New England Patriots Team Grades: Tom Brady Lights Up The 49ers' Defense
By Danny Cox
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots weren't thrilled with last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, to say the least, and they planned to avenge it this week. On Sunday, the 49ers kept the game competitive until late when the Patriots scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading them to a 30-17 victory.
Offense: A
Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense delivered a pretty dominant performance, especially considering the nasty weather conditions in San Francisco that could have hampered their efforts. Brady finished the day completing 24-of-40 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
All four touchdown passes went to different players, but it was rookie wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell who had the best performance of his young career. Mitchell finished the day with four receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown. His score came on a 56-yard bomb that had the 49ers scratching their heads trying to figure out where this rookie came from.
Additionally, LeGarrette Blount had another impressive day with 124 yards on 19 carries and the offense had zero turnovers.
Defense: C+
Early in the game, the Patriots' defense didn't live up to their usual dominance, as the 49ers hung around through much of three quarters. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, they had made adjustments and played up to the high standards they set for themselves.
The 49ers were held to less than 300 yards of total offense. Colin Kaepernick accounted for most of their offense with 206 yards passing and 32 yards on the ground. Carlos Hyde racked up 86 yards rushing. In the fourth quarter, when the Patriots scored 17 points, the 49ers had 77 yards of offense on four possessions.
By this point, the defense of the Patriots clamped down and held San Francisco to very little of anything except for a 12-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in their final score late in the game. Finally, the Patriots forced an impressive five fumbles. However, they did not recover a turnover from any of them.
Special Teams: B-
The Patriots return game showed a bit of life as Cyrus Jones looked good on kickoffs again with 33 yards on two returns. Danny Amendola had four punt returns for a total of 46 yards to help the offense with field position.
Ryan Allen punted five times and did well. He pinned the 49ers inside their own 20-yard-line on one occasion. Stephen Gostkowski connected on his lone field goal from 38 yards out, but he did miss one of his four extra point attempts. His missed extra point attempt counted toward the 12 missed extra points in the NFL Sunday, which is a league record for a single Sunday of action.
Coaching: A
Bill Belichick has high expectations for himself and team. After losing last week, he held the entire team accountable, starting with himself. His leadership and commitment to excellence was evident by watching how the team responded after a tough loss. The Patriots successfully executed the game plan and left San Francisco with a great win.
The Patriots are back on track and have the best record in the NFL. Next week, they play the New York Jets on the road in a divisional matchup.
