The San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons face off on Sunday, Oct. 16. The game will be live streamed on fuboTV (free trial) and DirecTV Stream (free trial).

There may be no better opportunity for Marcus Mariota to prove he can be more than a bridge at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons than in this week’s matchup with San Francisco and its top-rated defense.

Mariota and the Falcons (2-3) face the 49ers (3-2), who allow only 12.2 points per game, tied for the league lead. The defense was dominant in last week’s 37-15 win over the Carolina Panthers, another NFC South team.

Mariota has played about as expected of a former high draft pick trying to revive his career. He has only four touchdown passes with four interceptions but has given the offense another running threat.

Mariota has been held under 200 passing yards in three of five games. The Falcons have been a run-first offense, gaining at least 150 yards on the ground four times.

The 49ers lead the NFL in total defense and rushing defense. They rank third against the pass, so there are no easy answers for Mariota and the Falcons.

When is 49ers-Falcons?

The Falcons play the 49ers at noon (1 p.m. ET) Sunday, Oct 16.

Live stream options

FuboTV

The game will be live streamed on fuboTV, which offers a free trial. The most basic of plans is the “fubo standard” package, which comprises 121-plus channels for $69.99 per month. Like all cord-cutting alternatives, there are plenty of options, especially for sports. It comes with more than 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR, and up to 10 screens at once.

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial.

There are four options of DirecTV Stream:

The Entertainment Package, which consists of 65+ channels, is $54.99 until the promotion runs out April 30. It’s the basic package for can’t-miss entertainment – including ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV.

The Choice Package has more than 90 channels and is $74.99 during the promotion. The channels in ENTERTAINMENT, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, college sports networks, and more. Enjoy Regional Sports Networks with no additional fees.

The Ultimate Package has more than 130 channels and is $89.99 during the promotion. Everything in CHOICE, plus Oxygen, Golf Channel, NHL Network, Universal Kids and more.

The Premier Package has more than 140 channels and is $134.99 during the promotion. Everything in ULTIMATE, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and more.

DirecTV Stream offers a free trial that doesn’t require much effort.

To sign up, enter a phone number, email address and credit card, and you’ll receive five days of the service without charge.

In addition, enhance your experience with the DirecTV Stream device. While it doesn’t include a free trial, it give you access to thousands of apps like Netflix and more on Google Play. You can search using the voice remote with Google Assistant, and you can enjoy a traditional live TV channel guide. It is sold separately.

Will it be televised?

The Falcons and 49ers will be televised on Fox.

Preview

JARRETT’S STRONG START: Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was in the news last week after being called for a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty against Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady. The much-criticized call wiped a sack off Jarrett’s statistics and robbed the Falcons of an opportunity to mount a potential game-winning drive.

The flag doesn’t diminish Jarrett’s strong start after signing a $51 million, three-year contract extension that continues through 2025.

Smith said Jarrett is playing as if he’s trying to earn a contract instead of a veteran who just signed a new deal.

“I think it’s impressive the guy gets a new contract, and I don’t know if there’s anybody working or playing harder than he is,” Smith said.

Jarrett leads Atlanta with 3 1/2 sacks and five tackles for losses.

“He’s having a terrific season,” Smith said. “He’s one of those guys where the more I’ve been around him, the more fortunate I feel I am to be able to coach a guy like Grady. He’s rare.”

ROAD TRIP: The 49ers saved themselves two cross-country flights by practicing in West Virginia this week after last Sunday’s win at Carolina. San Francisco is 4-0 in the second game of two-game trips the past three seasons.

BANGED-UP SECONDARY: San Francisco sustained big losses to its secondary last week when starting cornerback Emmanuel Moseley went down with a season-ending knee injury and safety Jimmie Ward broke his hand on his first play back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him the first four games. But the Niners are in much better shape to weather those losses this year than in the past with big-ticket free-agent acquisition Charvarius Ward locking up one cornerback spot and safeties Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson making big plays each week.

Moseley’s spot could be taken either by second-year players Deommodore Lenoir or Ambry Thomas, rookie Sam Womack or veteran Jason Verrett, who is close to returning from a knee injury that has sidelined him since Week 1 of the 2021 season.

“Last year that was our biggest worry,” Shanahan said about the secondary. “We knew how thin we were there with the rookies and stuff and then losing Verrett that first game was tough. That’s why we had to go sign vets right away. We’ve had the injuries this year, but we have some rookies who got experience last year and we also brought in a couple of guys and I like our draft picks too, so we got some more depth, which helps.”

FALCONS HEALING: The Falcons will again be without top running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who is on injured reserve following knee surgery. Tight end Kyle Pitts could return after missing last week’s 21-15 loss to Tampa Bay with a hamstring injury.

TEVIN’S RETURN: Tevin Coleman’s first extensive action in his second stint with San Francisco went much better than the end of his first. Coleman averaged 1.9 yards per carry in eight games in 2020 before leaving to sign with the Jets. He returned to San Francisco last month and looked fresh last week when he had a TD catch and a TD run.

That could earn Coleman even more time this week when he faces the Falcons, the team he spent his first four seasons with before leaving for the Niners.

“I’ve been impressed,” Shanahan said. “It’s kind of what we expect him to do. … I thought we were really fortunate to get Tevin back here when we did.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.