49ers vs. Patriots as it happened: Analysis, highlights in 30-13 SF win

SANTA CLARA -- Sam Okuayinonu had the game of his NFL career Sunday, but when given an opportunity to soak in the spotlight, the veteran defensive lineman immediately highlighted his teammates' efforts rather than bask in the glory of his outstanding individual performance.

"It feels good, man. It feels good," Okuayinonu told NBC Sports Bay Area after the 49ers' 30-13 win over the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium. "I don't just feel good with myself, I feel good about the whole D-line. I love how we came out there to play. I feel like we were thrashing, flying around having fun. Seeing guys on the sideline, just excited ... it felt great."

Okuayinonu wasted no time making an impact after being promoted to San Francisco's active roster over the weekend, forcing a fumble on the first play of New England's second drive to seize early momentum and set the tone for the 49ers' defensive-front dominance.

Okuayinonu quickly is earning goodwill among 49ers fans because of his hellacious motor, but San Francisco's brass long was impressed with the consistent effort the 26-year-old made behind the scenes before his promotion from the practice squad to play in his ninth NFL game.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA -- Jacoby Brissett wasn't the only one who felt the pressure the 49ers' defensive line applied in Sunday's 30-13 win over the New England Patriots.

The 49ers' secondary -- which watched their teammates sack the Patriots quarterback six times and constantly harass him -- felt it, too. And they very much appreciated it.

"Them boys got off today," 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown said after the game. "They had a goal, they come in with a goal every game, but we had to get back to playing like us, and they are a pivotal force in how we represent our defense, and they came out.

"When you got to guard a guy for two and a half seconds, it’s pretty easy out there."

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers' defense bounced back from back-to-back sub-par performances in Sunday's 30-13 win over the New England Patriots, proving the team very much remains a contender.

Defensive end Nick Bosa was pleased with the group's performance, which included six sacks of Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett, four forced fumbles and just 216 total yards allowed (73 rushing, 143 passing).

"It feels good to get a win," Bosa said after the game. "But it's such a long year that from an outsider's perspective or online, you’d think the building was burning down. But I told the D-line guys in our meeting last night that we've lost some guys, but I haven't lost confidence in this group one bit, and that's the truth. I think we're going to be just fine." 

Before halftime, a D-line that already was without Javon Hargrave lost Jordan Elliot to a knee injury, and the fifth-year veteran did not return. But Kevin Givens (three tackles, 2.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, three QB hits), Maliek Collins (three tackles, 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, two QB hits, one fumble recovery), Sam Okuayinonu (two tackles, one tackle for loss, one QB hit, one forced fumble) and rookie Evan Anderson (two tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss) all stepped up.

Read Full Article

We're one quarter through the 2024 NFL season, and the league's true hierarchy is beginning to take shape.

Early surprise contenders are starting to look like pretenders and top teams continue to show their vulnerabilities, while the worst teams continue to be ... terrible. Shocker!

Can the Chiefs' offense overcome the loss of Rashee Rice? Did the vaunted Vikings defense finally show cracks in a near-second half collapse? Are the Bears finally ready to take off? Do the Lions have the best offense in the NFL?

Here's where the 49ers and the rest of the league stand entering Week 5:

Read Full Article

Jordan Mason has put himself in rarified air among undrafted NFL running backs after his latest 49ers rushing performance.

Per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner, Mason has the third-most rushing yards by an undrafted running back through their team’s first four games, trailing only Arian Foster and Priest Holmes.

Foster was the most dominant rusher in the league for the Houston Texans, amassing four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, four Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro selection.

Holmes was the lead back for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2001-2007, with three Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro selections from 2001-2003.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA -- The best play call in football is the one that works, a reminder George Kittle received in epic fashion during the 49ers' resounding 30-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

Kittle's spectacular leaping touchdown grab stole the show, but the All-Pro tight end left the huddle a bit weary of coach Kyle Shanahan's aggressive play call so close to the end zone.

