ClutchPoints
The Atlanta Falcons enter Sunday night’s primetime showdown against the San Francisco 49ers riding a wave of momentum, having defeated two consecutive conference finalists in the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills. At 3-2, Atlanta finds itself in a position to capitalize on a severely undermined 49ers defense that has been gutted by devastating injuries to two of their most critical defensive anchors.
As the Falcons prepare for their trip to Santa Clara, one matchup stands above all others as the key to victory: unleashing running back Bijan Robinson against a 49ers defense that has been left vulnerable without All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and elite pass rusher Nick Bosa. Robinson, who currently leads the NFL with 822 scrimmage yards despite playing just five games, presents a nightmare scenario for a San Francisco defense that has already shown significant cracks in recent weeks.
The most significant matchup the Falcons must exploit centers on Robinson’s versatility against a 49ers defense that has lost its two most important playmakers. Warner, a four-time All-Pro linebacker who served as the defensive captain and signal-caller, suffered a season-ending dislocated and broken ankle in Week 6. His absence compounds the loss of Nick Bosa, who tore his ACL in Week 3, leaving San Francisco’s defense without its best pass rusher for the remainder of the season.
Robinson’s historic start to the 2025 campaign makes him the perfect weapon to attack these vulnerabilities. With 484 rushing yards and 338 receiving yards through five games, Robinson joins Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas as the only players in NFL history to record at least 450 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards in their first five games of a season. His 238-yard performance against Buffalo in Week 6, which included an 81-yard touchdown run and six receptions for 68 yards, demonstrated exactly how the Falcons can dismantle opposing defenses by utilizing Robinson in multiple facets.
The 49ers’ struggles without their defensive cornerstones have been glaring. In the three games Bosa played before his injury, San Francisco allowed no more than 307 yards per game and just 16.3 points on average. However, in the three games following his injury, they surrendered at least 325 yards each game with an alarming average of 26.3 points allowed. The impact extends beyond the stat sheet—in their first game without Bosa, the 49ers failed to record a single sack or quarterback hit for the first time since 2015, finishing with a pressure rate of just 28 percent compared to 45.5 percent before his departure.
Without Warner orchestrating the defense from his linebacker position, the 49ers lack the veteran leadership and instinctive playmaking that made them one of the league’s most formidable units. Warner led the franchise in tackles and forced fumbles before his injury, missing just one of 133 possible games since entering the league in 2018. His absence leaves a void that no single player can fill, particularly against a dynamic offensive weapon like Robinson who...
