Atlanta looked like it was ready for a piece of San Francisco right out of the gate, but the Falcons got way more than they could handle in their 31-13 road loss. The primary takeaway is that the loss really cripples the team’s playoff chances; the secondary note is that yet again there is a clear divide between the Falcons and the NFL’s best.
There will be plenty of time to discuss the strengths and flaws of this squad over the offseason, but this is among the games that illustrate just how far the Falcons need to go.