49ers' perfect start ends in Atlanta; Bengals rout Ravens

The NFC is down to one unbeaten team, and the AFC North got more crowded. On Sunday, Oct. 25, the Atlanta Falcons handed the 49ers their first loss of the season, and the Bengals came back from 13 points down to beat the Ravens. ESPN's scoreboard lists both games as Week 7 of the 2026 regular season.

The day's last game is "Sunday Night Football" in Seattle, where the unbeaten Chiefs face the Seahawks. Kenneth Walker III, who won Super Bowl MVP with Seattle in February, returns to Lumen Field with Kansas City. Here's what happened in the early games, what it means for the standings and what to watch tonight.

How did the Falcons end the 49ers' unbeaten start?

San Francisco scored first on Christian McCaffrey's 1-yard run, and rookie Kaelon Black's 30-yard touchdown run put the 49ers up 14-3 in the second quarter, according to ESPN's scoring summary. Atlanta answered with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Penix to Nick Muse and a 33-yard Nick Folk field goal as the half ended. The extra point after the Muse touchdown missed, so the 49ers led 14-12 at halftime.

The second half belonged to the Falcons. Penix hit Kyle Pitts Sr. for a 5-yard touchdown in the third quarter, then found Drake London for a 21-yard score at the start of the fourth quarter to make it 26-14. That 90-yard drive capped a 23-0 run by Atlanta, USA Today's Niners Wire noted. NBC Sports Bay Area reported that the 49ers committed four penalties that gave the Falcons first downs on that drive.

San Francisco got within 26-20 when Brock Purdy threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk with 5:05 left. Eddy Pineiro missed the extra point, which NBC Sports Bay Area said was his fourth missed PAT of the season. Atlanta linebacker Kendal Daniels then intercepted Purdy on third down, and Folk's 31-yard field goal with 1:56 left made it 29-20. On the 49ers' last drive, George Kittle fumbled after a catch near the Atlanta 20. Safety Jessie Bates III forced the fumble and Daniels recovered it, according to ESPN's play-by-play.

What do the numbers say about the 49ers' loss?

San Francisco gained more yards, 400 to 295, according to ESPN's box score, but lost the turnover battle 4-0: two interceptions and two lost fumbles. Purdy completed 27 of 40 passes for 288 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Kittle caught eight passes for 88 yards. NBC Sports Bay Area reported that Purdy played without his top target, receiver Mike Evans, and that McCaffrey missed a big chunk of the game with a first-half thigh injury before returning in the second half. McCaffrey finished with 39 rushing yards and 61 receiving yards.

Penix was efficient: 25 of 34 for 213 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, according to ESPN. London caught seven passes for 66 yards. Bijan Robinson ran 20 times for 63 yards. Daniels had 11 tackles and an interception. Atlanta improved to 3-4.

How did the Bengals turn a 13-0 deficit into a 35-13 rout?

For a half, Baltimore controlled the game. Tyler Huntley threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Zay Flowers, and Tyler Loop kicked two field goals for a 13-0 lead, ESPN's scoring summary shows. Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons reported that the Ravens held the ball for 22:20 of the first half, and Burrow was 6 of 12 for 43 yards at the break.

Then Cincinnati scored on five straight drives. Burrow threw touchdown passes to Mike Gesicki (6 yards) and Higgins (13 yards) to take a 14-13 lead. After a Ravens turnover on downs, Samaje Perine scored from 1 yard. Burrow then found Ja'Marr Chase from 2 yards, and after a Demetrius Knight Jr. interception of Huntley, he hit Drew Sample for a 16-yard score.

Burrow finished 22 of 30 for 292 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions, according to ESPN. Higgins had six catches for 148 yards; Pro Football Talk noted he didn't have a catch in the first half. The Bengals were 5-for-5 in the red zone, while Baltimore was 0-for-3 and was penalized 10 times. Huntley threw for 298 yards, and Flowers had eight catches for 137 yards. Derrick Henry was held to 45 yards on 17 carries. Pro Football Talk reported that Joe Flacco, a former Ravens quarterback, replaced Burrow in the final minutes.

