As the Atlanta Falcons look to rebound from a two-game skid against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers, several players will be in the spotlight. If the Falcons pull off the upset and become the first team in 2026 to beat the 49ers, these five players will need to shine brightest.
Bijan Robinson
You can bet the Falcons will make a concerted effort to feature running back Bijan Robinson in Week 7. He’s coming off just nine carries against the Chicago Bears, the lowest total in his last 17 games. With backup Brian Robinson also out, expect a hefty dose of Bijan early and often.
On top of that, the Falcons face 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who has mentored and served as an offseason workout partner in recent years, meaning the student will face even more pressure to outshine the master. It’s no understatement to say that if the Falcons can feature Robinson early and often, they’ll massively increase their odds of pulling off the upset.
Kyle Pitts
With Sunday marking National Tight Ends Day, the spotlight will also be on Kyle Pitts. Pitts has generally been productive on this invented annual football celebration, most notably with a dominant 163-yard performance during his rookie season. He’ll have another chance to cement his holiday legacy and build on a strong fourth-quarter performance against the Bears, which helped the Falcons roar back from a 24-point deficit last week.
If that late-game performance can be a springboard into four quarters of similar production against the 49ers, it’ll definitely increase the odds of the Falcons pulling off the upset.
Kendal Daniels & Harold Perkins
Rookie linebackers Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins will have to fill the large shoes of Divine Deablo, who will be out Sunday. Daniels is listed as questionable but appears ready to suit up against the 49ers despite a scary neck injury that had him carted off in last week’s loss to the Bears. He’ll wear the green dot in Deablo’s stead as the team’s every-down defensive signal-caller. Meanwhile, Perkins will likely remain a part-time starter in nickel subpackages, while Josh Woods gets the early-down snaps in base and big nickel looks.
Regardless of their usage, both will have their hands full as the Falcons look to slow down McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle. Perkins’ speed and coverage prowess were on full display three weeks ago against Saints TE Juwan Johnson, and he’ll need to repeat that performance to keep Kittle in check. Daniels’ propensity to blow up screens will also come into play as the team tries to slow down the dual threat McCaffrey out of the backfield.
A.J. Terrell
After four weeks on I.R., the Falcons should get a big boost by the return of their top coverage player, A.J. Terrell. His return and nickel corner Billy Bowman’s absence will prompt the team to reshuffle its cornerback room this week. Will Avieon Terrell or Mike Hughes fill Bowman’s shoes at nickel? Will C.J. Henderson, also returning from injury, be in the mix at the other outside cornerback spot?
It leaves several questions at cornerback, but one isn’t about how valuable the elder Terrell will be to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s plans against the 49ers. Terrell’s ability to lock down whoever remains of the 49ers’ injury-depleted receivers gives Ulbrich a huge boost, letting him focus the remaining 10 defenders on containing playmakers like McCaffrey and Kittle. This makes Terrell a critical part of keeping a lid on the NFL’s No. 3 scoring offense.
Will these players shine and help the Falcons pull off the upset and take down the 49ers? Can you name any more Falcons that intrigue you in this matchup?
