Michael Penix Jr. throws 3 TD passes, Falcons force 4 turnovers to give 49ers first loss, 29-20

ATLANTA (AP) — San Francisco's perfect start to the season was wiped out by a painful reminder that even an unbeaten team can't overcome a 4-0 deficit in turnovers.

Michael Penix Jr. threw three touchdown passes, Atlanta scored 13 points off four turnovers and the Falcons handed the 49ers their first loss, 29-20 on Sunday.

“Any time you have four turnovers like that and you get zero, it’s real tough to win,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Too sloppy to win.”

San Francisco (6-1) was already thin at wide receiver before its offense faced additional limitations when running back Christian McCaffrey missed much of the first half with a thigh injury and didn't assume his normal workload when he returned after halftime.

Rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels intercepted Brock Purdy's pass intended for Jordan Watkins with 2:34 remaining. It was Purdy's second interception. Daniels then recovered a fumble by George Kittle with less than a minute remaining for Atlanta's final takeaway.

“That’s a great recipe for winning in this league,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said.

The 49ers had only six turnovers in their first six games.

Penix threw scoring passes to tight ends Nick Muse and Kyle Pitts before giving Atlanta (3-4) a 26-14 lead with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Drake London in the fourth quarter. Penix completed 25 of 34 passes for 213 yards with no interceptions.

The 49ers' comeback attempt was hurt when a lengthy review by the officials took away Purdy's apparent 23-yard touchdown pass to Watkins. Following the ruling, Purdy was sacked on fourth down by Za'Darius Smith.

Purdy's 1-yard scoring pass to fullback Kyle Juszcyk with 5:05 remaining cut Atlanta's lead to 26-20 before Eddy Pineiro's extra-point attempt was wide left — his fourth PAT miss of the season.

A shanked punt by Atlanta's Jake Bailey allowed San Francisco to start a possession at its 47 with about four minutes remaining. The 49ers wasted the opportunity to mount a go-ahead drive when Purdy threw his second interception, which led to Nick Folk's 31-yard field goal.

Purdy completed 27 of 40 passes for 288 yards with one touchdown and the two picks.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 63 yards as the Falcons snapped a two-game skid. McCaffrey was limited to seven carries for 39 yards.

McCaffrey's backup, Kaelon Black, lost a fumble at the Atlanta 29 that was recovered by Gervon Dexter Sr. in the second quarter. A long Atlanta drive set up Nick Folk's 33-yard field goal.

In the third quarter, Jessie Bates III intercepted Purdy's pass at the Atlanta 10 to set up the touchdown drive capped by the scoring pass to London.

The 49ers leaned heavily on McCaffrey on their opening touchdown drive. McCaffrey had two catches for 40 yards, including a 24-yard gain to the Atlanta 5. He had four carries for 29 yards, including a scoring fourth-down leap over the pile from the 1.

McCaffrey had a 5-yard catch on the 49ers' next drive before leaving the game with the thigh injury. He was listed as questionable to return as he was examined in the injury tent. McCaffrey emerged, put on his helmet and tested the thigh by running on the sideline before heading to the locker room.

Black's 30-yard scoring run on the first play of the second quarter gave San Francisco a 14-3 lead. McCaffrey returned for the second half and was used as a decoy on some plays.

Asked if McCaffrey was at full strength in the second half, Shanahan said, “I don't know. I'll ask him but it seemed all right.”

An Atlanta team coming off home losses to Baltimore and Chicago needed a win to stop the skid and also to win back its fans. The Bears and 49ers each had vocal supporters in the stands who forced Penix to work on silent snap counts, an unusual circumstance for home games.

“We came out here and showcased what we are capable of,” Falcons defensive end Samson Ebukam said.

Watkins had three catches for 56 yards and Jacob Cowing added three receptions for 38 yards as Purdy’s new top targets at wide receiver.

“I thought they did a good job,” Purdy said. “And it’s our first game all together as a with the receivers that we had.”

Added Purdy: “The fact that we were out there, having those new guys and stuff out there running routes for us and create separation and making plays ... I thought I saw a lot of really cool things.”

