49ers humiliate hapless Patriots in 33-6 blowout win

The San Francisco 49ers walked into Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Sunday and dished out a beatdown of the New England Patriots the likes of which the NFL hasn't seen them take in years.

The Patriots have been dominant at home in the Bill Belichick era, holding a 67-9 mark over a ten-year span heading into the 2020 season while never trailing in 42 of 76 of those games. But the 49ers dominated the Patriots from start to finish on Sunday, outgaining them 467 to 241 while cruising to a 33-6 win. The loss was the worst at home in Belichick's 20-plus seasons as Patriots head coach.

The win marked a triumphant return to Gillette Stadium for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who notched his first victory against his former team since being traded from New England to San Francisco in 2017. Garoppolo finished the day with 278 yards and two interceptions on 20 of 25 passing, while running back Jeff Wilson led a powerful 49ers rushing attack with 112 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries.

As It Happened

The 49ers got things rolling on their opening possession with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that put them up 7-0 after a three-yard touchdown run by Wilson. Garoppolo completed all four of his passes on the drive, including a 23-yard completion to wide receiver Deebo Samuel and a 15-yard completion to tight end George Kittle. The touchdown was the first the Patriots allowed on an opening drive at Gillette Stadium since 2016 (33 games).

Things didn't go as well for the 49ers on their second possession, which came after the defense held the Patriots to a three-and-out. After completing his first seven passes of the game, Garoppolo overthrew a third-down pass intended for Kittle and was intercepted by Patriots safety Devin McCourty. The Patriots turned the interception into a 40-yard field goal from kicker Nick Folk, cutting the 49ers' lead to 7-3 early in the second quarter.

The 49ers answered with a field goal of their own on the next drive, which spanned 56 yards in 10 plays. Thirty-three of those yards came on runs from Wilson, who was in the starting lineup due to Raheem Mostert being sidelined with an ankle injury. The field goal from kicker Robbie Gould was good from 41 yards, putting the 49ers up 10-3 with nine minutes remaining in the half.

The offense got back on the field quickly for the 49ers following an interception by linebacker Fred Warner on the first play of the ensuing possession. The 49ers followed the interception by plowing through the Patriots' defense for a five-play, 38-yard drive that was capped with a four-yard touchdown run by fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The point-after attempt from Gould was no good after being deflected, leaving the 49ers with a 16-3 lead.

The Patriots were once again held to a three-and-out on the following possession, then the 49ers took over at their own 16-yard line and engineered a seven-play, 84-yard drive that featured a 16-yard catch and a 20-yard run from undrafted rookie running back JaMychal Hasty. The drive finished when Wilson ran in from 16 yards out to give the 49ers a 23-3 lead with 59 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

The teams traded interceptions to end the half, one of which featured a lengthy return from cornerback Emmanuel Moseley that almost put the 49ers in position for another score before halftime. But even without adding more points before the break, the 49ers were thoroughly dominant in the first half against the Patriots, finishing with a total yardage advantage of 301 to 59, a first down edge of 18 to four, and a time of possession edge of 22:30 to 7:30. The 301 yards were the most the Patriots allowed at home in the first half of any game under head coach Bill Belichick (per ESPN Stats & Info), dating back to the year 2000. The 49ers put up 127 yards on the ground (92 from Wilson), while Garappolo finished the half 14-of-19 for 181 yards and two interceptions. Patriots starting quarterback Cam Newton finished four of eight for 30 yards and two interceptions.

The Patriots came out of halftime with some urgency and were able to add a 41-yard field goal from Folk to trim the lead to 23-6. But the 49ers answered emphatically with a six-play, 79-yard drive that was capped with Wilson's third touchdown run of the game. Setting up the touchdown was a 35-yard pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who also had a 23-yard gain on a short pass earlier in the drive. Wilson sustained an ankle injury on the run and was carted off the field after the play.

The 49ers took over on offense once again after Newton's third interception of the game, this one from defensive back Jamar Taylor. The 49ers turned the interception into a 32-yard field goal and a 33-6 lead, while Newton was benched in favor of backup Jarrett Stidham. Taylor notched his second interception of the game and the fourth for the 49ers when he picked off Stidham on the ensuing possession. The scoring ended from there as the 49ers punted on their final possession then held the Patriots out of the end zone to finish the game.

The 49ers wound up holding the ball for 38:23 against 21:37 for the Patriots while outgaining them 197-94 on the ground and 270-147 in the air. Aiyuk led both teams with six receptions for 115 yards, while Hasty chipped in 57 rushing yards on nine carries. Damien Harris led the Patriots on the ground with 10 carries for 58 yards, while Jakobi Meyers led their pass catchers with four catches for 60 yards. Newton finished with 98 yards and three interceptions on 9 of 15 passing.

The win moves the 49ers to 4-3 on the season, keeping them in contention for a playoff spot in the NFC despite having to play with a decimated roster due to injuries. The Patriots fall to 2-4 with the loss, marking the first time they have been multiple games below .500 since 2001, and will need a major rebound in the weeks ahead to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2008.

Up Next

The 49ers return to the road next week as they head to the Pacific Northwest for an NFC West battle with the Seattle Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT, FOX). The 49ers and Seahawks have a 2-2 series record over the past two seasons. The Patriots head to Buffalo next Sunday for a matchup with the AFC East-leading Bills (5-2) (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT, CBS).

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