ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons did something Sunday afternoon hardly anyone gave them any thought for being able to do in Week 7: They beat the undefeated San Francisco 49ers.

Though the 49ers came into Sunday's game on a short week and with key injuries plaguing them, it was the Falcons that outlasted the once No. 1-ranked team coming into the week.

The 49ers threatened, particularly in the fourth quarter, but a late-game interception by Kendal Daniels sealed the performance and gave the 49ers their first loss.

From key moments to main takeaways, let's break down the win.

Final score: Falcons 29, 49ers 20

Why it's important: After back-to-back losses, the Falcons earned a big victory. It was Atlanta's first win of the season inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium and showed a return to form for a team that looked like one of the NFL's best in Weeks 3-4. That it came against the 49ers, who many were touting as the league's premier group heading into the game, showed the ceiling the Falcons possess.

Although San Francisco is dealing with multiple key injuries and lost star running back Christian McCaffrey for a portion of the game, the outcome was more a reflection of Atlanta's impressive performance than the 49ers' injury report. The Falcons were creatively efficient on offense and came up with multiple big plays on defense that stymied any 49ers' momentum.

Atlanta has stressed the importance of playing complementary football in recent weeks, and it accomplished that goal on Sunday to earn a much-needed victory against a good football team.

Key takeaway: The Falcons knew they were coming into Sunday's game banged up in key areas. Defensively, even though A.J. Terrell Jr. and C.J. Henderson were back on the field, the Falcons were without Divine Deablo, Billy Bowman Jr. and Avieon Terrell. Offensively, Brian Robinson Jr. absence with a hamstring injury opened the door for practice squad running back Khalil Herbert to get a fair share of looks.

And therein lays the biggest notes of the game: The Falcons relied upon its playmakers, yes, but some of the games key moments came on the backs of Atlanta's depth, and the players without name recognition or star power.

Herbert was solid in relief of Bijan Robinson. He turned heads in the first half with a near 20-yard touchdown catch-and-run. He was ruled just short of the goal line but the Falcons punched it in thereafter. He, along with rookie Zachariah Branch, put together a couple kickoff returns that put the Falcons offense in some of its best field position to date.

Then, there were the Falcons' tight ends. Charlie Woerner made some big plays on third down to move the chains. Nick Muse scored his first career touchdown.

The Falcons, of course, still relied on its stars to make plays. Kyle Pitts caught yet another touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. Drake London took physicality to a whole new meaning against the 49ers' secondary, coming down with his own touchdown to start the fourth quarter. And Robinson continued to be the backbone of the Falcons' offensive portfolio. But, on Sunday against San Francisco, the Falcons seemed to diversify that portfolio, relying on more and more individuals to make plays that mattered to keep the Falcons in this game.

Key moment: The Falcons won the part of the game often referred to by coaches as "the middle eight." This refers to the final four minutes of the first half and the opening four minutes of the second half, and while it may not have added up to exactly eight minutes, those two periods were crucial for Atlanta.

It began with Maason Smith's forced fumble that ended a threatening drive from the 49ers. Atlanta's offense then took the remaining 4:20 off the clock and ended the first half with a 33-yard field goal from Nick Folk to cut San Francisco's lead to 14-12.

The Falcons began the second half with the football and immediately got back to work. Running back Khalil Herbert, who was elevated from the team's practice squad on Saturday, took the opening kickoff of the second half 38 yards to set the offense up near midfield. From there, Atlanta marched 59 yards and took its first lead of the game on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Kyle Pitts.

Before the 49ers ever touched the ball again, the Falcons went from trailing 14-9 to leading 19-14.

Standout performance: Kendal Daniels

Last week, Daniels suffered a scary neck injury that had him strapped to a back brace and taken off the field via stretcher. He was transported to Grady Hospital to be evaluated. But it would seem Daniels had a guardian angel on his side. Tests came back in a good spot, and Daniels actually returned to practice at full capacity at the beginning of Week 7.

Not only that, but Daniels made the game-sealing play exactly one week later: A third-down interception he returned 29 yards.

Leaping into the air to jump in front of Brock Purdy's third-down pass, Daniels bobbled the ball before securing it and taking off downfield.

Not only that (again), but Daniels' responsibilities in this game increased as the Falcons were without Divine Deablo. Deablo normally has the green dot. This week, it was Daniels.

The rookie linebacker showed the future is bright for this defensive core.

In the end, the Falcons defense made things difficult on Purdy and a beat up offense. As a unit the Falcons racked up two sacks, three turnovers and forced three fumbles, one of which came at the end of the game and — would you look at that? — Daniels recovered. Tack on six tackles for a loss, and seven passes defended and you have a winning formula on defense.

Number(s) to know:

5

• Sunday marked the fifth consecutive game in which the Falcons have forced a turnover on defense.

11

• The number of completions Michael Penix Jr. had in a row during the first half. After throwing an incompletion on his first attempt, Penix hit his next 11 targets. He was 14 of 18 for 94 yards and a touchdown before halftime. His 77.8% completion rate is the fourth-best mark in any half of Penix's career.

14

• Jessie Bates III recorded his 14th interception since joining the Falcons in 2023, which is tied for third-most in the NFL during the last four seasons.

300

• Kyle Pitts recorded his 300th career reception on Sunday. He became the sixth-youngest tight end in NFL history to reach that milestone.

Injury updates:

• WR Drake London was evaluated for a concussion in the third quarter of the game, but he returned to action pretty soon after having been cleared by the medical staff.

Looking ahead: After a three-game home stand, the Falcons are back on the road in Week 8 to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This will be the first time Atlanta has played its division rival in 2026. Last season, the Falcons won a thrilling Thursday-night matchup in Tampa Bay thanks in part to a career game from tight end Kyle Pitts.