Kittle had team-leading totals of eight catches for 88 yards and McCaffrey added six receptions for 61 yards.

Stefanski stuck with rookie Zachariah Branch as a return specialist one week after Branch lost two fumbles — one on a muffed fair catch on a punt and one on a kickoff return. Branch rewarded Stefanski by returning the 49ers' first kickoff 60 yards to the San Francisco 36. The return set up a 39-yard field goal by Folk.

49ers: Depth was an issue at wide receiver with starters Mike Evans (Achilles tendinitis) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) inactive. Receivers Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling and Demarcus Robinson are also out. Safety Marques Sigle (ankle) was inactive.

Falcons: Cornerback A.J. Terrell (groin) started after coming off injured reserve but his brother, rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell (back), was inactive.

49ers: Following a bye week, host Las Vegas on Nov. 8.

Falcons: Visit Tampa Bay next Sunday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Atlanta Falcons' Za'darius Smith (55), Harold Perkins Jr. (56) and Mike Ford Jr. (28) celebrate after sacking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) intercepts a San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy pass during the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (95) celebrates with teammates after recovering a San Francisco 49ers fumble during the first half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Falcons tight end Nick Muse (87) and Charlie Woerner celebrate after Muse caught a touchdown pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jordan Watkins (17) catches a pass in front of Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. (24) during the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) and Xavier Watts (31) celebrate after Bates III intercepted a San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy pass during the second half of an NFL football game in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) throws a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Vote-counting resumed in Brazil’s polarizing presidential runoff between incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flávio Bolsonaro after voting hours were extended following requests by both candidates for an extension based on issues with voting in their respective stronghold.

The extension had caused confusion at many polling stations. Some had already shut down when the decision — made by a Supreme Court justice three minutes before poll close time — was relayed to them several minutes after they’d already shut down, and results were paused until the end of the two-hour window.

The decision set the stage for possible legal challenges no matter who wins. Lula’s camp said it was already looking into legal maneuvers because of “interference in the electoral process,” said Edhinho Silva, chairman of Lula’s Workers Party. Bolsonaro’s campaign had yet to comment.

The contest will determine whether the U.S. will significantly expand its growing influence in Latin America. A win for Bolsonaro would signify a pivot to the right by Latin America’s most populous country and its largest economy, in a year when Trump allies have scored victories in Chile, Peru and Colombia. A victory for Lula would leave Brazil and Mexico with left-of-center leaders.

Polls showed the two candidates, who need more than 50% of the vote to become Brazil’s next leader in January, in a neck-and-neck race. The election pits the left-of-center veteran politician Lula against Bolsonaro, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump and the son of imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro.

As polls were closing, Brazilian Supreme Court justice Cristiano Zanin ruled to extend voting nationwide for two hours following requests from both candidates. Lula’s request came after issues in nine states with buses that provide transportation to polls in Sao Paulo and Salvador, two cities that tend to favor the incumbent. A state electoral judge ordered the arrest of the mobility secretary of the state capital, Salvador, Pablo Souza, in relation to the case after at least 75 public buses were prevented from leaving municipal garages Sunday.

Bolsonaro’s request was due to heavy rains in Brazil’s south, where he is favored.

The extension threatened to cause logistical problems with some polls likely having closed before they got the order to stay open.

In Brasilia, volunteers who oversaw the vote count at a school debated whether they needed to stay after the announcement to extend voting, but most left 15 to 20 minutes after polls closed and they had given count information to electoral authorities. At a polling station in Rio de Janeiro, the voting machines had already been switched off minutes after polls were set to close and couldn’t be turned back on.

Supreme Court Justice Zanin later clarified the decision is valid for wherever polls were still open.

The electoral mission for the Organization of American States said in a statement that it is monitoring reports of public transportation issues.

Bolsonaro bested Lula by more than 2.2 million votes in the first round of the election earlier this month. However, more than 33 million voters out of nearly 160 million did not turn out.

Bolsonaro and Lula have opposing ideological views on issues ranging from U.S.-Brazil relations and climate change to social welfare.

