{"id":9224,"date":"2016-11-18T06:00:39","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T11:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=9224"},"modified":"2016-11-18T06:06:48","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T11:06:48","slug":"patriots-49ers-keys-game-razors-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2016\/11\/18\/patriots-49ers-keys-game-razors-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots – 49ers Keys, Who Has the Razor’s Edge?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots<\/strong><\/a> attempt to get back on the winning track as they travel out to the Bay Area of California and take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET and will be the Patriots first visit to Levi Stadium which only opened in 2014. This will also mark the first visit to SF for QB Tom Brady who grew up in the area and was a Niners fan.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s game will be televised by CBS and can be seen locally on WBZ Channel 4 in Boston. Greg Gumble will handle play-by-play duties with Trent Green as the color analyst. Jamie Erdahl will work the sidelines. The game will also be aired on the Patriots flagship radio station 98.5 The SportsHub with Bob Socci and Scott Zolak on the call, produced by Marc Cappello.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Patriots<\/strong>\u00a0(7-2) came off their bye week and dropped a tough but entertaining contest with the Seattle Seahawks 31-24 on SNF. The Pats had troubles with their defense and stopping Russell Wilson who passed for three touchdowns. LeGarrette Blount ran for three scores for the Pats.<\/p>\n

The\u00a049ers <\/strong>(1-8) lost to the Arizona Cardinals 23-20 on a last-minute field goal. Although QB Colin Kaepernick tied the score with a TD run in the final two minutes, the Niners couldn\u2019t stop the Cards and dropped their eighth game in a row.<\/p>\n

We here at\u00a0PatsFans.com<\/a>\u00a0are continuing our \u201cRazor\u2019s Edge\u201d\u00a0column in 2016 to give some quick\u00a0analysis on some of the key matchups of the game and what you can look for in how the game plays out.<\/p>\n

Series History:<\/strong>
\nThe Patriots and 49ers meet for the 13th<\/sup> time on Sunday. The Niners hold an 8-4 advantage all-time against the Patriots including a 4-1 record at home. Three of those games were held at the venerable Candlestick Park and one held at Stanford. \u00a0The Patriots have won three of the last four meetings between<\/p>\n

The last time these two teams met was in a Sunday Night Football matchup in a cold, wet, rainy Foxboro. Colin Kaepernick threw for four touchdowns and the Niners prevailed 41-34.<\/p>\n

Here is a look at some of the key matchups and who holds the Razor\u2019s Edge.<\/p>\n

First up is the Patriots offense:<\/p>\n

Patriots RBs vs 49ers Front Seven –\u00a0Razor\u2019s Edge New England
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Patriots rushing offense is averaging 112.4 yards per game and should easily best that mark on Sunday afternoon. LeGarrette Blount leads the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns and 678 yards rushing. He and James White have done a good job of keeping the offense balanced in 2016, something that was sorely lacking a year ago.<\/p>\n

The Niners run defense is awful. They are allowing an average of 180.4 yards per game and have allowed seven RBs to rush for 100+ yards this season including career highs for Fozzy Whitaker, Jacquizz Rodgers, and Christine Michael, who just released by the Seahawks after the Pats game.<\/p>\n

Look for the Patriots to run Blount at least 20 times left behind Nate Solder and Joe Thuney this week and attack the Niners porous 3-4 front seven. San Francisco did do a great job last week in Arizona and held the Cards to just 80 yards rushing. David Johnson ran for just 55 yards on 19 attempts. But the Patriots have too many weapons even without Rob Gronkowski this week. An interesting subplot to watch is if Dion Lewis plays this week.<\/p>\n

Patriots WRs vs 49ers Secondary –\u00a0Razor\u2019s Edge New England
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Patriots passing game presents a big challenge for a team that doesn\u2019t get after the QB particularly well or force many turnovers. Tom Brady can spread the ball around to too many receivers for the Niners to cover. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola will work the short routes while Chris Hogan, [if he\u2019s healthy this week], and Malcolm Mitchell can work the intermediate and deep areas of the field. Martellus Bennett will be used in both the short areas on delayed releases and attack the seams.<\/p>\n

DeForrest Buckner will be the guy to watch for the Niners pass rush this week, Arik Armistead was placed on IR last week and they\u2019ll miss his presence down the stretch. The Niners pass defense isn\u2019t much better against the pass than they are against the run. The playmakers are the linebackers but they\u2019ll be tested by both Bennett at TE or White at LB. Again, hoping that we see Lewis for a few snaps this week.<\/p>\n

Niners CBs Jimmie Ward and Trumaine Brock are decent enough corners but will have their hands full with the wide receivers. Look for Brady to spread the ball around this week and getting everyone involved. The running game should open up play-action passing for Brady this week.<\/p>\n

Next up the San Francisco offense:<\/strong><\/p>\n

49ers RBs vs NE Front Seven –\u00a0Razor\u2019s Edge San Francisco
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Niners run the ball well and average 119.6 yards per game. Carlos Hyde is their workhorse back. He\u2019s been injured but did play last week although he was pretty limited physically. DuJuan Harris filled in, while Hyde was out and played well.\u00a0 Kaepernick is always a threat to run the ball too and is effective. He\u2019s fast enough to get to the edges and make opponents pay.<\/p>\n

The Patriots run defense was a bit disappointing last week. Although Seattle ran for 96 yards on 26 carries [3.7-yard average], it was far above their average on the season and the surprising production of C.J. Prosise was a big boost for the Seattle offense. The Patriots interior defensive linemen, Malcom Brown and Alan Branch weren\u2019t at their best. Linebackers Dont\u2019a Hightower and Elandon Roberts were inconsistent as well.<\/p>\n

