Battle in the Bay area between to big names in the NFC. Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons will roll into Levi Stadium, ready to take on a 49ers team that’s got Mac Jones under center. This might not look like it, but it feels like we’re going to get a good one on Sunday Night.
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Game Information
Matchup Information
- Location: Levi Stadium; Santa Clara, California
- Date: Sunday, October 19th, 2025
- Kickoff: 8:20 PM EST
Quarterback Matchup
- Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix (1-4; 2024 – 155.0 YPG | 3 TD | 3 INT)
- San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones (2-8; 2024 – 167.2 YPG | 8 TD | 8 INT)
Betting Odds
Odds via BetOnline, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Analysis & Breakdown
Bay Area Bandits
After stealing a win on Thursday Night Football two week ago, the 49ers took a trip to Tampa Bay and kind of just got their asses kicked. Mac Jones threw for nearly 350 yards but had no touchdown passes and two interceptions. Going into the game, Mac was a perfect 3-0 on the year with six touchdown passes and just one interception. .
This week with Purdy still sidelined due to turf toe, the 49ers will once again look to Mac Jones to help them get the win. Jones is completing 67% of his passes and averaging 313.0 pass yards per game for the Niners this year and has more wins than Brock Purdy. He’s been exactly what San Francisco has needed and I’m expecting his high level play to continue this week.
Outside of just the quarterback position, the Niners are battling injuries all over the place. Star wideout Ricky Pearsall remains on the sidelines with Juan Jennings playing through significant pain currently. In addition to the offense, the defense will be without both Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the remainder of the year and their star QB Brock Purdy remains without a timetable to return.
The good news is George Kittle will be back this week, making his return to the field after going down in the season opener.
Falcons Take Flight
Outside of getting shutout by the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons have looked really good this year. Their Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers came on a game winning Baker Mayfield drive and outside of that they’ve got wins against the Vikings, Commanders and now Bills. They rank 28th in points scored but also rank 7th in points allowed. They’ve done a great job defensively of getting off the field and it’s why they rank 1st in opponent first downs.
The Falcons defense has also done a great job of preventing opponents through the air. They are 1st in opponent pass yards per game (139.4) and have generated eight total turnovers on the year. Offensively they’ve been really good, outside of the shutout against Carolina. Drake London ranks 7th in the NFL in receptions, 8th in receiving yards and has yet to drop a ball this year. Bijan Robinson sits 3rd in the NFL in rushing yards and is averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Michael Penix is avergaing 233.6 pass yards per game this year with four touchdowns and one interception. Of everyone on the offensive side, it’s Penix who could be a little bit better, but realistically the entire team has looked good to start the year.
Sunday Night’s Best Bets
Christian McCaffrey o5.5 Receptions (-110) | BetOnline
Christian McCaffrey currently leads the 49ers in target share, seeing a 25.9% target share and averaging 10 targets per game. He’s cleared this line in every game this year and with all the injuries it’s been just McCaffrey and Kendrick Bourne. George Kittle will be back on the field this week but this is a matchup I think McCaffrey can take advantage of.
McCaffrey ranks 4th in target rate against the blitz this year and it’s really helped Mac Jones when facing pressure this year. The Falcons blitz at the highest rate in the NFL and will once again be looking to bring pressure. The Falcons have done a great job at preventing big plays through the air and a lot of that’s because of their pass rush.
Look for McCaffrey to get out in space and provide a safety outlet for Jones against a very aggressive Falcons defense.
Christian McCaffrey 17 game pace:
309 carries
959 rushing yards
0 rush TDs177 targets
133 receptions
1316 receiving yards
10 receiving TDs pic.twitter.com/oB8b9MiTIA— Underdog (@Underdog) October 3, 2025
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