"Oh dear, it felt fantastic," Kittle said regarding his touchdown reception. "Just wasn't really confident in the play call, because that was something we had originally called from way farther out. When he called it from the [10-yard line], I had to double check with Brock that it was the right play, and I was like, 'All right, man. Just throw it.' And he just threw it. So it was pretty fun."

Kittle described how the out-and-up route he ran originally had been called much further from the goal line, which theoretically would allow more space to separate at the top of his stem. Instead, Shanahan opted to call it in the shadow of New England's goal post, with Kittle gleefully supporting the results over the process in this scenario.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA — Defensive end Nick Bosa said if he did not know any better, he would have thought the building was burning down.

After two consecutive losses, the 49ers needed to get back on the winning track following back-to-back poor performances.

“We’ve lost some guys, but I haven’t lost confidence in this group one bit,” Bosa said. “So I think we’re going to be just fine.”

The 49ers were just fine Sunday in a 30-13 victory over the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.

Read Full Article

With September coming to a close, NFL teams are starting to figure themselves out.

The fourth week of the 2024 NFL season already has brought about several upsets, last-second surprises and more.

Here are all the winners and losers from Sunday's Week 4 action:

After an embarrassing collapse last time out at the Rams, the 49ers got back in the win column. It wasn't the prettiest rout, but it was a rout nonetheless as San Francisco topped the New England Patriots 30-13 at Levi's Stadium. Brock Purdy threw for 288 yards, one touchdown and a pick on 15 of 27 completions while Jordan Mason rushed for 123 yards and a score on 24 carries.

Read Full Article

BOX SCORE

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers had two touchdowns nullified by penalties, as well as another special-teams blunder.

So, although the 49ers stopped their two-game losing streak with a 30-13 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday, it was a far-from-perfect performance.

Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Jordan Mason supplied enough offense, and the defense did not allow the Patriots' offense much room to breathe en route to the Week 4 victory at Levi’s Stadium.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA — Rookie Malik Mustapha appears to be in line for his first NFL start on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.

The 49ers announced safety Talanoa Hufanga as one of the team’s inactive players for their Week 4 game against the New England Patriots.

Hufanga rolled his ankle during practice on Thursday and was listed as questionable on the team’s official injury report.

Mustapha, a fourth-round draft pick from Wake Forest, has appeared to work his way into the role of the team's No. 3 safety.

Read Full Article

The 49ers could have one of their top playmakers back sooner than they might have expected.

Christian McCaffrey is targeting an early November return after being placed on injured reserve with calf issues and Achilles tendinitis, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on "NFL GameDay."

The All-Pro running back returned home after traveling to Germany to see a specialist for the injuries that have held him back this season. Rapoport added the treatment went "well," and there is a chance McCaffrey could run on "hard ground grass" this week -- a step forward for the 28-year-old.

"For those worried about McCaffrey not playing at all this year, my understanding is the 49ers are not rushing him, but they do expect him back at least by early November," Rapoport said. "That is a good sign for McCaffrey."

Read Full Article

Injuries have piled up for the 49ers, but an important reinforcement could come Sunday.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel plans to play in San Francisco's Week 4 game against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported Saturday night, citing a source.

Samuel sat out San Francisco's Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams and was expected to miss a "couple weeks" with a calf injury, per 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. But he returned to practice Thursday and was upgraded to questionable for Sunday's game.

"I came back feeling pretty good, and we went to practice the past two days and still feeling good," Samuel said after practice Friday. "So, we'll just see how it goes. ... I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be with the information that I was given and the timeframe fit up pretty well."

Read Full Article

The 49ers' identity long has been rooted in a strong defensive line, but coach Kyle Shanahan wants expectations tempered after the high bar set by San Francisco's 2019 unit.

"Your expectation always has to change. You can't always have the exact D-Line. And what we had in 2019, I think that was by far our best one and that was five years ago," Shanahan told reporters Friday. "But we totally believe in making the D-Line as good as we can. So we pay attention to that, every offseason, every draft. That's a real important part of our philosophy.

