49ers Dominate Patriots in 30-13 Win Despite Sloppy Play

Liam O'Connor

September 28th, 2024

(49ers Defense comes out onto the field)

After a rough start to the season, the San Francisco 49ers bounced back with a convincing 30-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.

Led by quarterback Brock Purdy, who threw for 288 yards and a touchdown, and Fred Warner, whose 45-yard pick-six energized the defense, the 49ers halted a two-game losing streak. “We needed it,” said veteran left tackle Trent Williams. “It was about more than just going 2-2. It was about confidence.”

Coming off back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams, and dealing with a string of injuries, San Francisco entered this game with something to prove. After giving up an average of 25 points in the two losses, the defense came alive, recording six sacks and a touchdown despite missing key defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, who may be out for the season. Warner has been a defensive force all year, notching his second interception of the season and adding to a stat line that already includes three forced fumbles through four games.

The 49ers have always built their defense on their defensive lines, and after a long week of criticism, they stepped up in a critical way today.

The 49ers started slow, scoring only field goals from Jake Moody on their first two drives even thought they had reached the red zone. Linebacker Fred Warner’s pick-six extended their lead to 13-0 in the second quarter, and just before halftime, Purdy connected with George Kittle for a highlight-reel touchdown catch between three Patriots defenders, pushing the lead to 20-0. This touchdown came after 3 straight plays that had been negated by flags thrown by the referees, and two of those plays resulted in touchdowns.

The Patriots showed some life in the third quarter after recovering a 49ers fumble on the second-half kickoff. Brissett found Austin Hooper for a five-yard touchdown to close the gap to 20-10. Special teams continues to be a looming issue for the 49ers. In the week 2 loss to the Vikings their was a blocked punt in SF territory that resulted in a field goal, and in last weeks lost to the Rams their was a missed field goal by Jake moody late in the 4th, and bad coverage on the Rams punt return that led to the game winning field goal.

The 49ers responded quickly to this turnover, as Purdy hit a 53-yard pass to set up Jordan Mason’s four-yard rushing score, effectively sealing the game.

San Francisco’s defense dominated the Patriots, holding them to just 150 passing yards, while Running Back Jordan Mason shined offensively, rushing for 123 yards for his third 100-yard game in four weeks.

While I am satisfied with the defenses recovery, Purdy's continued unique scrambling ability, and the overall win, my takeaways from the game are that this team is still playing very sloppy and it can lead to bad possessions that shift the games momentum. One play in particular was Purdy's interception in the early 4th quarter to go up 34-13. If you score on that drive, you close the game out and are done for the day, but an interception left the door open for the Patriots to get back into the game. The special teams also needs to pick up the slack and focus on less turnovers because that is a real way to give a dying team some light. Other than that this was a great win, and they will look to continue their streak against a division opponent next Sunday in the Arizona Cardinals.