49ers Get Back on Track With 30-13 Drubbing
After choking away their previous get right game, the 49ers got back in their groove with a comfortable win against the Patriots with strong performances on both sides of the ball.
After two back to back road losses the 49ers got back to their winning ways with a 30-13 win at home against the Patriots. While New England is not exactly the strongest opponent - their preseason win total of 4.5 was one of the lowest in all of football - the 49ers dominated them like a contender should (with one exception). Outside of another special teams blunder in the form of a kickoff fumble out of half time, which drops San Francisco to 32nd in Special Teams DVOA on the year, it was a strong performance on both sides of the ball.
The offense, which outside of a Week 2 stumble against an excellent Minnesota defense, continued to shine with Brock Purdy at the helm. The 49ers offense put up 30 points on almost 450 total yards. RB Jordan Mason was once again effective on the ground with 123 yards and a score on 24 carries. Purdy did an excellent job spreading the ball around with 6 players catching the ball and 5 of them having over 35 yards receiving:
WR Brandon Aiyuk: 2 REC - 48 YDS
WR Deebo Samuel 3 REC - 58 YDS
TE George Kittle: 4 REC - 45 YDS - 1 TD
WR Jauan Jennings: 3 REC - 88 YDS
RB Jordan Mason: 2 REC - 37 YDS
Outside of one poor throw that resulted in an interception late in the game, and some early red zone inefficiencies, the offense looked like a well oiled machine once again.
The unit that had the biggest bounce back Sunday was the defense. While the Patriots offense is a far cry from elite - they rank 28th in EPA/P and 23rd in Success Rate on the year - a 13 point, 216 yard performance was nice to see.
As most good teams do, the 49ers defense relied on their stars to dominate against an inferior opponent. EDGE Nick Bosa, who has been fairly quiet by his lofty standards to start the year, was a menace on Sunday with 9 pressures and a 18.8% pass rush win rate
His superstar counterpart, LB Fred Warner, was equally as impressive despite only playing the first half, with 6 tackles, 4 run stops and one of the more impressive Pick-6’s you will see from a linebacker.
The two biggest reasons for optimism on the defensive side of the ball came from some new faces. Rookie 2nd Rounder Renardo Green saw the most action of his career in Week 4, playing the entire second half in replacement of veteran Isaac Yiadom, who has had an up and down start to the year. On 23 snaps, the rookie was targeted only once without allowing a reception. While the snap increase may have been apart of the blow out, it appears the young DB may be gaining the trust of the staff for more playing time as the year goes on.
The more impressive and surprising name to have a big game Sunday was EDGE Sam Okuayinonu. The third year pro from Maryland has been a game day Practice Squad activation each week to start the year, but Sunday was his coming out party. On only 19 snaps he logged 2 tackles, 2 run stops and a forced fumble. His biggest impact came as a pass rusher where on 10 snaps he had 3 pressures and a 44.4% win rate.
For a 49ers team that is still in search of more consistent edge production opposite Nick Bosa, Okuayinomu’s performance, even in a part time role, is a welcome sign.
Next up for the 49ers are a pair of divisional matchups with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks. While the offense will likely continue to roll, both opponents pose a stiff test for a 49ers defense that needs to string together a few more good performances to restore optimism.