George Kittle Has Unexpected Take on 49ers’ First Loss of Season

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The San Francisco 49ers had looked unstoppable through their first six games of the season, beating their division rivals, the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, in an undefeated start. However, Sunday brought a tough opponent in Atlanta, and the Falcons seized the opportunity.

San Francisco jumped out to a 14-12 halftime lead before being held scoreless in the third quarter. They kicked two field goals in the fourth, but that wasn't enough to answer the Falcons' 17-point second-half performance. Atlanta claimed a 29-20 win, also handing the 49ers their first loss of the season.

While a loss is never something to celebrate, tight end George Kittle still seemed to be processing it more like a wake-up call for him and his teammates as they prepare for the upcoming schedule.

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"I mean, I would've much rather won, but the great thing about---losing's never great, but when you do lose, I think, like, especially in this organization, like, it makes everybody really just look at yourself in the mirror, and all I think it's gonna do is light a even .... spark a bigger fire underneath us," Kittle told reporters.

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San Francisco 49ers star George Kittle adjusts helmet during loss to Atlanta Falcons

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"All we wanna do is win. You know we wanna continue to win; we wanna put good tape out there, and you know ... it's definitely gonna sour our entire bye week," the 49ers tight end added.

Kittle's response is especially surprising, considering he made a costly mistake in the fourth quarter.

With under a minute left and his team trailing 29-20, Kittle caught a pass from Purdy, then ran past the 20-yard line into scoring territory. Unfortunately, he got tripped up while eluding a Falcons defender and then fumbled the ball as he was tackled.

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That error by Kittle cost his team the game, as they could've potentially found the end zone for a touchdown, or at the very least, kicked a field goal, to make it a one-score game. Instead, they surrendered the ball back to Atlanta, so the Falcons could run out the remaining time on the clock.

San Francisco was also without key wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Mike Evans in Sunday's game. Samuel was out with a hamstring injury, while Evans was out due to Achilles and rib injuries.

That loss dropped the 49ers to 6-1, and there's absolutely no reason to panic. It's early; they have significant wins over two powerful division rivals and have defeated the AFC's Denver Broncos, a team that nearly reached the Super Bowl last season. The loss to the Falcons could be the wake-up call that the team needs to go on another six-game winning streak, or more.

As Kittle mentioned, San Francisco is also heading into a bye week, giving their players time to rest and recover. Their next game is on Sunday, Nov. 8, against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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