History has repeated itself for the Atlanta Falcons this season. In 2024, the team beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a prime-time game that most experts expected them to lose, only to fall to the Kansas City Chiefs the following week. This year, after a similar unexpected win over the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta lost in Week 3 to the Carolina Panthers.
“Throw those stones,” said Falcons head coach Raheem Morris in Week 4, reflecting on criticism following their loss.
After their bye in Week 5, Morris told reporters ahead of Week 6: “You can take the Carolina game and you can throw it out the window.”
In Week 7, Atlanta faces another test as they travel to play the San Francisco 49ers. The matchup comes after a prime-time victory against the Buffalo Bills—a game where most analysts predicted a Falcons defeat.
“You learn from those situations,” said safety Jessie Bates III. “You learn from how you deal with adversity, then you figure out how you deal with that success as well.”
The Falcons responded to their loss against Carolina by defeating the Washington Commanders and scoring a season-high 34 points. This performance helped shift momentum heading into their bye and subsequent games.
“That type of momentum doesn’t just die,” said safety Xavier Watts last week.
Against Buffalo, Atlanta totaled a season-high 444 yards and limited its opponent to just 291 yards. It was also their first game this season forcing turnovers without committing any themselves.
“We want to be a playoff organization,” Morris stated after beating Buffalo. “We want to be able to go compete in those types of games, and we played one tonight.”
While Buffalo has reached six straight playoffs and San Francisco four of the last six, Atlanta now has another opportunity to strengthen its postseason hopes. The Falcons enter Sunday’s game with a record of 3-2 (following a bye), while San Francisco stands at 4-2.
Both teams’ losses include defeats by Tampa Bay; Atlanta also lost to Carolina (3-3), while San Francisco fell to Jacksonville (4-2). Unlike Atlanta—who were shut out by Carolina—the 49ers have not been held scoreless this season.
“That one bad game doesn’t define us,” said quarterback Michael Penix Jr. “That’s about it: One bad game doesn’t define us. We knew that wasn’t us that day.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s matchup at Levi’s Stadium (8:20 p.m. ET on NBC), players emphasize focusing on each contest individually and not letting previous outcomes influence future performances.
“That lesson,” Bates concluded, “shouldn’t be taught twice.”