In many ways, Brazil’s runoff vote is another tight rematch between the country’s two polarized political forces that trigger passion as much as loathing. Four years ago, Lula beat Bolsonaro’s father by the narrowest margin since the country’s return to democracy in 1985.

Lula, who first governed Brazil between 2003 and 2010, has faced a tough reelection battle because of concerns about the cost of living and security. Bolsonaro made a tough-on-crime approach the cornerstone of his campaign and pledged to bring down food costs while Lula, trying to lure undecided voters, has invested in costly incentives.

Both have been hit by corruption suspicions involving family members and allies, with Bolsonaro implicated in a sprawling scandal rocking Brazil. Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

As Bolsonaro voted at a school in Rio de Janeiro, his supporters shouted “Lula, thief, your place is in prison” while Lula’s supporters chanted in his support.

“The time of real change has arrived,” Bolsonaro said. “Brazil can’t go on for another four years on its current trajectory.”

Lula voters turned out Sunday driven by his history of supporting marginalized people and working to lift Brazilians out of poverty.

“Lula is a man of the people and he knows what it’s like to be poor,” Luzia da Souza, who runs a bar in Rio de Janeiro, said. "I find it impossible not to vote for him.”

Anderson Falcão, a 43-year-old journalist in Brasilia, said he worried about Bolsonaro’s long-term political vision, which he called “exclusionary.”

“It’s a project that harms the less fortunate, harms the worker, women, the forest, the Amazon,” he said.

Bolsonaro voters, many of whom wore yellow and green Brazil jerseys in support of the senator, said they want change.

“Things are really expensive and taxes are too high,” Fabianne Borges Santoro, a 45-year-old physiotherapist in Rio de Janeiro, said. She added that she once voted for Lula’s party but now associates it with corruption.

Kelvin Gomes Pimental, a 28-year-old data analyst in Brasilia, voted for a third-party candidate in the first round, making his vote for Lula a decisive one in this election.

“It’s not even about Flávio himself. It’s also very much about the management of the other Bolsonaro government. He wanted to stage a coup,” he said. “These issues scare me a little.”

Diogo Furtado, a 35-year-old Uber driver in Rio de Janeiro, didn’t vote the first time because of his work, but said he'll vote blank on Sunday. He said that neither candidate convinced him.

“Brazil needs a new candidate,” Furtado said. “But unfortunately our country has become dominated by two names: Lula and Bolsonaro."

Lula criticized the U.S. president before Brazil's election, speaking about the risks of U.S. intervention in Brazilian elections after the Trump administration imposed high tariffs against Brazilian exports and classified drug-trafficking groups as foreign terrorist organizations. Experts say the moves may have been intended to make Lula look soft on crime.

Flávio Bolsonaro has touted his proximity to the White House and insisted that Brazil needs to strike better deals with the Trump administration, including in the rare minerals economy. Brazil estimates that its deposits hold up to 21 million tons, second only to China. He denies he's being helped by the U.S. government.

Trump said Sunday that he is watching the election but declined to endorse a candidate.

Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. Brigida reported from Brasilia.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro flashes a victory sign as he arrives in Brasilia, Brazil, on the day of the presidential runoff election, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izuierdo)

People walk along the beach during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, waves after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, wears glasses given to him by a supporter after voting in the presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, displays a Brazilian flag before voting in a presidential runoff in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Voters line up at a polling station during the presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Voters line outside a polling station up during the presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

A supporter of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking reelection, lines up at a polling station during a presidential runoff in Brasilia, Brazil, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro and his wife Fernanda Bolsonaro give a thumbs during the runoff presidential election in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Voters wait to cast their ballots during a presidential runoff in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

Red T-shirts depicting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, and yellow T-shirts depicting opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro hang for sale outside a building ahead of Brazil's presidential runoff election in Autazes, Amazonas state, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, right, who is running for reelection, and his running mate Geraldo Alckmin raise their arms in unison at the end of their final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, center, leaves after his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado)

Supporters of opposition presidential candidate Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro cheer during his final campaign rally a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Lucas Landau)

A girl standing on a man's shoulders reaches out amid a crowd of supporters of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is running for reelection, during his final campaign rally, a day ahead of the presidential runoff election in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)