The Atlanta Falcons did the unthinkable on Sunday, defeating the San Francisco 49ers for their third win of the season and first at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Falcons offense showed up early while the defense came up clutch late in their 29-20 victory.

Coming into Week 7, the Falcons knew they needed to play their best game and managed to do so against a previously undefeated 49ers team. Atlanta is now back in the mix at 3-4 and just a half-game back of first place in the NFC South.

Here are five takeaways from the Falcons' 29-20 win over the 49ers in NFL Week 7.

Michael Penix Jr.'s steady arm guides Falcons to victory

The Falcons quarterback has been playing out of his mind since returning from a knee injury in Week 3. Penix went 25/34 for 213 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 118.9. It was his second consecutive three-touchdown game and fourth with a passer rating over 100 this season (four total starts).

Atlanta has gone 3-1 with its starting QB under center. At this point, Penix looks like a clear franchise quarterback. If he can stay healthy and continue to play at this level, the Falcons have no reason to look elsewhere. Penix has passed for nine touchdowns to just one interception since his return.

Falcons rookie LB Kendal Daniels forces 2 of Falcons' 4 turnovers

What a day for Falcons rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels. One week after it looked like he may not play again this season due to a scary neck injury, Daniels was called upon to fill in for Divine Deablo. The result was Daniels recording a clutch interception of Brock Purdy to essentially end the game, and then recovering a fumble minutes later to officially close it out.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich deserves credit for slowing the NFL's best play-caller and knowing when to bring the pressure in the fourth quarter. Jessie Bates also made an incredible play to intercept Purdy in the third quarter. Plus, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter recovered a fumble in the first half. The Falcons made Purdy look human for much of the game, which is something San Francisco's other opponents haven't been able to do.

Falcons OC Tommy Rees called excellent game

The Falcons offense controlled the tempo and scored 23 straight points to take a 26-14 lead in the fourth quarter. While the final numbers don't show as big of an advantage, Atlanta's aggressiveness on early downs - and first-down play-calling in particular - kept the chains moving for most of the day.

Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has been stellar since Penix's return. The QB-OC duo has taken this offense to the next level. On a day where the 49ers were playing to stop Bijan Robinson, Rees trusted his quarterback to make the right decisions. Whether it was a hook-and-ladder, clever use of misdirection, or play-action, Rees pressed all of the right buttons on Sunday.

Bijan Robinson vs. Christian McCaffrey: Star RBs took a backseat

McCaffrey got off to a fast start but left the game after the opening drive with a thigh injury. The 49ers running back would return in the second half and finish the game with 39 rushing yards, 61 receiving yards and one touchdown. It's impressive that McCaffrey still finished with 100 all-purpose yards, but he didn't have the impact he normally does due to the injury.

As for Bijan Robinson, he rushed for 63 yards on 20 carries, while adding five catches for 59 receiving yards. Robinson still had a major impact, but it was clear that the 49ers were committed to stopping the Falcons RB.

NFC South standings: Falcons rise, Panthers fall in Week 7

The Falcons are right back in the mix thanks to the NFL's most mediocre division. The NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers got embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 43-13, to fall to 3-3. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield was efficient, and he's likely licking his chops to face former Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski next week. The New Orleans Saints lost 16-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday morning in Paris.

What's next for the Falcons?

In Week 8, the Falcons will play their third NFC South matchup of the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road. As previously mentioned, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has it out for Stefanski from their time in Cleveland and this should be a good matchup in a rivalry that hasn't disappointed over the last few seasons. The Falcons and the Bucs will face off next Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Raymond-James Stadium in Tampa.