Falcons vs. 49ers: Week 15 matchups, injuries and breakdown
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers host the struggling Atlanta Falcons in Week 15 in what could be a dangerous game for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. Niner Noise previews the bout.
It’s going to be tough coming anywhere close to replicating what the San Francisco 49ers must have felt after their thrilling Week 14 road win over the New Orleans Saints.
Now at 11-2 and back in the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Niners come home to take on the 4-9 Atlanta Falcons in what would should be a completely one-sided bout.
That alone makes Week 15 a dangerous contest for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co.
The Falcons have been playing better as of late and have won three of their last five after a horrendous start to the season. And it wasn’t long ago when Atlanta went into New Orleans and completely blew out the Saints 26-9.
While Shanahan is surely warning his squad to avoid the pitfalls of this being a trap game, it’s easy to understand why the 49ers could be in danger of playing down to the level of their competition this week.
Especially considering just how banged up San Francisco is.
The Niners could clinch a playoff spot with a win or tie in Week 15, while the Falcons have nothing else to play for outside of pride and the chance to be a spoiler, which is exactly what head coach Dan Quinn will want to do against his former offensive coordinator, Shanahan.
That’s one caveat of this game, and there are plenty others. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been putting up MVP-like numbers in recent weeks, while Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan enjoyed MVP success under Shanahan back in 2016.
There’s another storyline, and there are plenty others as Niner Noise previews this Week 15 bout.