The Niners with the three-headed monster of Hyde, Harris, and Kaepernick should have some success running the football. But if Brady and the offense click the way we think it will, it will be hard for the Niners to stick with it.<\/p>\n

49ers WRs vs NE Secondary-\u00a0Razor\u2019s Edge New England
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Niners passing game has gotten better with the switch from Blaine Gabbert to Kaepernick and the threat of him running is always a consideration for the defense. And we know, the Patriots always have troubles with QBs that can run. Chip Kelly hit all the right buttons a year ago. After falling behind, 14-0 when coaching the Eagles in Foxboro, he rattled off five straight touchdowns and won a big game 35-28.<\/p>\n

The Patriots and Bill Belichick remember that game well and he said he expects Kelly to attack many of the same areas that he did last year. The Patriots had a ton of breakdowns in that game, as they did last week against the Seahawks. They\u2019ll have to tighten things up a lot this week. Seeing how they respond, will be a major storyline this week.<\/p>\n

Two areas to watch, who will be the slot corner this week and who draws TE Vance McDonald? Jeremy Kerley has had good success since coming over to the Niners early this year and should be a frequent target of Kaepernick. He leads the team in receiving with 40 catches and three touchdowns. The Patriots have mixed things up with their 2nd<\/sup> and 3rd<\/sup> corners with Logan Ryan, Eric Rowe, and Justin Coleman.<\/p>\n

Look for Pat Chung to draw McDonald who has become a playmaker for the Niners offense. Although he\u2019s caught just 15 passes, he\u2019s averaging18.4 yards per reception with three touchdowns. Those two players plus the scrambling of Kaepernick will be the keys for the Niners and the Patriots to stop.<\/p>\n

Special Teams-<\/strong>\u00a0Razor\u2019s Edge San Francisco<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/em>The Patriots special teams had an uneven game on Sunday. Stephen Gostkowski seems to have solidified his earlier kicking woes and made all three extra points and a field goal last week. He did have one kickoff go out of bounds but this week, he\u2019ll probably be looking to boot it out of the end zone. Ryan Allen has been solid as had the coverage units. The return game with Cyrus Jones showed signs of life but he put the ball on the ground once and had another called back due to penalty.<\/p>\n

The Niners have gotten some great production in the kick return game from JaCorey Sheppard with three returns of 30+ yards in recent weeks. Phil Dawson is as reliable as they come in the kicking department. The underrated and under-appreciated kicker is looking to be the ninth kicker in NFL history to make 400 field goals. His next will get him there and he\u2019ll be the most accurate of the kickers to make it. Bradley Pinion is solid as the team\u2019s punter. The coverage units do a good job but have the occasional breakdown.<\/p>\n

Next up, who wins and why\u2026<\/p>\n

Prediction:
\n<\/strong>This game is a good chance for the Patriots to get back on track. The Niners, although at home and hungry to break the losing streak, are not a good football team right now. And after last week\u2019s loss, the team won\u2019t be taking SF lightly and will be made well-aware by Bill Belichick what Chip Kelly\u2019s team did to them a year ago, while coaching the Eagles.<\/p>\n

With the loss, a week ago, all games now become important in the home field advantage scenario. The Pats are now tied with Kansas City and Oakland for the best record in the AFC with Denver just a half-game behind. Although all three of those teams are in the same division and the Patriots are hoping that they cancel each other out with some close games.<\/p>\n

Regardless of how well the Niners run defense played a week ago, the Patriots should be able to run very effectively this week. Look for LeGarrette Blount and James White to get some good yardage between the tackles this week. This will allow Tom Brady to stretch the field with WRs Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell. The short passing game with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and TE Martellus Bennett should give the 49ers defense all it can handle.<\/p>\n

One area to focus on will be how well the Patriots handle Kerley and the QB on third downs, where they\u2019ve been productive. Although Kaepernick is playing much better and as a mobile QB presents a slew defensive challenges once again to the Pats defense, it won\u2019t be enough. The Patriots offense should dominate this one from start to finish. \u00a0Patriots 37-20<\/strong><\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter\u00a0<\/em>@SteveB7SFG<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or email me at\u00a0<\/em>stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to our\u00a0<\/em>Patriots 4th<\/sup>\u00a0and 2<\/em><\/a>\u00a0podcasts on blog talk radio as the writers Russ Goldman, Derek Havens and I from\u00a0<\/em>PatsFans.com<\/em><\/a>\u00a0discuss the latest Patriots news Wednesdays at 12 noon.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Look for the Patriots to run Blount at least 20 times left behind Nate Solder and Joe Thuney this week and attack the Niners porous 3-4 front seven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":9156,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10],"tags":[1066,800,1235,34,1232,630,599,1231,18,69,1237,204,154,1234,16,919,24,44,8,38,248,117,36,468,13,35],"class_list":["post-9224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","category-patriots-news","tag-2016-nfl-season","tag-2016-patriots-season","tag-arik-armstead","tag-bill-belichick","tag-carlos-hyde","tag-chip-kelly","tag-chris-hogan","tag-colin-kaepernick","tag-danny-amendola","tag-deflategate","tag-deforrest-buckner","tag-dion-lewis","tag-donta-hightower","tag-dujuan-harris","tag-jabaal-sheard","tag-jeremy-kerley","tag-lagarrette-blount","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-patriots","tag-patriots-edge-rushers","tag-predictions","tag-rob-gronkowski","tag-rob-ninkovich","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-tom-brady","tag-trey-flowers"],"yoast_head":"\nPatriots - 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