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Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers’ 20-10 win over Falcons

October 20, 2025
Inman: 10 things that caught my eye in 49ers’ 20-10 win over Falcons

SANTA CLARA – Alfred Collins’ locker is in the corner, the last one 49ers teammates pass by en route to hitting the showers.

His 6-foot-5, 332-pound body was stationed there after Sunday night’s 20-10 win over the Falcons when pint-sized reporters dared to question how the 49ers are compensating without injured stars, such as Fred Warner, Nick Bosa and Brock Purdy.

“There ain’t no dropoff here. We all work our butts off day in day out,” Collins, a rookie defensive tackle, said. “We’re close. When you’re close to your brothers, you can be dangerous.”

Sometimes, 49ers teams develop cohesion by intentionally having an early-season layover between back-to-back road trips. Not this season. No layovers. Instead, a remarkable bond is surfacing among the fill-in-the-blank-depth-chart 49ers (5-2).

“We like being overlooked,” Collins added. “Count us out if you want. Just turn on the tape and you’ll see what’s up.”

Here are 10 things I saw Sunday night that you should know:

1. TEAM (NFL?) MVP

Christian McCaffrey did his best work in the seventh game of his comeback-player-of-the-year, offensive-player-of-the-year, maybe-even-MVP campaign.

He ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns for the first time this season, and of his 129 yards, 109 came between the tackles for the third-highest such total in his career, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

Sure, all 11 offensive players key such rushing attacks. But McCaffrey was taken aback when he heard coach Kyle Shanahan state beforehand that it also takes the 49ers’ defense “stepping up so that you have opportunities to run. You’re not super behind (in the score). I’ve never heard a coach say that, but that makes so much sense to me. To be able to run the ball is a huge team effort and our guys allowed that to happen today.”

McCaffrey became the first NFL running back to produce at least 50 receiving yards in each of the first seven games of a season, leading the 49ers this game with 72 yards on seven catches.

His 201 scrimmage yards are the 49ers’ most in five years, since Jeff Wilson Jr.’s 204 against Arizona in 2020. The last 49er to hit that 200-yard mark and run for two touchdowns: Frank Gore, 2009.

2. MISSING-MAN KARMA

A week ago, the 49ers defense had only 10 players on the field when Warner sustained his ankle injury. Sunday, the Falcons got caught with only 10 defenders when McCaffrey made a 17-yard reception on third-and-13 to the Falcons’ 4-yard line, teeing up his second touchdown run from there.

“It’s absolutely embarrassing, and it’s my fault,” said Falcons coach Raheem Morris, whose team was penalized three plays earlier for 12 men on the field.

McCaffrey nearly came off the field before that third-down play but “I looked at him and said, ‘Go back as long as you’re not hurt,’” Shanahan recalled. “He knew the deal, he went back and it was a hell of a play.” McCaffrey commended Shanahan’s play call and Jones’ throw on a play they rehearsed in practice multiple times this past week.

3. KITTLE’S IMPACT

George Kittle did not have a catch for the first time in the 115 games he has played. He was targeted twice in his return from a Week 1 hamstring tear. “I’d love to catch a football once in a while. But when you can run the ball 37-plus times, it’s a fantastic night,” said Kittle, who played 54 of 67 offensive snaps. (McCaffrey played 50.)

The 49ers ran for 151 yards on 28 carries with Kittle on the field (1.4 yards before contact). When he was out, they had six carries for 12 yards and minus-2.1 yards before contact.

“George obviously helps,” right tackle Coltong McKivitz said, “but (Jake) Tonges and Luke (Farrell) did a great job today too, and Juice (Kyle Juszczyk), too. George is just great to have back in the offense and having his aura.”

4. COLBY’S TRACTOR PULL

Kittle liked seeing fellow Iowa product Connor Colby help haul McCaffrey across the goal line for that 4-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown run. “Fantastic. That’s a good Iowa guy,” Kittle said.

That’s also illegal, as Colby was informed by offensive line coach Chris Foerster upon reaching the sideline after the score. “I didn’t know. Heck, in college, we did that all the time,” Colby said. “I pulled around and there wasn’t really a spot for me to turn up, so I just wrapped around the kickout block and tried to pick up what I could. Then I felt him kind of running against me. That’s when I, I wouldn’t say pulled him in, but I did. I assisted.”

He assisted more uniquely when he caught a deflected Jones pass, rambled seven yards (for a 1-yard net loss) and kept the 49ers in range for an ensuing 55-yard field goal by Eddy Pineiro for a 10-3 lead.

5. WARNER’S PRESENCE

Warner made a surprise appearance only five days after ankle surgery, drawing cheers whenever the videoboards showed him sitting (ankle elevated) in a suite with his wife and son. One such time came with the 49ers offense on the field in the second half, and Kittle playfully complained how a silent count was almost required.

