49ers Game Review: How Robert Saleh Shaped the Game After Falcons' Kickoff

A Masterclass in Defensive Strategy

First Robert Saleh blitzed, then he didn't and then he did. Does that confuse you? Now you know how poor Falcons QB Michael Penix felt Sunday night during the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator's masterpiece in a 20-10 win over Atlanta at Levi's Stadium.

Let's start at the beginning. The Falcons' third play of their first possession. It was 3rd-and-5 and 49ers linebackers Tatum Bethune and Dee Winters both blitzed up the middle, with Winters' pressure forcing a quick, 4-yard completion from Penix that led to a punt.

At the end of Atlanta's second drive, on 3rd-and-4 from the 49ers' 15-yard line, Penix, making his ninth career start, was ready for more of the same. Bethune and Winters were standing up at the line of scrimmage, flanking center Ryan Neuzil, with safety Malik Mustapha creeping in from the right slot. All-out blitz? Nope. Bethune, Winters and Mustapha all dropped into coverage, Penix hesitated when two receivers running shallow crossing routes were unexpectedly blanketed and he was sacked by defensive end Sam Okuayinonu.

Finally, the conclusion of the Falcons' third drive with Atlanta facing a 3rd-and-7 from the 49ers' 48. This time, Winters and safety Ji'Ayir Brown blitzed through the left side of Atlanta's line. Brown was picked up by running back Bijan Robinson, but Winters ran free and his pressure forced Penix to unload a deep incompletion.

The Falcons wanted to set the tone Sunday. They won the coin toss and elected to receive. It was an atypical decision, but it wasn't hard to see their logic: The 49ers didn't have their defensive cornerstones, pass rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner, and they presumably didn't have a chance against the NFL's second-ranked offense.

Instead, Saleh and his spare-parts defense established the tone by confounding Penix, even as NBC's Cris Collinsworth said late in the first quarter it could be a "tough night" for the 49ers due their inexperience at linebacker and in the secondary.

By the third quarter, however, Collinsworth was a believer after two second-stringers made back-to-back big plays with the 49ers leading 13-10. On 2nd-and-9 from the 49ers' 42, cornerback Chase Lucas, subbing for Upton Stout, blitzed from Penix's blindside and forced a harried incompletion. On the next snap, cornerback Darrell Luter, who replaced sidelined starter Renardo Green in the first quarter, had textbook coverage along the left sideline to force an incompletion and punt.

Lucas? Luter? Ludicrous.

"He has literally taken a pound of clay," Collinsworth said of Saleh, "and figured out a way to make a defense out of it."

A Defensive Force to Be Reckoned With

Most safeties tackle. Malik Mustapha detonates.

The comparisons to Hall of Fame safety Ronnie Lott are wildly premature, but the 2024 fourth-round pick does play with the same apparent complete disregard for his well-being. The guy just hits different.

The high-decibel sound of Mustapha's tackles is often audible on TV. It could be heard on the first play of the second quarter when Mustapha slammed into Robinson from the side at the end of a 4-yard run. And that was a warm-up act for his fourth-quarter shot to the sternum on 225-pound running back Tyler Allgeier, who required on-field medical assistance after Mustapha came up from the deep middle and created a car crash at the end of a 10-yard sprint.

"The defense was so much fun to watch today because they were just flying around," tight end George Kittle said. "The one play that stood out to me was when Malik came downhill and hit 25 so hard in the ribs that I think it took him out of the game. Those aren't fun hits to take. That's the reason I'm really happy I don't play running back."

A Rocky Start for Demarcus Robinson

Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson's rugged start to his 49ers' debut season continued: Robinson was targeted with one pass and he dropped it, a would-be, 40-yard completion on 3rd-and-3 with the 49ers leading 13-10 early in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers have made a host of strong additions since March. Backup QB Mac Jones. Pass rusher Bryce Huff. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. And kicker Eddy Piñeiro. It's early, but Robinson, 31, is resembling a whiff after signing a two-year, $9.5 million and serving a season-opening, three-game suspension. In four games, Robinson has six catches for 102 yards on 13 targets with two drops.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan agreed last week when asked if Robinson was "rusty."

"I think it's always hard for guys, especially him not being here before this year and then having a month where he had to be away," Shanahan said.

The 49ers' first drive likely only reinforced Shanahan's pregame desire to have at least 40 rushing attempts (the 49ers had 39).

On the first snap, Jones, a week removed from taking six sacks, was dropped for a sack when right guard Dominick Puni whiffed on defensive end Zach Harrison. On the final snap, on 3rd-and-9 from the Falcons' 42, Jones fired an incompletion when he was pressured by blitzing linebacker Kaden Elliss, who blew past left guard Connor Colby.

Another reason to run, of course, is that Jones isn't particularly mobile even when he's healthy and he's still dealing with knee and oblique injuries. Last week, Jones sarcastically said "thank you" and jokingly challenged a reporter to a race when it was noted he wasn't moving particularly well in the previous two games. He smiled Sunday when it was pointed out he appeared to be moving better, a reference to his 8-yard scramble on a game-sealing TD drive in the fourth quarter.

"I got your question (last week) - you weren't wrong," Jones said. "Hopefully, we can still be friends."

Added Jones of his health: "I definitely felt better. I still feel like there's some limitations, but to be honest, I'm working through it."

A Key Role for Connor Colby

Colby played a role in 10 of the 49ers points due to his role in two unique plays.

Before the rookie seventh-round pick helped drag running back Christian McCaffrey into the end zone on his 4-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, a 10-yard penalty that's rarely called, he helped set the stage for Piñeiro's 55-yard field goal that gave the 49ers a 10-3 lead in the second quarter.

After Jones was hit in mid-throw by pass rusher Leonard Floyd on third down, the fluttering ball hit defensive end DeAngelo Malone and caromed to Colby at the 43-yard line. If the play ended there, the 49ers weren't in field-goal range. but Colby dragged multiple defenders six yards.

"He did a good job," Jones said. "He caught it and made some YAC."