Fred Warner and San Francisco 49ers are undefeated no more. They suffered their first loss in the 2026 NFL regular season on Sunday, as Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons thumped them, 29-20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Among the chief reasons behind San Francisco’s Week 7 fall was its letdown ball security. The Niners turned the ball over not just once, not twice, not thrice but four times. San Francisco star quarterback Brock Purdy threw two interceptions, while tight end George Kittle and running back Kaelon Black each lost a fumble.
Meanwhile, Penix had a day under center, throwing for 213 passing yards and three touchdowns against zero interceptions on 25/34 pass completions. He enjoyed great pass protection, as he was never sacked in the contest.
Warner Speaks up on 49ers’ Week 7 Loss in Atlanta
Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of a San Francisco 49ers helmet at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesSan Francisco’s defense clearly did not do its job enough to hold off the Falcons, and Warner acknowledged that.
“All the way through, I’m a believer, on the road you always have to pack your defense,” Warner said in the postgame press conference (h/t OurSF49ers).
“You pack your defense, you pack your special teams. I feel like we were ready for the challenge to come out and play our best game and unfortunately we just didn’t do that. I feel like we had so many opportunities to take the ball away.”
Warner, however, conceded that Atlanta simply played better overall than San Francisco.
“I was super close on a couple of those punch outs and the ball just didn’t happen to fall on the ground. It’s no excuse, at the end of the day, it is what it is. They outplayed us, we gotta make sure we go back, we look at it hard, correct the mistakes, and get ready for the next round,” the four-time Pro Bowler Warner added.
The good news for Warner and company is that San Francisco is still atop the NFC West Division with a 6-1 record. They will also be on a bye in Week 8.
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