49ers lose first game of season 29-20 to Falcons as Penix throws three touchdowns The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the season, falling 29-20 to the Atlanta Falcons after committing four turnovers in Atlanta territory. Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes for Atlanta. The San Francisco 49ers lost for the first time this season, falling 29-20 to the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday. Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes and Atlanta scored 13 points off four turnovers to hand the 49ers their first defeat after a 6-0 start. San Francisco (6-1) turned the ball over four times in opposing territory and failed to force a takeaway. The Falcons (3-4) extended multiple drives via penalties and missed assignments, snapping a two-game skid. Penix completed 25 of 34 passes for 213 yards with no interceptions. He threw scoring passes to tight ends Nick Muse and Kyle Pitts before giving Atlanta a 26-14 lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Drake London in the fourth quarter.49ers Receiver Injuries Hinder OffenseThe 49ers were already thin at wide receiver with starters Mike Evans (Achilles tendinitis) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) inactive. Demarcus Robinson, De'Zhaun Stribling and Ricky Pearsall were also unavailable. Safety Marques Sigle (ankle) was inactive. Brandin Cooks and Jordan Watkins started as the top two receivers, but it took until the 8:36 mark of the second quarter for a receiver to record a target.Watkins made plays in the second half but could not hang on to a difficult catch over C.J. Henderson in the end zone. Running back Christian McCaffrey missed much of the first half with a thigh injury. He touched the ball six times for 69 yards on the opening drive but gained only 31 yards the rest of the game for 100 total yards from scrimmage.McCaffrey was limited to seven carries for 39 yards. He returned for the second half and was used as a decoy on some plays. His backup, Kaelon Black, lost a fumble at the Atlanta 29 that was recovered by Gervon Dexter Sr. in the second quarter. Black's 30-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter gave San Francisco a 14-3 lead.One play earlier, third-string running back Jordan James put the ball on the ground and was saved by a teammate falling on it. Bijan Robinson rushed for 63 yards for Atlanta. The 49ers' comeback attempt was hurt when a lengthy review took away Purdy's apparent 23-yard touchdown pass to Watkins with 2:34 remaining. Following the ruling, Purdy was sacked on fourth down by Za'Darius Smith.Purdy Turnovers Seal Falcons VictoryPurdy's 1-yard scoring pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk with 5:05 remaining cut Atlanta's lead to 26-20 before Eddy Pineiro's extra-point attempt was wide left, his fourth miss of the season. A shanked punt by Atlanta's Jake Bailey allowed San Francisco to start a possession at its 47 with about four minutes remaining. The 49ers wasted the field position when Purdy threw his second interception, leading to Nick Folk's 31-yard field goal.Rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels intercepted Purdy's pass intended for Jordan Watkins with 2:34 remaining. It was Purdy's second interception. Daniels then recovered a fumble by George Kittle with less than a minute remaining. Purdy had thrown only two interceptions through his first six games.He was picked off twice against the Falcons for his first multi-interception game since Week 12 of last season. Jessie Bates III intercepted Purdy's pass at the Atlanta 10 in the third quarter to set up the touchdown drive capped by the scoring pass to London. Kittle had trouble hanging onto the ball after hauling in his team-leading eighth catch, allowing the ball to be punched out for the 49ers' fourth turnover in Falcons territory.He and McCaffrey combined for 149 yards through the air; seven other 49ers targeted by Purdy combined for 139 yards. In his 49ers debut, Christian Kirk was not targeted. The 49ers leaned heavily on McCaffrey on their opening touchdown drive. He had two catches for 40 yards, including a 24-yard gain to the Atlanta 5.He had four carries for 29 yards, including a scoring fourth-down leap over the pile from the 1. McCaffrey had a 5-yard catch on the next drive before leaving with the thigh injury. He was listed as questionable to return as he was examined in the injury tent. McCaffrey emerged, put on his helmet and tested the thigh by running on the sideline before heading to the locker room.San Francisco Offensive Line StrugglesAfter going four weeks and 123 dropbacks without allowing an opponent to get to Purdy, the 49ers offensive line has surrendered multiple sacks each of the past three games. The most consequential came with San Francisco facing fourth-and-10 from Atlanta's 23 early in the fourth quarter. Purdy was sacked almost instantaneously, giving the ball back trailing 26-14 with 11:30 to play. The 49ers missed Nick Bosa, who was ruled out for the fifth consecutive game.They failed to record a sack of Penix and did not lay a single hit on the Falcons quarterback. Penix regularly rolled outside the pocket when pressure got home, including on his touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts Sr. that put Atlanta up 19-14. The Falcons gave the 49ers a gift when a wide-open Jahan Dotson dropped a pass on third-and-4 around midfield. But Osa Odighizuwa returned the favor by jumping offsides on fourth down.Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell (groin) started after coming off injured reserve, but his brother, rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell (back), was inactive. A long Atlanta drive set up Nick Folk's 33-yard field goal. In the third quarter, Bates intercepted Purdy to set up the touchdown drive capped by the scoring pass to London.Coach Kyle Shanahan said: I was really proud of a lot of guys. I thought our wideouts stepped up. Jordan Watkins made some big plays. We ran the ball really well.Shanahan Praises Player ResilienceWe had one punt in the game. Purdy got the ball to begin the third quarter trailing 19-14. He had been asked to author just one second-half comeback this season, when he rode Mike Evans down the field for the go-ahead score Week 5 in Seattle. Without Evans available against the Falcons, it went differently.Penix led Atlanta down the field on its first possession of the second half, and the next two chances Purdy got to retake the lead ended in an interception and a fourth-down sack. It looked like Purdy was trying to throw the ball away after being forced out of the pocket on second-and-14 from the Atlanta 25, but it went straight into the arms of Bates.San Francisco drove into Atlanta territory on three straight possessions that produced zero points, including Black's fumble on the final drive of the first half. The 49ers crossed midfield again with less than 3 minutes left, trailing by six, when Purdy was picked off for a second time by Daniels.