ATLANTA — The San Francisco 49ers should begin wondering if they will ever win again, for this is how it starts: losing to the Atlanta Falcons, Jerry Rice dropping touchdown passes, Steve Young muttering to himself.
The 49ers are now chasing the Falcons--that's the long-lost Falcons--in the NFC West division after a 31-19 loss on Sunday before 69,828 in the Georgia Dome.
The Falcons (8-2) hugged each other, jumped for joy and acted like they had never won a big game. Check that, they hadn't since 1980 when they last won the NFC West.
The Falcons had lost to the 49ers (7-3) by at least two touchdowns 15 times in the past 15 years and came into this game having lost five in a row to San Francisco, but Sunday they never trailed.
Ten minutes after the victory, Falcon running back Jamal Anderson was still dancing in the end zone, flapping his arms, his feet moving in and out, something they call "The Dirty Bird."
"For years these guys just pushed us around," said wide receiver Terance Mathis, who caught a 78-yard touchdown pass from Chris Chandler with 2:51 to play to secure the Atlanta victory. "But for one week we're the king of the hill."
Maybe longer. The Falcons, winners of 14 of their last 18 games under Coach Dan Reeves and 8-2 for the first time in team history, play the Rams, Lions and Saints--just as the 49ers do--down the stretch.
Atlanta, which has won seven-straight at home, also takes on Indianapolis, Chicago and Miami, while San Francisco, no longer so intimidating, plays New England, Carolina and the New York Giants.
"We've arrived for one day," cautioned Reeves, whose team has won 11 in a row when holding an opponent to less than 20 points. "Tomorrow we have got to come back down to earth. All this win has done for us is get us in position where it's in our control. Every team we play is capable of beating us."
That is what is so impressive about the Falcons' turnaround. A team that was 1-7 to start last season is playing now with the fervor week after week to compete successfully over its head. Reeves took the Denver Broncos to three Super Bowls, and with the exception of John Elway, with similar talent.
Instead of Elway, Reeves has Chandler, "who has surprised me, I admit," he said, "but who is also as accurate and as smart as any quarterback playing right now."
