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Five 49ers to watch in Sunday’s game against the rebuilding Patriots originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The 49ers opened last NFL season on fire, winning their first five games before taking a three-game nosedive.
This year, the bad streak has come early.
Now, the 49ers desperately need a win after back-to-back poor performances in losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.
The seriousness of the situation does not go unnoticed quarterback Brock Purdywhile the 49ers took the opportunity to recover against the patriots of new england Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“Every play matters, every play matters, every drive matters,” Purdy said.
“All of this matters and comes together. But more than anything, we have a standard here, and that’s what we focus on every day. We hold each other to that standard and we’re hard on ourselves, but I think that’s why this is a successful organization.”
For the 49ers to be successful on Sunday, here are five players who must rise to the challenge:
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell
CoachKyle Shanahan suggested a change at linebacker could be in the works.
Veteran De’Vondre Campbellwhom the 49ers signed in the offseason to take Dre Greenlaw’s while he’s out, he’s been a problem in pass coverage.
The 49ers got to work. Dee Winters He entered the mix last week but aggravated a sprained ankle and his status for Sunday remains in doubt.
“We want to keep working to get the best guys and Dee has had a good camp and showed he deserves the opportunity to push him (Campbell),” Shanahan said.
Campbell allowed 14 receptions on 16 targets for 149 yards and a touchdown in the first three games, according to PFF. He was also assessed a critical 25-yard pass interference penalty that put the Rams in position for the game-winning field goal.
If Campbell is on the field on third downs, the Patriots will work to exploit this area of the 49ers’ third down defense.
Running back Jordan Mason
Christian McCaffrey has not taken a step on the field at the start of the season, but the 49ers’ running game has not been negatively affected.
And that’s all for Jordan Mason’s tough style.
Mason He has made the first three starts of his NFL career and has responded with 324 yards on 67 carries. He has already set personal bests in those statistical areas.
The 49ers will certainly have Mason again on Sunday as they look to pick up yards on first downs to set up manageable third-and-down situations for Purdy and the offense.
The area where the 49ers have felt the loss of McCaffrey is in the passing game. Mason has worked hard on that aspect of his game, but he only has four catches for 20 yards in three games. Three of his sacks were for first downs.
Once Mason becomes more comfortable running routes and catching passes out of the backfield, perhaps the 49ers’ confidence in him will grow and he can be planned for mismatches against opposing linebackers.
Security Talanoa Hufanga
Talanoa Hufanga is in his second game after returning to the lineup in Week 3 following a 10 months of ACL surgery recovery.
Hufanga has been a playmaker in the 49ers’ secondary since assuming a full-time starting role in 2022. He has 31 career starts and seven interceptions.
While Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett Not likely to give the 49ers’ defensive backs many opportunities to capitalize, Hufanga and fellow safety Ji’Ayir Brown have to avoid giving up the big play.
The 49ers have struggled against the deep ball. In the last two games, they have delivered a 97-yard touchdown pass50 yards and committed a 48-yard pass interference penalty.
Hufanga’s return to the lineup brings some stability to the 49ers’ secondary, and he now has to play a role in bolstering the team’s pass defense.
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk
The Patriots wanted to acquire Brandon Aiyuk in a trade and were willing to pay him a lot of money. But, as we all later discovered, Aiyuk had no intention of accepting a new contract with any team other than the 49ers.
Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo addressed the Aiyuk situation during a radio interview in August without specifically mentioning Aiyuk.
“When we start winning games, guys will want to come here,” Mayo said.
Aiyuk is off to a slow start after signing a five-year, $134.1 million contract with the 49ers just before the start of the regular season. He averaged 83.9 receiving yards per game last year. Through the first three games, he is averaging 39.7 yards per game.
The Patriots will want to make sure Aiyuk doesn’t have a make-up game on Sunday.
Meanwhile, it’s about time Aiyuk’s stat sheet starts reflecting his contract.
Samuel Deebo He was the 49ers’ top receiver in the first two games. When Samuel was out of the lineup in Week 3, Jauan Jennings stepped up and caught 11 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
The Patriots have a promising young cornerback in Christian Gonzalez, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury just four games into his rookie season last year. In three games, Gonzalez has played well, allowing 13 receptions on 20 targets for just 79 yards.
Defensive end Nick Bosa
Veteran Leonard Floyd Advantage He has been shut out in each of the last two games totaling just one quarterback hurry in the games against Minnesota and the Los Angeles Rams. That’s not what the 49ers expected when they signed Floyd to a two-year, $20 million contract.
So until other guys on the 49ers defensive line get going, it looks like their best player will have to put even more on his shoulders.
The Patriots have their problems at left tackle, where three different players have started their first three games. It looks like Demontrey Jacobs will start on Sunday.
Regardless of which player the Patriots have at left tackle, This is a confrontation that Bosa must take advantage of.
Bosa will undoubtedly face a variety of double teams as the Patriots must try to prevent him from ruining the game. But Bosa is the highest-paid player on the team and has to find a way to make his mark in this game.
