The Atlanta Falcons are going to attempt to avoid falling to 2-5 at home on Sunday afternoon, but they are doing it against a team who might just be the best in football in the San Francisco 49ers.

Coming into Atlanta without a loss, the 49ers have been outstanding all year long and at times, have looked borderline unbeatable. Of course, in the NFL anyone can defeat anyone though, and the Falcons absolutely have a chance to win this football game.

Here are the three things Atlanta absolutely has to do if they are going to have any real chance at sending San Francisco back out west with a loss.

At this point in the season, McCaffrey has not been the same absolutely dominant force he has been over the last couple of years, and it does seem the 49ers have limited his touches a bit by design to keep him fresh all year long. He is still going to be a massive part of the game plan though, and after letting him run wild in a loss to San Francisco last season, McCaffrey cannot be the one that beats Atlanta by himself.

Holding him around 100 total yards combined rushing and receiving would be the first significant step towards having a real chance in this game.

Purdy has been one of the most doubted quarterbacks in football in recent seasons, but in 2026, he seems to be reaching another level right now. Through the first six games of the year, Purdy is probably the league MVP and despite a ton of injuries for the 49ers, he seems to keep dealing week in and week out and carving up every defense in front of him.

In their two wins, the Falcons have been able to get a ton of pressure on the opposing quarterback, and to have a chance against Purdy, this will have to be the case.

Nick Folk has been improved since the ugly showing over the first couple of weeks, but it is absolutely critical this week for Atlanta not to leave any points on the board. A block or nice return at some point would be huge, but if the Falcons want any chance of winning this game, Folk needs to convert when he lines up for three.

If not, Atlanta would be in a tough spot against the best team in football.