"But I thought 2019 from the beginning all the way to the end was one of the best ever just in terms of what I saw in the field. And I think we've had some really good years since then. But no, you can't always expect it to be like that."

The 49ers' 2019 defensive line was headlined by four first-round draft picks -- Nick Bosa (No. 2 overall), DeForest Buckner (No. 7 overall), Arik Armstead (No. 17 overall) and Dee Ford (No. 23 overall) -- but also boasted tremendous depth with players like D.J. Jones and Ronald Blair III serving as crucial rotational pieces.

Read Full Article

Defensive end Sam Okuayinonu is back on the 49ers’ active roster after initially making the cut to 53 players at the end of training camp.

The 49ers on Saturday promoted Okuayinonu while placing defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Curtis Robinson on injured reserve.

The 49ers also elevated two undrafted rookies from the practice squad: defensive tackle Evan Anderson and safety Jaylen Mahoney. Both players will revert back to the practice squad on Monday.

Okuayinonu, Anderson and Mahoney are expected to be in uniform Sunday when the 49ers face the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium. Anderson and Mahoney are in line to make their NFL regular-season debuts.

Read Full Article

The NFL is a league of adjustments, and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk believes opposing defenses are doing just that with him this season.

"A little bit different," Aiyuk told reporters Wednesday when asked if defenders are playing him differently through San Francisco's first three games. "They just know what we like to do, me and [49ers quarterback Brock] Purdy especially, so working through that. ...

"Practice today, trying to get in different spots, getting different looks. Working through that today."

The 49ers own a 1-2 record to begin the 2024 NFL season, with Aiyuk having caught just 11 passes for 119 yards with zero touchdowns following a lengthy contract holdout this offseason. Some have attributed Aiyuk's slow start to his lack of training camp, but it's clear the wideout believes other factors are in play after a 2023 campaign where he logged his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.

Read Full Article

After facing a tough test in the 49ers' 23-17 Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, coach Kyle Shanahan expects a similar challenge from the New England Patriots' defense in Sunday's matchup at Levi's Stadium.

Former Patriots defensive coordinator Brian Flores gave the 49ers all they could handle in the Vikings' win over San Francisco, presenting an interesting matchup Sunday due to New England deploying a similar scheme.

"It all comes from the same foundation; Brian [Flores] has put his own personality on it, his own spin," Shanahan told Greg Papa on NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan." "But the fronts and the threats of blitz, things like that, going back in a zone, it's extremely similar. They probably play a little more man than Minnesota's doing. Maybe a little bit less [cover] zero. But it's all still there, so you can tell where Brian came from.

"As all coordinators do, you're a product of your environment. But once you branch out, it suddenly becomes your own. So there are some differences, but it's definitely obvious it comes from the same tree."

Read Full Article

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are gone, but the "Patriot Way" remains alive and well heading into New England's Week 4 matchup with the 49ers.

During an interview on NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan," Kyle Shanahan detailed how first-year coach Jerod Mayo is continuing Belichick's legacy by upholding the standard set during the Patriots' dynastic run over the last two decades.

"Definitely. With Mayo taking over, people have been there on defense," Shanahan told Papa when asked if the Patriot Way still is evident. "They've had three games so far, but the scheme's the same, the mentality is the same. Bill has had that scheme there for 20 years. Their head coach played in it, he's coached in it for a long time, so he knows it inside and out also.

"The defensive coordinator has done both of those also. Just to watch them on tape for these three games, it's very similar. They do the same things, their fronts, their coverages and just the fundamentals of how they run, how they tackle, how they shed blocks. It's a very good defense and they're going to be a very good team throughout this year."

Read Full Article

Losing a three-time All-Pro and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year always will be a major blow to any team, even one as deep as the 49ers. 

