# 49ers face Falcons with defensive shift

> 49ers adjust defense after Evans injury for Falcons game.
- Title: 49ers face Falcons with defensive shift | Shortify
- Summary: 49ers adjust defense after Evans injury for Falcons game. 49ers will rely on run game against Falcons after Mike Evans injury.
- Keywords: 49ers, falcons, mike evans, raheem morris, kyle shanahan, brock purdy, nfl, defensive strategy, running game, nfc west, news, local
- Source: The San Francisco Standard — https://sfstandard.com/2026/10/21/49ers-falcons-raheem-morris-defense
- Published: 2026-10-22T01:05:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: 49ers, falcons, mike evans, raheem morris, kyle shanahan, brock purdy, nfl, defensive strategy, running game, nfc west, news, local
## 49ers without Mike Evans
The 49ers face a game without Mike Evans after his Achilles tendinitis flared up.
## 49ers' defensive shift
Shanahan plans to focus on run game against Falcons' strong running back Bijan Robinson.
## Bijan Robinson's impact
Atlanta's running back Bijan Robinson ranks third in expected points added per play.
## Shanahan's defense strategy
Shanahan says Bijan Robinson is a huge challenge for 49ers' linebackers and defense.
## 49ers' rushing performance
49ers gained 126 yards on 29 carries with 69.2% success rate against Commanders.
## 49ers' defensive strength
49ers allow fewer than 5% of explosive plays, the lowest rate in NFL since 2000.
## Falcons' defensive change
Falcons now blitz only 23.7% of dropbacks, down from last season's 42.5%.
## Purdy's performance
Purdy generates league's highest rate of explosive plays against blitzed zones.
## 49ers' defensive opportunity
49ers may reach another level with improved defense after Bosa's potential return.
## 49ers' game plan
49ers plan to use run-heavy attack against Falcons with limited offensive weapons.
## Key takeaway

49ers will rely on run game against Falcons after Mike Evans injury.