Falcons Stun 49ers 29-20: Drake London, Kyle Pitts Power Atlanta’s Week 7 Upset

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London scores a fourth-quarter touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. — Photo by Bee Trofort-Wilson / Atlanta Falcons

Summary

The Falcons defeated the 49ers 29-20 on Oct. 25, ending San Francisco’s unbeaten start.
Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes; Drake London and Kyle Pitts each caught one.
Jordan Watkins finished with three catches for 56 yards, including a key late gain during San Francisco’s comeback attempt.
The 49ers entered at 6-0 and Atlanta at 2-4; the result moves them to 6-1 and 3-4, respectively. San Francisco has a Week 8 bye; Atlanta’s next game is at Tampa Bay on Nov. 1.

Falcons finish the upset as the 49ers’ perfect start ends

The Atlanta Falcons beat the San Francisco 49ers 29-20 on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, handing the 6-0 visitors their first defeat of the season. Atlanta, which began Week 7 at 2-4, built a fourth-quarter cushion, then survived a late San Francisco rally and closed out the win. The result leaves the 49ers 6-1 and the Falcons 3-4.^{[1] [2]}

San Francisco opened with a 14-3 lead, but Atlanta cut the gap to 14-12 before halftime. Kyle Pitts’ five-yard touchdown catch put the Falcons ahead 19-14 early in the third quarter. In the fourth, Michael Penix Jr. found Drake London for a 21-yard score to cap an 11-play, 90-yard drive, extending Atlanta’s lead to 26-14. A late 49ers touchdown made it a six-point game, but Nick Folk’s field goal restored a two-score margin; Atlanta then recovered a fumble to end San Francisco’s last push.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Penix, London and Pitts deliver; Jordan Watkins sparks a late push

Penix completed 25 of 32 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, according to the game box score. London led Atlanta with seven receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown, while Pitts caught five passes for 22 yards and scored on the five-yard connection that gave the Falcons the lead. Running back Khalil Herbert, elevated for his 2026 debut, added nine rushing yards, a 19-yard reception and 65 kickoff-return yards. Those performances directly answer the game-specific player searches around Atlanta's upset.^{[3] [4]}

For San Francisco, Jordan Watkins finished with three receptions for 56 yards. His biggest contribution came during a fourth-quarter drive: NBC Sports Bay Area reported a 35-yard catch and another 21-yard gain as the 49ers tried to erase a 12-point deficit. A 23-yard touchdown throw to Watkins was overturned on review, and San Francisco later turned the possession over on downs. Brock Purdy finished with 239 yards and a touchdown, while Christian McCaffrey totaled 95 yards and scored once.^{[2] [3]}

What the 49ers–Falcons result means next

The upset followed a costly sequence for San Francisco: after a 49ers fumble helped Atlanta stay in the game, the Falcons converted key opportunities, and linebacker Kendal Daniels intercepted Purdy late in the fourth quarter. Atlanta’s defense held San Francisco to 20 points despite the 49ers producing 349 total yards. The game also included an injury watch for McCaffrey, who left with a thigh issue and returned to open the second half; his final line was 95 total yards and a touchdown.^{[1] [3] [5]}

San Francisco moves into its scheduled Week 8 bye at 6-1, then returns Nov. 8 to host the Las Vegas Raiders. Atlanta improves to 3-4 and heads to Tampa Bay on Nov. 1. For the Falcons, the win ends a two-game skid and offers a needed lift in the NFC South; for the 49ers, the bye arrives after their first defeat and a game in which late execution, not yardage, decided the result.^{[1] [6]}

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