Patriots-49ers Fun Facts
BOSTON (CBS) - Here are some up-to-the-minute fun facts about the Patriots and San Francisco 49ers upcoming game.
- The Pats enter this game averaging a league-high 36.3 points per game while the San Francisco defense is first in the NFL, allowing just 14.2 points per game.
- New England has reached at least 10 regular season wins for the 10th consecutive season. Only San Francisco has accomplished that feat more with 16.
- The Patriots have sold out 201 consecutive home games, including preseason and playoff games.
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Series History
- This will be the 12th meeting of the Pats and 49ers. San Francisco leads the series 7-4, but the Pats have won the last three matchups. Prior to that, the 49ers beat the Patriots six straight times.
- This is a battle of the franchises for certain decades. In the 90's, the Niners had 122 wins. In the 2000's, the Pats had 126 wins; the most by any team in a decade.
Connections
- A young Tom Brady was there at Candlestick Park for "The Catch." It was the 1981 NFC Championship game between the Niners and the Dallas Cowboys. Brady. a native of the Bay Area, was a four-year-old fan when he witnessed history, and he wept after the play.
" Not because I was happy or excited, but because everybody stood up and I couldn't see," Brady joked.
- Brady realizes that he has stellar credentials, but says "(Joe) Montana was and will always be the greatest quarterback to ever play."
- 49ers wide receiver Randy Moss played for the Patriots from 2007-2010. In his first year with the Pats he caught an NFL record 23 touchdown passes, surpassing Jerry Rice's record.
- Patriots wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was originally drafted by the 49ers in the fourth round in the 2003 NFL draft.
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Milestones
- Tom Brady needs 167 yards passing to reach 4,000 yards for the fifth time in his career.
- Tom Brady has 29 touchdown passes this season and needs one more for his third straight 30 touchdown season.
- Wes Welker need five receptions to become the first players in NFL history with five 100-catch seasons.
- The Patriots defense has forced a turnover in 24 straight games, dating back to the 2011 season and first 13 games of 2012. The last NFL team with at least one takeaway in all 16 games of a season was the Atlanta Falcons in 2010.
- Stevan Ridley has had a rushing touchdown in six straight games. He has 10 rushing touchdowns on the season.
- The Pats have won 20 straight games at home in December.
- The Pats have scored 20 touchdowns on the ground this season.
Tune in to Patriots-49ers Sunday night on 98.5 The Sports Hub! Pregame coverage begins at 5pm with Patriots Preview, with three hours of coverage following the game. WBZ-TV's coverage kicks off with Patriots GameDay at 11:30am, with Patriots 5th Quarter after the game.
