The San Francisco 49ers played their worst game of the season in a 29-22 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Yet, the tone got set from the first offensive possession by the 49ers. Kyle Shanahan elected to use Tevin Coleman to start the game as running back and he looked awful. He picked up a yard on his first carry, went out to the flat on the second down play call instead of block resulting in a sack of Jimmy Garoppolo and couldn’t come up with a catch on the third down play resulting in a three and out.
Still the question is how come Coleman got used? On the season he is averaging 3.7 yards per carry and over his last four games received 31 carries for 65 yards and one touchdown. As opposed to Raheem Mostert who in his last two games carried the ball 29 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Also, a healthy Matt Breida made the move even more questionable.
There weren’t many positives on offense for San Franicsco. Garoppolo didn’t play particularly well throwing for 200 yards and a touchdown. Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel were nonexistent. Only George Kittle made an impact with 13 catches for 134 yards. Still he fumbled late in the fourth quarter on a play that likely seals the win for the 49ers if he is able to get the first down. Instead Robbie Gould comes in for a field goal.
It didn’t seem that Shanahan showed any conviction to run the football consistently. Mostert did lead the 49ers with 14 carries for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Shanahan took blame for the loss.
“I don’t think anybody stuck out and played bad or poorly, but I don’t think anyone played good enough to win and that definitely starts with me.”
Kyle Shanahan on the #49ers performance #ATLvsSF pic.twitter.com/RueY7gEvLq
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) December 16, 2019
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Kittle had this to say:
“Anybody can get beat on any given Sunday. We definitely have to play better. I don’t think we played at any type of intensity we’ve been playing at all year and we gotta fight out that.”#49ers TE George Kittle ready to get to work pic.twitter.com/YSVe768ECb
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) December 16, 2019
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Note: The loss puts the 49ers as the fifth seed in the NFC. Kittle also set a NFL record for most yardage by a tight end in their first three seasons surpassing Mike Ditka. San Francisco still has a shot at the no.1 seed and will need to beat division rivals the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks to do it.