The San Francisco 49ers enter Week 7 preparing for an Atlanta Falcons team with two explosive offensive weapons and an interior defender capable of disrupting the game from the middle.
For San Francisco, the challenge starts with running back Bijan Robinson. He drives Atlanta's offense, and if the 49ers let him control the game on the ground or as a receiver, everything else becomes harder.
Behind Robinson, wide receiver Drake London gives Atlanta a true downfield threat, while defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. presents a completely different problem for Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offensive line.
Here are the three Falcons the 49ers must account for this week.
Bijan Robinson
Everything starts with Bijan Robinson.
Through six games, Robinson has rushed for 641 yards on 111 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt, with four rushing touchdowns. He has also added 20 receptions for 144 yards and another score, bringing his season total to 785 yards from scrimmage.
That production tells you exactly how Atlanta wants to play.
Robinson is not just a running back the 49ers have to stop between the tackles. He can bounce runs outside, make defenders miss in space, and become an immediate receiving threat out of the backfield. That forces San Francisco to defend the entire width of the field.
The defensive front must stay disciplined in its gaps. The linebackers have to tackle cleanly. When Robinson releases into the passing game, the 49ers can't let a short completion turn into an explosive gain.
The biggest danger comes if Atlanta gets him going early. Once Robinson starts producing consistently on first and second down, the Falcons can stay ahead of the chains, keep the playbook open, and force the defense to defend both the run and the pass without knowing which is coming.
For San Francisco, the objective is simple: Stop the engine first.
Drake London
If the 49ers start giving Robinson extra attention, Drake London becomes the player who can make them pay.
London has been one of Atlanta's most explosive offensive weapons through the first six games. He has 31 receptions for 550 yards, averaging 17.7 yards per catch. And he has already shown how quickly he can take over a game.
London posted 194 receiving yards against Green Bay, 96 against New Orleans, and 118 against Baltimore.
At 6-foot-4, London presents a difficult matchup because he can win in multiple ways. He has the size to compete at the catch point. He can threaten vertically. And his ability to create explosive gains means San Francisco's secondary cannot afford to lose leverage for even one snap.
That becomes particularly important if the 49ers decide to crowd the box against Robinson. The more attention San Francisco devotes to the run game, the more one-on-one opportunities Atlanta can create outside.
The 49ers do not necessarily have to eliminate London. They have to keep him from changing the game with explosives.
Make Atlanta string drives together instead of giving up the 30- or 40-yard completion that flips field position immediately.
Gervon Dexter Sr.
The defensive threat to watch is Gervon Dexter Sr.
Atlanta acquired Dexter before the season, and the move has already paid off. Through his first three games with the Falcons, Dexter generated 15 pressures, three quarterback hits and 0.5 sacks, including five pressures against Green Bay. At that point, his 20.5% quarterback pressure rate ranked eighth in the NFL among players with at least 50 pass-rush snaps.
His impact hasn't always shown up in the sack column, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous.
At 6-foot-6 and 326 pounds, Dexter has the size and power to collapse the interior pocket. That is exactly where Brock Purdy does not want pressure. Purdy can sometimes climb up the pocket to eliminate pressure from Edge. Interior pressure eliminates the space the quarterback is trying to climb into.
If Dexter pushes the middle of the offensive line back, Purdy may have to speed up his process or move off his spot before the route concept develops.
Dexter can also affect the run game by occupying blockers and creating penetration inside. The 49ers' interior offensive line has to prevent him from becoming the player who knocks San Francisco off schedule.
The Bottom Line
Atlanta's three biggest threats challenge the 49ers in three very different ways.
Bijan Robinson stresses the run defense. Drake London stresses the secondary. Gervon Dexter Sr. stresses the interior protection.
But this matchup starts with Robinson. If the 49ers can keep Bijan from controlling the game, they can force Atlanta into longer down-and-distance situations and make the Falcons rely more heavily on the passing game.
That would also give San Francisco more defensive freedom and make life harder for London.
On offense, the 49ers have to keep Dexter from collapsing the pocket and turning manageable downs into obvious passing situations.
The Week 7 formula is clear: Stop the engine. Limit the explosives. Control the interior.
More info on: Brock Purdy
Comments