I don't know about you, but I had a feeling the Atlanta Falcons would come up clutch against an undefeated 49ers team. Whether it was the two-games-on, two-games-off streak or that the Falcons were healthier than the 49ers, it just felt like they would be motivated to take down their old coach.
Turnovers were the difference-maker, as they usually are, and in the 29-20 win, Atlanta had none to San Francisco's four. All season, the Dirty Birds have been on the negative side of the turnover differential, so it is nice to see that change.
Let's look at the winners and losers from an exciting NFL Sunday to be a Falcons fan.
Falcons pull off the upset of the season with a huge win over their old rivals
Winner: Michael Penix Jr., QB
Quarterback will always be the focal point of any winners-and-losers article. The reason Michael Penix Jr. was a winner? He took what the defense gave him. If it was a blitz, he was willing to check it down to his electric running back Bijan Robinson, something he hasn't been willing to do this year.
This led to 25-for-35, 213-yard, three-touchdown performance. Sometimes taking the Bo Nix route gets you wins (6.3 avg) while his 118.9 passer rating was a season high.
Loser: Ryan Neuzil, C
There hasn't been much buzz about Ryan Neuzil's snapping issues. He continues to put Penix Jr. in tough situations with wild snaps. The most obvious one was when he airmailed it over the quarterback's head after the defense's fourth-down stop.
There have been countless times when his snaps require one-handed snags; luckily, Penix Jr. has massive hands.
Winner: Maason Smith, DT
Maason Smith ruined a 49ers drive all by himself. He started by beating his man to sack Brock Purdy and then smacked a pass down that forced a 3rd-and-17.
These defensive tackles continue to produce each week and this was Smith's week as he finished with a sack, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit. I guess we have further confirmation the Ruke Orhorhoro trade was a hit.
Loser: Sydney Brown, DB
Sydney Brown has been a valuable addition on defense and special teams. However, this week he struggled in coverage and tackling and had a penalty. Atlanta is in a situation where they have enough defensive backs to bench whoever is struggling without worry.
Winner: Kendal Daniels, LB
One week ago, we were so worried about Kendal Daniels' health after he was stretchered off. This week, he is in the running for NFC Defensive Player of the Week. What a day it was for the rookie.
Early on, he struggled to keep Christian McCaffrey in check, but when you do what he did at the end of the game, you can forget that.
The first-year player snagged an athletic interception as things were falling apart for Atlanta. And then he sealed it with a fumble recovery that sealed the game. He led the team with 11 tackles and had an angry tackle for loss.
Loser: Outside pass rush
We have seen the likes of Cameron Thomas, Zach Harrison, and the weekly random player who comes out of nowhere make an impact coming off the edge. That was not the case against Brock Purdy.
Outside of a fourth-down sack by Za'Darius Smith, Purdy had ample time to throw against these guys, especially early in the game.
Winner: Jessie Bates III, S
How many times has Jessie Bates III force a game-changing turnover with the Falcons? So many times.
He did it twice against a team that does not turn it over too often. He started with an outstanding sideline interception on the Falcons' side of the field, and then did his weekly peanut punch, sealing the game.
There are times he gets lost in coverage, but the splash plays make it all worth it.
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