49ers beat Falcons 20-10 as McCaffrey shines

San Francisco beat Atlanta 20-10 on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium in Week 7, powered by a dominant performance from running back Christian McCaffrey and costly mistakes by the Falcons. The 49ers improved to 5-2 while the Falcons fell to 3-3.

McCaffrey accounted for 201 yards from scrimmage, rushing 24 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns and catching seven passes for 72 yards. His third-quarter 1-yard run opened the scoring for San Francisco, and a critical late sequence — a 17-yard third-down catch on third-and-13 followed by a 4-yard touchdown — sealed the game with 2:26 remaining. Head coach Kyle Shanahan praised McCaffrey after the game, saying, "He is the most consistent player I've been around."

The game featured several pivotal errors by Atlanta. Late in the second quarter, Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was flagged for intentional grounding while still in the pocket; the penalty carried a 10-second runoff that ended the half and wiped out a field-goal opportunity that would have narrowed the margin. In the fourth quarter, Atlanta's defense had only 10 players on the field on a third-and-13 play that resulted in McCaffrey's 17-yard reception. Falcons coach...