Running back Jordan Mason has more than stepped up in place of Christian McCaffrey, who hasn’t played a snap yet in the 2024 NFL season and remains sidelined with Achilles tendinitis.

Mason’s 324 rushing yards rank second behind only Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley (351 yards), and Mason already has 118 more rushing yards than he did all of last season. The third-year pro also has 16 rushing first downs through three games, which places him behind only the New Orleans Saints' Alvin Kamara. 

If there’s one area the 49ers are missing McCaffrey most, it’s third down. That’s where he truly shines above anybody else in the rest of the NFL as quarterback Brock Purdy’s ultimate security blanket. Whether it’s running the ball or being utilized as a pass-catcher, coach Kyle Shanahan knows McCaffrey is the ultimate luxury when his team’s offense has its back against the wall. 

Read Full Article

Nick Sorensen knows the 49ers' defense needs to fix its mistakes and improve its performance after a rough start to the 2024 NFL season.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, the San Francisco defensive coordinator answered questions about the unit’s recent struggles against the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.

“It hasn't really ever been one thing or one coverage," Sorensen said. "It's kind of been a culmination of things, and it just hasn't been good enough overall. It's not one person or one coverage, like I said, it's just kind of been, we would be a little better here, a little better there.

“As always, I look at myself first. And I should. It's my defense, I'm the coordinator, but I take responsibility of that. I think we just all feel that way. That's a cool thing. All us coaches, we’ve got to coach better, and players feel that challenge as well for themselves.”

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA — Brandon Aiyuk is one of the NFL's highest-paid wide receivers, but he still puts on his shorts one leg at a time.

That was not an issue on Friday for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.

However, the color of Aiyuk’s shorts appeared to annoy Shanahan as the team hit the practice field in preparation of their Week 4 game against the New England Patriots.

Aiyuk came out to practice wearing baggy red shorts while all of his teammates were outfitted in black shorts. When asked if Aiyuk wore the wrong shorts, Shanahan answered, “Yeah, he did. Good question.”

Read Full Article

The 49ers’ YAC Bros of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk became supersized 23 months ago with the addition of star running back Christian McCaffrey. Through the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, however, San Francisco's ability to gain receiving yards after contact has become invisible with their top playmakers' lack of availability.

Coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t concerned with this being a team-wide issue or the way opposing defenses are attacking his offense, and views it more so as a byproduct of unfortunate injuries. 

“I think George, Deebo and Christian are three of the best in the NFL at YAC, so it definitely doesn’t help with them being out with that,” Shanahan told reporters Friday at Levi’s Stadium. 

Missing three of the NFL's top playmakers clearly is part of the equation in the 49ers' 1-2 record, as they look to avoid a third consecutive loss when they welcome the New England Patriots (1-2) to Santa Clara on Sunday. 

Read Full Article

Chris Foerster believes Jordan Mason can handle a larger workload as the 49ers' starting running back.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, the San Francisco run-game coordinator was asked how he plans on utilizing Mason and managing his rushing attempts moving forward.

“You always have to keep it in mind, you really do,” Foerster said. You get to a point where you just have to keep an eye on a guy, right? Like I said, the guy doesn't have a lot of tread on the tire. He has a lot of tread left on a tire, because he hasn't run a lot in his career. So, the guy's a fairly young, fresh, good player.”

Foerster then noted that Mason has not had the same number of rushing attempts in his football career as other running backs his age.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA — Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has a chance to get back on the field for the 49ers’ Week 4 game against the New England Patriots.

The 49ers listed Samuel as questionable for the team’s game Sunday at Levi’s Stadium after he went through limited practices Thursday and Friday.

Left tackle Trent Williams (toe), safety Talanoa Hufanga (ankle), defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (foot) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) are also listed as questionable.

Williams reported to the team's facility on Friday morning with a soreness that places his availability in question for the Week 4 game.

Read Full Article

FOXBORO -- The Patriots have an opportunity at a do-over on Sunday.

