The 3-2 San Francisco 49ers look to improve their record on Sunday against the 2-3 Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are scrappy and will do whatever it takes to secure a victory. The 49ers must do these five things if they want to "Rise-Up" and walk away with a win.
SPY
The 49ers need an eye on Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota. The Falcons are the third-ranked rushing team in the NFL, with 823 yards. Mariota has contributed 156 yards on the ground, along with two touchdowns. The Falcons aren't afraid to run the ball with Mariota. He has 23 designed runs, 13 scrambled runs, and two touchdowns. A spy on Mariota will eliminate him from being effective using his legs.
PRESSURE
The 49ers generated pressure and produced six sacks against the Carolina Panthers without any sacks contributed by defensive end Nick Bosa. The 49ers don't have to get home on Mariota, but they must pressure the quarterback. Mariota has four interceptions on the season. The pressures will allow the back end to make plays and get the ball back to the offense.
RUN IT
The Falcons are ranked 17th against the run. Though they sit in the middle of the pack, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to develop a good rushing attack against this defense. I expect many inside zone runs from Jeff Wilson Jr. and Ty Davis-Price. Let Tevin Coleman handle the outside area runs against this 3-4 defense. The 49ers are ranked eighth in rushing, averaging 138.8 yards per game. A good rushing attack will open the offense to screens and play-action pass plays down the field.
Find the RHYTHM
The 49ers have been doing a good job getting into a rhythm early. Last game, the team scored a touchdown on a seven-play, 75-yard drive. It seems that the identity of the 49ers is beginning to take shape. It's a balance of runs, quick throws, and a few intermediate throws for a score. If the 49ers stay stride, the team will be almost impossible to defeat. Rhythm leads to long drives, and long drives lead to points.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The 49ers must be sound on special teams. Last week the team was horrendous, giving up two 50-yard returns, one of which injured kicker Robbie Gould. The 49ers need to clean up the blocked field goals because the 49ers need to put up points on the road, point blank, period, no pun intended. The Falcons are good in the return game. They're ranked sixth in kickoff returns and first in punt returns. The 49ers must stay in their lanes, wrap and tackle. Good special teams could aid the 49ers to another victory.
The 49ers face a scrappy team. The Falcons are in almost every game and don't lose by many. If the 49ers stick to these five keys, they will again be victorious.