The New England Patriots (1-2) are looking for their second win of the season as they travel to face a prominent NFC powerhouse in the San Francisco 49ers (1-2) in Week number four. The 49ers will be without Christian McCaffrey yet again as his Achilles tendonitis continues to linger and will keep him out of San Fran’s lineup for an extended period.
Jordan Mason who has filled in adequately for McCaffrey, particularly in his big debut against the Jets on Monday Night Football in week one is still the primary threat in the running game for defenses to deal with. Last week he gained 77 yards on 19 carries and caught two balls for 11 yards in a losing effort against their NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams. Deebo Samuel continues to be questionable for the Niners after suffering a calf strain in week two against the Vikings and is also likely to be out for Sunday’s game. Offensive lineman Trent Williams is also questionable for playing against the Patriots with an illness.
The Patriot’s defense could be seeing a decimated 49ers offense, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have their work cut out for them. Receiver Jauan Jennings had a career game against Los Angeles last week hauling in 11 receptions for 175 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Jennings also probably would have won Super Bowl MVP if San Francisco had managed to win against the Chiefs back in February as he had a gritty two-touchdown performance. Jennings despite being seen as a third-string receiver is a gamer and should continue to put forth his best efforts with Deebo still hobbled. Brandon Aiyuk will still be a threat in the passing game as well despite his disappointing start to the season. Aiyuk is looking to break out of his funk and have his first big game in 2024.
All pro-tight end George Kittle has been cleared to play tomorrow after missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury, meaning the Pats defense will need to key in on him and make sure he doesn’t singlehandedly beat them with big plays over the middle of the field in the passing game.
The Patriots also have plenty of players who are out and questionable. Cornerback Alex Austin is out with an ankle injury which is a blow to the pass defense. Anfernee Jennings and Jonathan Jones who are both big pieces to the defense are listed as questionable as well. Christian Gonzalez is still limited in practice with his lingering injury from last season but is still expected to play. The offensive line which has already been struggling is also dealing with injuries all around the lineup, meaning they’ll need to find a way to adjust and mask this deficiency as much as possible.
Keys to the Game
Force Turnovers
Even with their injuries, the 49ers are a team capable of moving the ball offensively with their play-calling and scheming. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy isn’t prone to making many mistakes, but when he does things tend to get ugly for the 49ers. In the five games they lost in 2023, Purdy committed multiple turnovers in each of those games. This included a four-interception game on Christmas against the Ravens, resulting in a 33-19 blowout loss. If there’s any unit that can give the Pats a chance to win, it’s their defense, and forcing multiple turnovers on Purdy by getting a consistent pass rush and forcing him to get the ball out quickly can give the secondary some opportunities to make some plays on the ball.
Effective Running Game
Rhamondre Stevenson had a miserable game against the Jets rush defense, only finishing with 23 yards on six carries, and also lost a fumble. The Patriots need to have a better game running the football with both Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, and as they showed in the first two games, they are definitely capable of doing so. If they get their running game going, it takes the pressure off of the passing game, and the offensive line which is the weakest link on the offense won’t get exposed as much.
Brissett Needs to Play Well
Even though the Pats do want to run the ball effectively, they will still need to get some big plays out of their quarterback to beat a team like San Francisco. If Jacoby Brissett can get the ball out quickly to his receivers and use his legs to scramble out of the pocket and gain some decent yards, it can keep the 49ers defense honest and open things up. Both the passing game and running game need to show a degree of effectiveness to have any shot of pulling off a big upset on the road, meaning young receivers like Jalynn Polk, Demario Douglas, and others must find a way to get separation against the Niners secondary, and Brissett needs to deliver throws to them whether from inside or outside of the pocket. Brissett is capable of making some requisite throws and runs with his skillset, and he needs to deliver this go-round on Sunday.
Main Image: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
