepernick to tight end Garrett Celek. Just before halftime, San Francisco added another TD on Kaepernick’s 5-yard throw to Rod Streater to cut the lead to 28-13 (Phil Dawson’s PAT kick failed).
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The Falcons then held San Francisco scoreless in the second half en route to the easy victory.
San Francisco, still just a game behind the winless Browns in the race for the top pick in next year’s draft at 1-13, has just two games remaining, against the Rams in Los Angeles this coming Saturday (1:25 p.m.) before hosting the Seahawks Jan. 1 at Levi’s Stadium.