Why was Tyler Huntley starting for Baltimore?

The Ravens ruled Lamar Jackson out on Saturday with an ankle injury, the team said. It was the third straight game he has missed since getting hurt in Week 4 against Tennessee. "If I can just go out there and just be a statue and get hit, [there's] no positives in that," Jackson said Friday, according to the team's website. The Ravens have not said when he might return.

What else happened in the early games?

- **Browns 27, Titans 24:** Cleveland moved to 5-2. - **Vikings 16, Colts 10:** Minnesota stayed perfect at 6-0. - **Dolphins 28, Jets 25:** Miami got its first win of the season and is 1-5. - **Buccaneers 43, Panthers 13:** Bucky Irving ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns, according to ESPN. ESPN also reported that Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton was carted off and has a fractured fibula. - **Giants 27, Texans 21 (OT), in Houston:** Devin Singletary's 30-yard touchdown run with 7:25 left in overtime won it, after C.J. Stroud's 3-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Hutchinson tied the game with 52 seconds left in regulation, according to ESPN's scoring summary. Cam Skattebo ran for 124 yards and a touchdown, and Malik Nabers caught seven passes for 111 yards, per ESPN's box score. The Giants are 4-2-1; the Texans fell to 2-5. - **Bears 30, Patriots 24:** Chicago improved to 5-2, and New England fell to 4-3, according to ESPN. - **Steelers 16, Saints 10:** the morning game in Paris, which NewsCubby covered earlier today.

What about the late-afternoon games?

- **Broncos 30, Cardinals 16:** Bo Nix threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and ran seven times for 73 yards and another score, a 62-yard run, in Glendale, according to ESPN's box score. RJ Harvey caught a 52-yard touchdown pass, J.K. Dobbins added a 1-yard touchdown run, and linebacker Alex Singleton made 19 tackles. For Arizona, Jacoby Brissett went 27 of 48 for 272 yards and a touchdown, and Trey McBride caught 10 passes for 111 yards and a score. Denver moved to 5-2 in the AFC West. Kansas City, 5-0 after an early bye, plays at Seattle tonight and visits Denver next week. The Cardinals fell to 2-5 in the NFC West. - **Lions 20, Packers 17:** Jake Bates kicked a 22-yard field goal as time expired at Ford Field, after Green Bay had tied the game 17-17 on Trey Smack's 43-yard field goal with 7:10 left. Jared Goff went 22 of 32 for 303 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jameson Williams; Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine passes for 153 yards, and Jahmyr Gibbs ran 29 times for 116 yards. Jordan Love went 27 of 45 for 274 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Detroit improved to 4-2 and Green Bay fell to 4-3, both behind unbeaten Minnesota (6-0) in the NFC North. - **Rams 35, Raiders 21:** Matthew Stafford went 23 of 29 for 195 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in Las Vegas, where the Rams led 28-6 at halftime. Kyren Williams ran 16 times for 99 yards and a touchdown, Blake Corum added 93 rushing yards and a score, and Puka Nacua caught eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Kirk Cousins threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns for Las Vegas, and Tre Tucker had 103 receiving yards. The Rams improved to 3-4 in the NFC West, and the Raiders fell to 3-4 in the AFC West.

How can I watch Chiefs vs. Seahawks on "Sunday Night Football"?

Kickoff is 8:20 p.m. ET at Lumen Field in Seattle. The game is on NBC and streams on Peacock, with Spanish-language coverage on Universo, NBC Sports said. NBC's pregame show, "Football Night in America," starts at 7 p.m. ET. Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth are calling the game, with Melissa Stark on the sideline and Terry McAulay as rules analyst. Seattle was a narrow favorite of 2½ to 3 points, according to CBS Sports and ESPN.

What are the big storylines in Chiefs vs. Seahawks?

The headline is Walker's return. He ran for 135 yards in Seattle's 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 and was named MVP, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported. NBC Sports said he is the first reigning Super Bowl MVP to face his former team the following season. A month after the Super Bowl, he signed a three-year, $43.05 million deal with Kansas City. ESPN reported that Seattle wasn't willing to pay that much for a back who had shared carries with Zach Charbonnet.

