Why the 49ers must dominate their most important matchup in Week 7

It is early in the season, but with the San Francisco 49ers at 4-2 and the Atlanta Falcons at 3-2, it appears as though the outcome of this game will swing a lot of potential playoff outcomes down the line. In what is expected to be a close game, Pro Football Focus believes that the outcome will come down to who wins in the trenches when the 49ers offense is on the field. 

Will the San Francisco 49ers' pass protection hold up against the Atlanta Falcons

For the first time in forever, the Falcons’ pass rush has some juice to it. The unit is fourth in pressure-rate (42.4%) and 11th in sacks (17) through six games, and takes on a 49ers offensive line that’s 12th in PFF pass-blocking grade (62.8) and 10th in pressure-rate allowed (30.3%). There’s been an emphasis on getting the ball out of Mac Jones’ hands fast, but if Brock Purdy returns on Sunday, the Atlanta defense might have more of an opportunity to pin its ears back.
Thomas Valentine

One of the best traits about the 49ers' defensive front is that they consistently rotate eight players. Their interior rushers range between 131 and 153 snaps, and their edge rushers are between 112 and 141. They do not have any rushers with over 15 pressures, but they do have five above 10. They also do not have any rusher with three sacks, but 12 players have at least 0.5 sacks. 

This is going to be a tough matchup for the 49ers because, as the game goes deeper and the line gets more tired, the Falcons' front will remain fresh. 

There is reason to buy into the 49ers winning this matchup. That starts with rookie Jalon Walker missing this game, hurting their depth by one.

Also, in some ways this front has been aided by a few breaks. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not have Tristan Wirfs, and the Minnesota Vikings did not have Christian Darrisaw when they played. 

The Carolina Panthers were without two starters on their line, and the Washington Commanders started a backup quarterback. Of course, the unit legitimately showcased its talent against the Buffalo Bills. Still, that was at home, in a prime time spot with the crowd on their side.