Getty Former Falcons running back Brian Hill.
For their Week 15 matchup, the Atlanta Falcons are set to face their former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers today.
But that’s not the only familiar face they’ll be seeing. In need of some running back insurance with starter Elijah Mitchell out, the Niners activated Brian Hill from the practice squad.
With Elijah Mitchell (knee) out of Sunday’s game, the #49ers bumped RB Brian Hill up from the practice squad. Also bumped: S Jarrod Wilson
Hill will be assigned to play on special teams, but also serve as an emergency running back behind Jeff Wilson Jr. and JaMycal Hasty. This is the second-straight game he’s playing for with the 49ers after making his debut last week against the Bengals.
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Hill Was Drafted by Atlanta in 2017
Hill, a 6-foot-1, 219-pound running back, initially entered the NFL in 2017 when the Falcons selected him in the fifth round (No. 156 overall) out of Wyoming.
He played in just one game for the Falcons during his rookie year before he was waived and re-signed to Atlanta’s practice squad. Not too long after that, he was picked up by the Bengals, where he played in six games that year.
But when the Bengals cut him in the summer of 2018, the Falcons brought him back to the practice squad. He went on to appear in ten games that season, plus another 12 contests in 2019.
In 2020, Hill signed a $2.13 million contract as a restricted free agent and went on to have a career year, rushing the ball 100 times for 465 yards and a touchdown, while adding 25 receptions for another 199 yards.
The Falcons didn’t end up re-signing Hill for the 2021 season so he ended up with Julio Jones the Tennessee Titans earlier this season. He didn’t make it very far as he was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 1.
Through four NFL seasons so far, Hill has rushed for a total of 945 yards and three touchdowns in addition to 38 receptions for 313 yards and 1 receiving touchdown.
A Look at the Falcons’ Disrespectful Point Spread
Atlanta was only a 2.5-point underdog against the Panthers last week and managed to come out on top with an 8-point margin win.
Both sides of the ball did their part, but the defense really came through with two interceptions, including a pick-six for a 66-yard touchdown and a fumble recovery. They also held the Panthers to 91 rushing yards after letting them run all over them in Week 8. The return of tight end Hayden Hurst return was also very beneficial as he scored a touchdown in his first game back. The Falcons even boosted their playoff chances from 5% to 12% with the win.
Now, they’ll face a 49ers team that blew a 20-6 lead and trailed 23-20 in OT until QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw a touchdown pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk for a walk-off victory. Similar to the Falcons, the Niners have been dominant on the road, but have only recently picked up two straight home victories. Facing the Falcons should be considered an easier win for the 49ers, whose head coach spent a lot of time as Matt Ryan’s offensive coordinator. Not to mention the fact that the 49ers are a much better team overall than the Panthers and have the defense to take down Ryan, who endured zero sacks last week.
But, December football means meaningful football and it looks like the Falcons are taking that straight to the heart and finally coming together. Ryan should bring his A-game against the coach that lost his only chance at a Super Bowl ring. The rest of the pieces should follow behind him as they have in the other wins. All that being said, this nearly double-digit spread is a bit disrespectful for a team that’s getting it together and facing a team that’s allowed 23 plus points in their last three matchups.
Let’s GO Falcons.
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