No, they won't be able to change the outcome of their Thursday night dud last week. But there are similarities between their opponent that night, the Jets, and the one that awaits them in San Francisco. And those similarities will allow Jerod Mayo, his assistants and their players to show that the things they should have done in New Jersey are things they can do at Levi's Stadium this weekend and moving forward.

The easiest correction? Play with more energy and emotion than they showed in their sleepy 24-3 divisional defeat. This game will be a test of the culture Mayo has worked to implement since he was hired. How bought in are his players to his message? How will they respond to what was an embarrassing performance 10 days earlier?

Next on the list: Run the football effectively against the Niners, something they should've been able to do against the lackluster run defense the Jets exhibited through two weeks of the regular season. The Niners have been even worse in that regard, which means opportunities will be there on the ground for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's unit.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA — Linebacker Curtis Robinson’s season is over after he sustained a non-contact injury at the start of 49ers practice Thursday.

Robinson suffered a season-ending torn ACL, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Friday.

Robinson, 26, was one of the 49ers’ core special-teams players and might have worked his way into a more significant role with the team’s struggles on defense. In the first three games, he was on the field for 59 plays on special teams — or 78 percent of the 49ers’ plays in the kicking game.

Robinson originally joined the 49ers’ practice squad in December 2021. He split time between San Francisco's practice squad and active roster the next two seasons, appearing in six regular-season games.

Read Full Article

The New England Patriots could have four of their five starting offensive linemen active for Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

Left guard Sidy Sow is officially listed as questionable on New England's Friday injury report. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick has been sidelined since Week 1 with an ankle issue.

Sow's availability will be key because his backup, Michael Jordan, has been ruled out with an ankle injury of his own. If Sow and Jordan are out, preseason acquisition Zachary Thomas presumably would start at left guard against San Francisco.

Left tackle remains a concern with Chukwuma Okorafor on the exempt/left squad list and Vederian Lowe out with a knee injury. Rookie right tackle Caedan Wallace moved to the left side in Week 3, but he is listed as questionable with a knee issue.

Read Full Article

The 49ers opened last NFL season on fire, winning their first five games before going into a three-game tailspin.

This year, the rough patch has come early.

Now, the 49ers are in desperate need of a victory after back-to-back poor performances in losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.

The seriousness of the situation is not lost on quarterback Brock Purdy, as the 49ers took to bounce back against the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Read Full Article

Jerod Mayo has been hard at work trying to establish a new culture in New England, and through three games, the results have been mixed. After a rousing upset in Cincinnati in Week 1, the Patriots lost their home opener to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime, then laid a dud in Week 3 against the New York Jets on national television.

But despite that clunker, Mayo's team is starting to build an identity as a hard-nosed group that can stay in games with an aggressive, physical defense. And while they enter Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers as double-digit underdogs, it appears they have the respect of their opponent in that regard.

"They're an excellent, well-coached defense, very good fundamentals, very good schemes," 49ers run game coordinator and offensive line coach Chris Foerster told reporters Thursday of the Patriots.

"Over the course of all the time that they've been there, they've established a way to attack everything that every team does in league. If you look at enough film, you're like, they have a way. If they know what you're doing, they're going to take advantage of it.

Read Full Article

There's a small group of defensive players in the NFL who make opposing offensive coordinators stay up late into the night devising their game plan for the week.

Nick Bosa is one of those players.

The San Francisco 49ers defensive end is a premier pass rusher. He's got athleticism, power and a high motor. He often dominates one-on-one matchups, even against the best offensive tackles.

Bosa has tallied at least 10.5 sacks in each of the last three seasons. He already has two sacks in three games this season, and it's quite possible that total will increase after Sunday's Week 4 game versus the New England Patriots.

Read Full Article

The New England Patriots are limping into a tough Week 4 showdown with the San Francisco 49ers. After two consecutive losses, they enter Sunday's game as 10.5-point underdogs against the reigning NFC champions.

As daunting as the matchup seems, the Patriots might be catching the 49ers at the perfect time.

