"It will be cool to get back to the old stomping grounds, see some familiar faces," Garoppolo said after the home-team 49ers knocked off the Los Angeles Rams. "But we'll enjoy this one tonight, get on the film for the Patriots and everything tomorrow, and this win will definitely give us a little momentum. But next week is going to be another dogfight."
The Patriots are struggling, sit at 2-3, and are coming off two consecutive losses. The injury-plagued 49ers responded to an embarrassing Week 5 loss and hope Sunday night's win is just the start of something special. Many had already written off the defending NFC champions.
"We're definitely moving in the right direction," Garoppolo said. "I wouldn't say we're totally there yet. There's still a lot of football left in the season, but how we finished this game, it felt a lot like last year, just how we were controlling the clock at the end of the game, running the ball, converting third downs. That's when we really put teams away, and that's what we did tonight."
With one difficult game out of the way, the 49ers continue down their stretch of the more challenging portion of the schedule. After the Patriots next weekend, San Francisco will travel to face the Seattle Seahawks, then host the Green Bay Packers, and then head on the road to face the New Orleans Saints.
After the bye week, it's another game against the Rams — this time in Los Angeles — and then a home game against the Buffalo Bills.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers' Kyle Shanahan explains Brock Purdy's remarkable success in Seattle
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy earned his first career road start in 2022 with a 21-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Since then, he has played three additional games in one of the loudest and most challenging environments in the NFL — and won all... -
How Eric Kendricks became an instant force multiplier for the 49ers defense
When a veteran signs with an NFL team late in the season, it's often as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option—a short-term fix after injuries pile up. That may have been the initial expectation when the San Francisco 49ers signed linebacker Eric Kendricks in November.... -
49ers vs. Seahawks: Keys to Victory and a Trip to the NFC Championship Game
What's going on, Faithful? It's your boy Wayne Breezie, and we're right back at it with everything on the line. The San Francisco 49ers are headed into hostile territory to take on the Seattle Seahawks, the 2025 NFC West champions, with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on... -
Kyle Shanahan turns Seahawks trash talk into motivation for 49ers playoff push
A trip to the NFC Championship Game should be motivation enough for the San Francisco 49ers as they prepare for Saturday night's Divisional Round playoff matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. But just in case, head coach Kyle Shanahan made sure his team had a little extra fuel...