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Mariota cooks 49ers with 3 TDs successful triumph (0:49)
Marcus Mariota throws for 2 touchdowns and runs for one, starring the Falcons to a triumph implicit the 49ers. (0:49)
7:04 PM ET
Michael RothsteinESPN Staff Writer
- Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com
- Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
ATLANTA -- Arthur Smith got his Atlanta Falcons backmost to .500 by beating the NFL's apical tally defense, and past the second-year caput manager did what immoderate erstwhile violative lineman would do.
He took his guys up beforehand for beers.
Well, benignant of. The beers successful question were for his still-in-uniform violative linemen and his violative enactment coach, Dwayne Ledford. And the solemnisation happened wrong Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful 1 of its field-level sideline nine suites aft Atlanta's 28-14 triumph implicit the San Francisco 49ers, with fans successful attendance each whipping retired their phones -- due to the fact that you conscionable don't spot NFL teams bash this.
But determination has ne'er been a question Smith enjoys coaching this peculiar team. Smith has said it implicit and implicit again. The vibe wrong the team's locker country has been genuine and real, and a motion similar this tin spell a agelong way.
Celly brews 🍻 pic.twitter.com/QRhTSc8ngr
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 16, 2022The violative linemen, Smith and Ledford tin beryllium seen toasting themselves successful the video portion holding -- and past downing -- Bud Lights. At the end, skipper Jake Matthews is seen looking astatine the camera saying, 'Yeah, baby.'
Smith, the team's playcaller arsenic good arsenic its caput coach, erstwhile again had a high-level tally game. Atlanta rushed for astatine slightest 168 yards for the 5th clip successful six games. The Falcons person the NFL's No. 3 rushing discourtesy adjacent without starter Cordarrelle Patterson, who is connected injured reserve due to the fact that of a genu injury.
The 700 yards earlier archetypal interaction fertile 2nd successful the NFL, a testament to however good the team's violative enactment is playing. Smith, who played violative enactment astatine North Carolina earlier getting into coaching, has talked often astir wanting to beryllium carnal and person a radical that tin tally the shot hard and with efficiency.
The Falcons did precisely that against the NFL's apical tally defense. Entering the game, the 49ers averaged an mean of 71.4 yards rushing per game. Atlanta much than doubled it.
So, sure, postgame beers made a batch of sense.
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