San Francisco is 1-2 to start the season with consequential injuries on both sides of the ball. Star defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is out for the season and will therefore miss Sunday's game along with running back Christian McCaffrey and - in all likelihood - wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Tight end George Kittle has participated in practices this week but is hampered by a hamstring issue.

Does the 49ers' shorthandedness make them ripe for an upset on their home field? NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco weighed in on Tom E. Curran's Patriots Talk Podcast.

Read Full Article

Steve Young didn't mince words when dissecting Brandon Aiyuk's slow start to the 2024 NFL season.

The 49ers' All-Pro wide receiver has not produced at the level he and the team expect him to through three games this season and many point to Aiyuk's training camp hold-in and the lack of reps with quarterback Brock Purdy and the first-team offense as the primary reason why.

And it appears San Francisco's Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young agrees.

Young joined KNBR 680's "Tolbert & Copes" on Wednesday and discussed what he wants to see from Aiyuk moving forward.

Read Full Article

Now in his fourth NFL season, 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir has blossomed into an impactful piece of San Francisco's defense. 

Even though he's now closer to a veteran than a rookie, Lenoir recently recalled an interaction from earlier this season that was particularly impactful as the versatile defensive back continues to establish himself league-wide.

After San Francisco's Week 2 game in Minnesota, Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore -- a two-time All-Pro -- approached Lenoir to give props to his young peer. Lenoir recalled the interaction on the 49ers Webzone "No Huddle" podcast.

"[Gilmore] gave me high praise and tell me he'd been watching me," Lenoir shared Tuesday with hosts Al Sacco and Brian Renick. "So, that was a moment for me where I was like, 'Oh, wow, it's starting to come alive.'

Read Full Article

Jacob Cowing’s time as a top 49ers receiver option has yet to come, but that could soon change.

With Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle all out because of injuries, reporters asked coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday if the rookie receiver is close to playing his first NFL offensive snap. 

And from the sound of it, it comes down to how Cowing performs at practice leading up to the New England Patriots’ trip to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.

“We will see this week,” Shanahan told reporters. “Nothing has happened here the last few days. We have practice today, and we will see how he does. I hope so.”

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA – It would be a misnomer and quite foolish to even hint that the 49ers will be just fine along their defensive line without Javon Hargrave.

The two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, who appears almost certainly headed for Injured Reserve after suffering a triceps injury last week against the Los Angeles Rams, is an anchor on the front line and one of the 49ers’ leaders inside and outside of the locker room.

While Hargrave’s absence leaves a clear void along San Francisco’s defensive front, pass rushing extraordinaire Nick Bosa is less concerned about who will take his place in the lineup than he is about not having Hargrave’s presence around.

“We’ve all practiced a good amount together, whoever’s going to in there,” Bosa said Wednesday. “We all went through camp together. The biggest thing is missing ‘Grave around the facility. We all eat breakfast together as a D-line and he’s always laughing and smiling.”

Read Full Article

The New England Patriots have come crashing back down to earth since their surprising Week 1 win in Cincinnati.

The Patriots enter Week 4 with a 1-2 record after consecutive losses to the Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets. Thursday's game against New York was a reality check as they were blown out, 24-3.

It didn't help that they failed to execute any of former Pats quarterback Brian Hoyer's keys to victory for the matchup. Hoyer pinpointed ball security, handling the Jets' zone defense, and playing loose on the short week as New England's three keys to a win over its division rival.

Although quarterback Jacoby Brissett took care of the football, running back Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled for the third consecutive game. The Jets' defense wreaked havoc with 15 QB hits and five sacks.

Read Full Article

SANTA CLARA – Even though it’s apparent that injuries already have taken a big toll on the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan is not in the mood to use them as an excuse for the current state of the team.

Even after it was revealed earlier this week that defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is likely to miss the remainder of the season because of a torn triceps injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers coach was quick to point out that San Francisco still was in position to win the game no matter who was on the field.