Warner also made a surprise visit Saturday to teammates. “He watched film with us. He didn’t give any pointers but he allowed us to learn and he just showed he’s still here, and to do that, he still cares and it’s not all about him,” said Tatum Bethune, Warner’s replacement.

Bethune and fellow linebacker Dee Winters wore Warner jerseys to the stadium, with Winters supplying Bethune the No. 48 top that Warner wore as a 2018 rookie; Bethune now wears No. 48.

“The rest of this season, man, I’m just thinking about Fred. Everything we do is for him,” Bethune said. “He’s done a lot for us. He put his body on the line for us. We just want to show him it didn’t go unnoticed, we learned from him and we feed off him.”

6. BETHUNE ON BETHUNE

Bethune was surprised to learn he made 10 tackles for a second straight game, noting he doesn’t pay attention and just tries to keep racking up as many as possible.

“I just want to be Tatum Bethune,” he said. “Fred’s done so much on this defense and made so many plays. I want to do the same thing. I don’t want to be Fred but I want to make plays the way he does… It’s inspiring. You don’t see linebackers do that around the league. I’m excited to learn from him for a year and a half. Now it’s my turn to make those plays, too.”

Linebackes coach Johnny Holland paid Bethune a visit in the locker room to praise his efforts, which included a late-game sack that Bethune coveted until it was nullified by Deommodore Lenoir’s illegal-contact penalty.

7. QUARTERBACK SHIFT CHANGE?

Brock Purdy might return from a three-game hiatus and start Sunday’s game at Houston (10 a.m., Fox), unless the 49ers give his right big toe more recovery time and ride again with Jones, who has appreciated his five starts.

“They’ve meant a lot. Everybody has had my back, Brock included,” Jones said. “He’s been so fun to work with. I’ve been fortunate to have wins. We’ve been fortunate to have wins. That’s important. Every win counts early in the year and all you’re trying to do is get to that number so you can get in the playoffs but got a long way to go there.

“We’re just taking it one week at a time,” Jones added. “My goal is to be prepared whatever role I’m in. I’m just looking forward to the challenge next week.”

8. RECEIVER WOES

It’s one thing to struggle without wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall, not to mention the yet-to-debut rookie Jordan Watkins. But it’s another to see passes dropped and backfire at key moments.

Jones got intercepted at the 18-yard line on the 49ers’ second series, when Jauan Jennings bobbled the throw. Perhaps more ghastly of a drop came in the fourth quarter when Jones’ 40-yard bomb slipped through Demarcus Robinson’s hands at the Falcons’ 25-yard line, on a heck of a third-and-3 call with the 49ers leading just 13-10.

The 49ers wisely relied more on their rushers against a Falcons defensive front that doesn’t boast the intimidating presence like Tampa did a week ago with Vita Vea.

9. INTERCEPTION ISSUES

The 49ers extended their NFL record to 14 consecutive games without an interception. That streak spans 469 passes, and they almost snapped it Sunday but Lenoir instead was called for pass-interference. The New York Jets are the only other team without an interception this season.

The Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud has been intercepted three times on 144 attempts this season entering Monday’s game at Seattle; he was intercepted 12 times last season after just five as a 2023 rookie.

10. CENTER’S ‘REVENGE WEEK’

Related Articles


49ers report card vs. Falcons: Run offense gets back on track


No Warner, no Bosa? No problem. 49ers meet the standard in shutting down Falcons


Kurtenbach: To fix their run game, the 49ers had to un-Shanahan their offense


Photos: Christian McCaffrey leads the way in San Francisco 49ers 20-10 win over Atlanta Falcons


What the 49ers said after beating the Falcons on Sunday Night Football

Jake Brendel’s served as the 49ers’ dutiful center for seemingly every meaningful snap since 2022. Then came a third-series hamstring injury Sunday and he was ruled out quickly, similar to Kittle’s Week 1 exit.

In stepped Matt Hennessy, who played for the Falcons from 2020 until the 49ers signed him off their practice squad late last season. Hennessy worked with Jones a lot as the second-string center in camp, making Sunday’s switch smooth.

“It was funny, we were talking this week and I was like, ‘It’s your revenge week this week,’ because he was in Atlanta,” Jones said. “Then sure enough, early in the game, he is like, ‘All right, here we go.’ And I was like, ‘Revenge Week.’ He did awesome. He was cool as a cucumber and just went out there and did his job.”

Hennessy relished helping with the rushing attack’s revival, saying: “It snowballs a bit when you get the ground game going and you can just start throwing body blows. We got to that position tonight and tried to keep hammering it. Then it got pretty fun.”

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