Jeff Garcia has completed 64.2 percent of his passes in his last four starts.

Although the loss of Steve Young ruined the 49ers' chances, I like the way Jeff Garcia has played. When he got his first start against Tennessee, he had an efficient game to beat the Titans at 3Com Park. Then he struggled a bit and lost the starting job to Steve Stenstrom.

But in the four games since Garcia regained the top job, he seems more in command of the offense. He is not playing as frenetic as he did originally. He is a mobile quarterback who can run and make plays on the move, but he hurt the 49ers when he got outside the design of the offense. Over the last few weeks, rather than just running around, he is playing much better quarterback.

Charlie Garner, who is questionable with a broken rib, gives the 49ers the opportunity for a big, explosive play. The Atlanta defense has struggled against the run, giving up 128.6 yards a game and 4.2 per rush. This is a game in which the 49ers can run the football, and they will run it more effectively if Garner is available.

Second-year fullback Fred Beasley has impressed me. He can block, catch the football and run with power and quickness. The Falcons will have to account for him because he gives the 49ers a nice dimension out of the backfield.

At receiver, the 49ers still have Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and J.J. Stokes. Rice is not the same player he was in his prime, but he can still be a productive receiver with a good supporting cast. The receivers have been hurt by a lack of production by the tight end. The 49ers have been an offense historically built from the inside out. They try to control the area around the hashmarks to open up the slant routes for their receivers. Because the opposing linebackers have no regard for the hash area and the tight end, they can take away the receivers. That has hurt their production in the passing game.

Meanwhile, the Falcons finally got a strong running game from Byron Hanspard and fullback Bob Christian last week against Arizona. Hanspard gave the Falcons their first 100-yard rushing effort of the season, and Christian -- averaging 4.7 yards a carry -- added 54 yards and two touchdowns.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

49ers WR Jerry Rice: The greatest receiver in NFL history becomes the first player to make Monday Night Football appearances in three different decades. Plus, this could be his final game in a 49ers uniform. 49ers QB Jeff Garcia: The former Grey Cup MVP has found a groove, throwing six touchdown passes in his last four games. 49ers DT Bryant Young: Just 13 months removed from what could have been a career-ending injury on Monday Night Football, Young leads the 49ers with 11 sacks. In the last seven games, he has nine sacks. Falcons FB Bob Christian: He leads the team with seven touchdowns -- two more than he had in his first seven NFL seasons combined. Dan Reeves said last week that Christian is playing at a Pro Bowl level. Falcons QB Chris Chandler: Chandler has been forced out of four games this season, and he has missed four more games with injuries .The Falcons have lost seven of the eight games in which Chandler either has been injured or did not play. Falcons S Eugene Robinson: In what is expected to be his final NFL game, the 15-year veteran from Colgate meets up with another small college player who made his debut in 1985, Jerry Rice.

But without Jamal Anderson, the Falcons have struggled to run the ball all season. They average 77.3 rushing yards a game and only 3.3 yards per rush. Defenses no longer show respect for the running game by playing their safeties close to the line of scrimmage.

What made the Falcons so good last season was their play-action passing game. Although quarterback Chris Chandler is having a solid season, they aren't getting big, explosive plays without either a running game or Tony Martin, now in Miami. Martin is a unique receiver who can read coverage on the move, find the void in the coverage and get open, particularly on the deep routes. Tim Dwight might have the speed, but he doesn't have the experience of understanding what the defense is doing.

By running the football last season, the Falcons led the league in time of possession (33 minutes, 10 seconds). This season Atlanta is 26th at 28:41. That means the Falcons have their defense on the field nearly five minutes longer. That hurts the overall team balance. The Falcons haven't been able to stop the run on defense or run on offense. Consequently, the other teams are getting more opportunities.

Here are the keys to Monday night's game for each team:

San Francisco 49ers
1. Get the tight end involved: Getting the ball more to Greg Clark will open up space for the receivers on the perimeter. Clark caught four balls last week, and that will be key because the 49ers offense is built around controlling the hash area with the tight end. Bill Walsh and Steve Mariucci have told me that's what they would like to do. The problem is that they haven't been able to get consistent production from Clark. If he can't get open, the Falcons defense wins.

2. Some fire from Fiore: Left tackle Dave Fiore has a difficult job trying to contain defensive end Chuck Smith, who has had another solid season with 10 sacks. Fiore must control Smith to protect Garcia's blind side. Overall, the 49ers offensive line has struggled for most of the season. They have gotten better, but the group of five needs to play as one.

3. Pass-rush pressure: If Chandler is given time in the pocket, he will tear up the 49ers' suspect secondary. The Niners need to break down Chandler's rhythm. Except from defensive tackle Bryant Young, who has 11 sacks, the 49ers haven't gotten consistent pass-rush pressure. Good pass defense is a combination of coverage and rush, and they have struggled in both areas.

JERRY RICE BY THE NUMBERS

3: Rice has four career 200-yard receiving games, and three of them have come on Monday Night Football, including his career-high of 289 yards against the Vikings in 1995. The one non-Monday game was at Atlanta in 1990 when he caught 13 passes for 225 yards and five touchdowns. 29: The number of touchdowns Rice has scored against Atlanta. That is the most touchdowns ever scored by a single player against one opponent in the history of the NFL. 209: The number of consecutive games in which Rice has caught a pass, an NFL record. The last time he did not catch a pass was in his rookie season against Washington in December 1985.

Atlanta Falcons
1. Attack downfield: The Falcons need to challenge the 49ers secondary, which can be exposed and has been most of the season. The last two weeks the two starting receivers for both Washington (Michael Westbrook and Albert Connell) and Carolina (Muhsin Muhammad and Patrick Jeffers) had more than 100 yards receiving against San Francisco. That should bode well for the Falcons receivers. Terance Mathis has quietly had a good season, with 76 catches for 947 yards. Mathis is more of a possession receiver than a deep threat. He will move the chains, but not make the big plays that produce points.

2. Get a grip on Garner: Even without Garner, the 49ers' commitment will be to establish the run to keep the Falcons offense off the field against their weak defense. The 49ers will want to shorten the game, run the football and score points running it. The onus will be on Jessie Tuggle and company to stop a ground game ranked third in the league.

3. Defensive uprising: The Atlanta defense has all its personnel back, but it still hasn't risen to the occasion. The Falcons have failed to respond the way they should with the talent they have. Ray Buchanan is still one of the game's best cornerbacks, and Ronnie Bradford is a quality cover man. Free safety Eugene Robinson has lost a step and has struggled most of the season. He will play his final NFL game Monday night. He and the rest of the Falcons defense needs to step up at home.

Former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski appears each week on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown and Edge NFL Matchup. He breaks down the Monday Night Football matchup each week on ESPN.com.