They just didn’t get it done, allowing a 14-point lead to slip away as the 49ers dropped to 1-2.

“Every time you have injuries, everyone knows it makes it tougher,” Shanahan said. “People have injuries throughout the league. We have to be able to overcome those. I felt we had every chance to win on Sunday despite some of our injuries. When you lose games that you believe you should have won it makes it that much harder, injuries or no injuries.”

Read Full Article

The 49ers figure to be without a Pro Bowl-caliber every-down linebacker for half the season.

And for at least another week or so, they will not have two of their top-four wide receivers.

The 49ers have struggled to find reliable replacements at those positions.

In addition, they do not appear to be close to solving their issues in the defensive backfield with their pass coverage in nickel situations.

Read Full Article

A blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while ... or something like that.

That's the angle 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir is taking following their rough 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, posting a similar analogy about San Francisco's NFC West foe on social media that also served as a warning to the New England Patriots ahead of their Week 4 visit to Levi's Stadium.

It's clear Lenoir believes the 49ers' loss to the Rams was an anomaly, and the win probability graphic posted by Los Angeles in an effort to troll San Francisco shows the Red and Gold let a very winnable game slip through their grasp.

The 49ers had the chance to drop an injury-depleted Rams team to 0-3 in the Week 3 clash, but instead dropped to 1-2 themselves after squandering a 14-point first-quarter lead. Following the loss, Lenoir lamented San Francisco's inability to finish the contest after a strong start.

Read Full Article

There never seemed to be a point the 49ers were in danger of losing in Week 3 ... until they did.

The loss to the Los Angeles Rams came out of nowhere. The 49ers failed to put the game out of reach when they had plenty of chances.

They botched more than enough plays to give Matthew Stafford an opening to pull out an unlikely 27-24 upset victory over the shell-shocked 49ers on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

It’s games such as this that are made for 49ers overreactions, so here we go ... 

Read Full Article

It might not exactly be a must-win yet, but the San Francisco 49ers cannot afford another ill-advised performance.

The 49ers enter Week 4 with a 1-2 record, which isn't terrible, given their injury circumstances, but still poor, given the context of their most recent loss.

San Francisco suffered an embarrassing double-digit collapse to the Los Angeles Rams. Instead of putting its NFC West rivals at 0-3, the 49ers now are at the bottom of the NFC West.

Of course, there's still plenty of time to right the ship. San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan has shown it can embark on runs entering the playoffs, but nothing is guaranteed in the NFL.

Read Full Article

The San Francisco 49ers haven't played great football through their first three games despite coming into the 2024 NFL season among the Super Bowl favorites, but oddsmakers seem pretty confident in their ability to beat the New England Patriots in Week 4.

The Patriots have opened as 10.5-point underdogs, per odds at Fanatics Sportsbook.

That's a pretty massive number, but not all that surprising when you consider just how poorly the Patriots played in Week 3.

They lost 24-3 to the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football, and the stats tell an even more lopsided story. The Jets had a 400-139 edge in total yards, a 5.9 to 2.7 advantage in yards per play, a 40:04 to 19:56 lead in time of possession and a 27-11 edge in first downs.

Read Full Article

Jacoby Brissett started his third straight game for the New England Patriots to begin the 2024 NFL season Thursday night, and it doesn't sound like the depth chart will change entering Week 4.

The Patriots lost 24-3 to the New York Jets in their Week 3 matchup at MetLife Stadium. It was an ugly performance in New England's lone primetime game of the year.

Brissett completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 98 yards and zero touchdowns. He also was sacked five times and hit 10 times as the offensive line struggled mightily. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his pro debut with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. He completed four of eight pass attempts for 28 yards, while also picking up 12 rushing yards.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo replied, "I don't know" in his postgame press conference when asked about potentially making a switch at quarterback. He was a bit more emphatic about Brissett continuing as the starter during his Friday morning video conference call.

Read Full Article