Through five games, Walker leads the NFL with 665 rushing yards and has six rushing touchdowns, according to ESPN's stats. KMBC reported that Seattle's whole team has 643 rushing yards through six games, 22 fewer than Walker alone. "We're happy for him, but also, we're trying to figure out ways to stop this guy, too," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said, according to CBS Sports.

Seattle is trying to snap a two-game losing streak after a 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Thursday, Oct. 15, NBC Sports reported. NBC Insider reported that quarterback Sam Darnold threw two interceptions in each of his last two games and was sacked five times by Denver. The extra rest from that Thursday game gave Seattle a long week to prepare. Seattle's pass defense allows fewer than 150 yards per game, the best in the league, while Kansas City leads the NFL in total offense, NBC Insider and KMBC reported. The Chiefs lead the all-time series 34-19, and this is the teams' 54th meeting, according to NBC Sports.

Who is in and who is out for Chiefs vs. Seahawks?

These are the teams' official Friday injury reports. Clubs can add players through kickoff, and inactives come out about 90 minutes before the game. Update to come: NewsCubby will add the inactive lists.

- **Chiefs out:** wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring/knee), offensive tackle Jaylon Moore (concussion) and running back Brashard Smith (hamstring). - **Chiefs questionable:** cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (knee). Tight end Travis Kelce (ankle) was limited all week but has no game designation. Patrick Mahomes (knee) practiced fully all week. - **Seahawks out:** running back Zach Charbonnet (knee), and linebackers Drake Thomas (ankle) and Chazz Surratt (calf). The Seahawks said Charbonnet, who is coming back from a torn ACL, practiced fully but was ruled out. - **Seahawks questionable:** safety Nick Emmanwori (hip), outside linebackers DeMarcus Lawrence (knee), Uchenna Nwosu (hip) and Connor O'Toole (hamstring), and backup quarterback Drew Lock (right elbow).

Which players should fans watch?

For Kansas City, there's Walker, Mahomes (1,309 passing yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions, per ESPN) and Kelce. For Seattle, receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, leads the NFL with 49 catches for 717 yards and seven touchdowns, according to ESPN. NBC Insider also pointed to Seahawks receiver Cooper Kupp and Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose pressure packages could test Darnold.

How do the standings look after the early games?

In the NFC West, San Francisco (6-1) still leads Seattle (3-3) by 2½ games before tonight. The 49ers' loss leaves Minnesota as the NFC's only unbeaten team. In the NFC South, Atlanta (3-4) moved within half a game of Carolina (3-3).

The AFC North is crowded. Pittsburgh and Cleveland are both 5-2, Cincinnati is 4-2 and Baltimore is 4-3, according to ESPN's standings. The Ravens started the day tied for first. Cincinnati hosts Tennessee next week, and Baltimore visits Buffalo in Week 8, Pro Football Talk reported.

The Bills, Chargers, Commanders and Jaguars had byes this week. On Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys (2-4) play at the Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) on ESPN and ABC.

What we know

- Falcons 29, 49ers 20, and Bengals 35, Ravens 13 are final, according to ESPN's box scores. - The Chiefs and Vikings are the only unbeaten teams left. - Rice, Moore and Brashard Smith are out for Kansas City; Charbonnet, Thomas and Surratt are out for Seattle.

What we don't know yet

- Whether Sneed, Emmanwori and Seattle's questionable pass rushers are active (update to come). - When Lamar Jackson will return, and whether McCaffrey's thigh injury will affect him going forward.

What happens next

Chiefs-Seahawks kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET, and the Monday night game is in Philadelphia. NewsCubby will update this story with the Sunday night inactives and the Sunday night result.

*Credits: reporting from ESPN, NBC Sports, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Insider, Pro Football Talk, Niners Wire (USA Today), CBS Sports, The News Tribune, KMBC, NFL.com and the Ravens, Chiefs and Seahawks. NewsCubby articles are produced with AI assistance and reviewed by humans.*