Last week, Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels was stretchered off the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a very scary situation following a hit.
One week later, Daniels not only was able to play for the Falcons – he made a clutch play that helped them beat the undefeated San Francisco 49ers.
The Falcons were up nine late in the fourth quarter in a game where they weren’t expected to be on the winning side of things considering how well the 49ers have looked to start this season.
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But with less than one minute left to play, Brock Purdy and San Francisco found themselves in desperation mode when tight end George Kittle secured a wide-open pass and started to take it upfield. However, Falcons safety Jessie Bates III was able to trip up Kittle, and as the tight end tried regaining his footing, he lost the football.
With the football, and essentially the win, sitting on the turf, Daniels came flying in and dove on the loose ball. That ball sealed the deal for the Falcons, who moved to 3-5 on the season while handing the 49ers their first loss.
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Daniels also had a career-high 11 tackles in the win, nine of which were solo efforts. And he wasn’t done securing turnovers.
Daniels’ best play was a perfectly timed jump on a Purdy pass in the middle of the field that he tipped and caught for an interception. Daniels was trying to take it back for a pick-six, but he was ran out of bounds before reaching the end zone.
The 49ers had four turnovers that the Falcons forced on Sunday.
Daniels, a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma, was all smiles with the rest of his teammates after a hard-fought win. And luckily, the rookie was able to play considering the circumstances of last week.
Play stopped for roughly 10 minutes in the Falcons’ game against the Chicago Bears after Daniels delivered a hit on tight end Colston Loveland, where his neck appeared to snap back after colliding with his knee.
While he was moving, Daniels was in clear pain, and trainers came out immediately to assess the situation. He was placed on a stretcher as a precaution, and the Falcons said that he was conscious and moving his extremities.
Days later, Daniels was spotted at practice where he was cleared to participate, setting him up to play against the 49ers.
“I scared a lot of people. It was a scary play,” he said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m blessed to come out how I did…”
Daniels will look to deliver more key plays for the Falcons next week in a key NFC South matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who got back on track after a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.