Jimmy Garoppolo is the living embodiment of the old joke about the two guys running from the bear. Garoppolo doesn’t need to be faster than the bear, he just needs to be better than a replacement-level quarterback.

Blessed with an array of available weaponry (Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle) and riding the wave of a league-leading defense with the San Francisco 49ers, Garoppolo certainly knows how to thrive in times of prosperity.

Coming into Sunday’s road game against the Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers were leading the NFC West at 3-2. In an era of extreme parity, a just-above-.500 record is more than good enough. Again: You don’t have to outrun the bear, just the guy next to you.

But what happens when San Francisco, which hadn't trailed by more than 10 points all year, hits lean times? Yes, Garoppolo is steady in the pocket. No, he doesn't light up his own linemen when things aren't going his way. That's not enough in the NFL. No, if the 49ers are going to make any noise this season, Garoppolo is going to need to figure a way to rally his team from deficits, something he failed to do on Sunday.

Twice, Atlanta posted two-touchdown leads on San Francisco. But Garoppolo was only able to bring his team back once, and San Francisco ended up falling to Atlanta 28-14, dropping to 3-3 on the season.

Not for nothing, but this was by far the most efficient and opportunistic game the Falcons had played all season. An Atlanta team that was supposed to struggle to hit three wins on the season has already hit the mark barely a third into the year. The 49ers are missing a huge chunk of their team, including the entire starting defensive line ... but Garoppolo is at full health, and that's what poses the key challenge for San Francisco.

Garoppolo threw for 296 yards on 29-of-41 attempts and two touchdowns ... but he also threw two interceptions, and simply couldn't rally San Francisco to anything more than routine between-the-20s drives. Aiyuk in particular was spectacular, catching both touchdowns, but he was the exception rather than the rule. The 49ers were 3-of-8 on third down, and lost the time of possession battle by nearly seven full minutes.

Granted, Garoppolo wasn't alone in struggling. Running back Jeff Wilson coughed up a costly fumble that Atlanta managed to scoop and turn into an ugly touchdown. A brutal holding penalty wiped out what would have been a long downfield strike to Aiyuk midway through the fourth quarter.

The 49ers finally began showing a sense of urgency down two touchdowns, but by then it was far too late. Garoppolo took over with 10:42 left in the game, then plodded down the field for a 16-play, 8-minute drive that ended on the Atlanta 19 when the 49ers turned the ball over on downs. Garoppolo overthrew an open Kittle in the end zone one play earlier, and his game-control methodology was woefully out of place.

Here’s the looming challenge: The 49ers have a tough slate ahead. Kansas City comes to town next week, then San Francisco travels to Los Angeles for a rematch against the Rams, whom they beat 24-9 earlier in the season. After the bye, the Los Angeles Chargers arrive, followed by another divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Garoppolo and the 49ers can’t afford to be playing from behind against any of those teams.

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Contact Jay Busbee at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee.