It was George Kittle’s day … until it wasn’t
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There wasn’t a better player on the field Sunday than Kittle. The 49ers’ tight end pulled in 13 catches for 134 yards and looked to be the only player on offense capable of making a play. Jimmy Garoppolo looked to him on 17 of his 34 pass attempts, including on what would’ve been the game-sealing play. Kittle caught a screen pass on third-and-4 and took off for the first down marker with 1:59 left. A first down would’ve ended the game, but he inexplicably fumbled before getting the first down. He dove on the loose ball and slid out of bounds after picking up 3. San Francisco was forced to kick a field goal and allowed the Falcons to get the ball back. It was a rare mistake from Kittle that came at the worst possible time, but he’s also the only reason they were in a position to win anyway.