After suffering a loss last Sunday, the New England Patriots (8-2) rebounded with a 30-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers (1-9) at a rainy Levi’s Stadium this week.
It was a much-needed win for the Patriots as they march towards the postseason and a potential first round bye. For the 49ers it was yet another loss in a truly disappointing season. After playing competitively for nearly three quarters, the Niners simply couldn’t handle the Patriots halftime adjustments.
Slowly but surely, New England pulled away from San Francisco and the game ended the way many thought it would. Here are the New England Patriots week 11 takeaways.
New England Patriots Week 11 Takeaways
Balanced Offensive Attack Proved Effective
The Patriots offense looked good Sunday. Although playing the 49ers can help any team look good, the Patriots were able to gain 444 yards of total offense and score four touchdowns.
Of their 71 offensive plays, the Patriots ran the ball 42% of the time. Knowing that San Francisco ranks last in rush yards allowed per game, running the ball with LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis all afternoon helped to open up the passing game for New England.
Tom Brady threw four touchdowns for the second time since returning after missing the first four games due to suspension and added 280 yards to his season total. More impressive, however, was the footwork Brady displayed against a 49ers front seven that flushed him out of the pocket on numerous occasions. The Patriots quarterback was able to extend plays and take advantage of one of the NFL’s weakest defenses.
Defense Played Well and Got Off the Field
Luckily for the Patriots, the 49ers offense ranks near the bottom of the league in yards per game. This favored the Patriots “bend but don’t break” style of defense. The output from San Francisco’s offense as a whole simply wasn’t good enough. Carlos Hyde may have ran the ball well, but Colin Kaepernick only managed 177 yards through the air. That level of production usually isn’t good enough against any team, never mind the Patriots.
It wasn’t as big of a blowout as many thought it would be, however. At the beginning of the game, the 49ers were able to run the ball effectively. This allowed their mediocre passing game to play well enough to give the team a fighting chance when the halftime whistle blew. At the break, the Patriots only held a 13-10 lead.
The second half was another story. Neither team scored in the third quarter, but San Francisco was forced to punt on six possessions in a row from the end of the second quarter until midway through the fourth quarter. Overall, the Patriots defense only allowed the 49ers to convert on 5 of 16 third downs, which is well below their season average. New England’s performance on defense was definitely an improvement from last week, but there is still some work to be done on that side of the ball.
Dion Lewis Showed Signs of His Former Self
With Lewis back in the picture, the Patriots backfield now features three weapons that can hurt opposing defenses in many different ways. In his return, Lewis was targeted five times by Brady. He caught three of those five passes for 26 yards and also rushed for 23 yards on five carries.
It is safe to say that the offense really enjoyed Dion Lewis being back. Not only does he take some of the workload off of Blount, but he also possesses an incredible ability to break would-be-tacklers’ ankles. This usually comes in handy in third down situations and could help provide a favorable matchup for Julian Edelman. There were only a few broken ankles in Lewis’ wake this week, but expect many more exciting moves out of the talented back once he is fully integrated into the offensive scheme.
Last Word
At the end of the day, the Patriots did what they were supposed to do. The 49ers have proven to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. They are in a fight for the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. On the other end of the spectrum are the Patriots, who have one of the best records in the league. New England is in a fight for home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Nobody really expected the 49ers to win this game, but credit is due. For nearly three quarters they kept the game competitive and the score at a respectable difference. The Patriots seemed to take their foot off the pedal once it was clear that San Francisco couldn’t get anything going offensively, and it led to a meaningless fourth quarter touchdown for the 49ers. By the time the extra point sailed through the uprights, there simply wasn’t enough time left for the 49ers to make things interesting once again.
Main Photo
