49ers lose heartbreaker to Atlanta, still control own destiny
SANTA CLARA — There were mixed feelings for San Francisco 49ers fans, players and coaches after Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The team suffered a 29-22 heartbreaking loss to the Falcons, thanks to a last-seconds touchdown by Atlanta receiver Julio Jones. The officials initially ruled the play short at the 1-yard line but replays showed Jones crossed the plane. Had Jones been short, the game would’ve been over. 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward covered Jones on the play that gave Atlanta a 23-22 lead.
“I was confident (I stopped Jones) but I didn’t know how close it really was,” he said. “It was just a bang-bang play.”
Atlanta also scored a touchdown on the final play of the game. The 49ers attempted to lateral the ball around on the kickoff, but Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus recovered the ball in the end zone. Within seconds, the Falcons scored two touchdowns.
Despite the loss, there was a bright spot. The 49ers clinched their first playoff berth since 2013 by virtue of the Dallas Cowboys beating the Los Angeles Rams, 4421. The last time the 49ers clinched a playoff berth they beat the Falcons 34-24 in the final game at Candlestick Park.
The 49ers (11-3) fell to the fifth spot in the NFC playoff picture after the Seahawks beat the Carolina Panthers 30-24. Seattle (11-3) al
so clinched a playoff berth because of the Rams’ loss. The Seahawks lead the NFC West because of the head-tohead tiebreaker with San Francisco.
Despite all of this, one thing is clear — the 49ers still control their own destiny.
Seattle plays at home versus the
Arizona Cardinals next Sunday, while the 49ers host the Rams Saturday night. If the 49ers beat both the Rams and Seahawks in the final two weeks of the regular season, they will clinch the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC — no matter what. The team that finishes second in the West will travel on wild card weekend to the winner of the NFC East. That game will either be hosted by the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles.