Bates Forces Fumble in Falcons Win
Atlanta safety Jessie Bates III punched the ball from George Kittle's hands and also picked off Brock Purdy in a 29-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Football
Falcons safety Jessie Bates III forced a fumble by punching the ball out of tight end George Kittle's hands and caught a toe-tap interception from Brock Purdy in Atlanta's 29-20 win over the 49ers on October 25. The two plays gave Bates six career games with both a forced fumble and an interception, behind only Rod Woodson's seven.
Why it matters
The performance highlights Bates's ball-production role in an Atlanta defense trying to climb out of a 3-4 start. Forced fumbles across the NFL are running well ahead of last season, making turnover creation a central storyline for Atlanta fans.
Bates now has 10 forced fumbles and 14 interceptions in 58 games with Atlanta since 2023, and two forced fumbles through the Falcons' first seven games this season. League-wide forced fumbles are up 39% from the 2025 season.
The players
Jessie Bates III
Atlanta Falcons safety who played high school football, basketball, and baseball at Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and has been with Atlanta since 2023.
Jeff Ulbrich
Falcons defensive coordinator who praised Bates's technique on the forced fumble.
The details
Bates punched at the ball with a closed fist to dislodge it from Kittle, and Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich described him as the best in football at the play, saying Bates aims for the leather and the air behind the ball. The interception came when Bates caught a toe-tap pick off Purdy.
Timeline
October 25, 2026: Bates's forced fumble and interception in the 29-20 win over the 49ers.
Week 8: The Falcons face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium.
Season Trajectory
Forced fumbles across the NFL are up 39% from the 2025 season, placing Bates's two-turnover game within a league-wide surge in ball-stripping. For a Falcons team at 3-4, the extra takeaways could be decisive in the playoff race.
Bates's two-turnover game raises his fantasy value in leagues that reward forced fumbles and interceptions, and the Falcons' 3-4 start means each takeaway matters. Atlanta's next test comes against a Tampa Bay team at 2-5, a matchup that could help the defense pad its turnover numbers.
The takeaway
Bates's forced fumbles and interceptions show how a single defensive back can swing a game, so watch turnover totals when evaluating defenses. Tracking those numbers week to week offers a clearer read on a team's direction than final scores alone.
What happens next
The Falcons face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 p.m. in Week 8 at Raymond James Stadium.
Further reading
For more on the team's defensive play, see Football coverage from Atlanta.
