Brimming with confidence after back-to-back wins, the Atlanta Falcons looked to nail their third straight victory as they visited the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on “Sunday Night Football.”
The Falcons defeated the Washington Commanders and the Buffalo Bills in their last two assignments—both in convincing fashion. Now, they wanted to add the 49ers to the list.
They, however, would have to do it minus linebacker Divine Deablo, who will not return in the second half after suffering a forearm injury, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
It's a tough loss for the Falcons, who need all the firepower they can get on the defensive end to beat the 49ers.
Deablo registered a solo tackle before exiting the contest.
San Francisco took the lead at the break, 10-3, with running back Christian McCaffrey scoring the touchdown on a one-yard punch.
For what it's worth, quarterback Michael Pennix Jr. had a solid outing in the first half, going 13-of-19 for 128 yards. Atlanta could still mount a comeback in the second half even without Deablo.
The 27-year-old Deablo signed a two-year, $14 million contract with the Falcons in March after spending his first four years with the Las Vegas Raiders. He immediately carved out a role in Atlanta, logging 23 total tackles so far.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris had high praise for Deablo even before the season began, describing him as “an avatar” and lauding his ability to “pressure the passer,” as noted in the report from Heavy's Trevor Williamson.
It remains unclear how serious Deablo's forearm injury is.
As of writing, the 49ers are ahead, 13-3, in the third quarter.
