Patriots Game 4: Patriots 30 – 49ers 21
The Good:
The New England Patriots didn't forget how to win just because their regular-season winning streak is over. Two key plays: Randy Moss' dynamic 66-yard TD catch and Kevin Faulk's gutsy fourth-down score on a direct snap (at least the Patriots learned something from the Dolphins).
On third and eight from the 49ers' 34-yard line in the first quarter, Matt Cassel rolled to his right and hit Randy Moss, who had split the defense down the middle, on a 66-yard touchdown. The catch was Moss’s longest reception as a Patriot.
New England kept the ball for more than 32 minutes in the first three quarters, while Mike Martz's Niners offense couldn't get a first down during a 36-minute stretch spanning the middle periods.
Stephen Gostkowski was 3 of 3 on field goals, including his 49-yarder in the fourth quarter to make it a two-score game. The kicks were Gostkowski’s 15th, 16th and 17th consecutive successful field goals.
When the tempo was high early, and the Patriots needed to slow things down, the running backs delivered, led by Sammy Morris.
Brandon Meriweather recorded his second interception of the season and the second interception of his career when he made an acrobatic play to intercept a J.T. O'Sullivan pass at the San Francisco 4-yard line in the first quarter.
The Bad:
Although Matt Cassel had a solid performance in the passing game, he still had two interceptions and was sacked five times.
RB Lauernce Maroney finished with just 26 yards on 10 carries (2.6 avg) while playing just 17 snaps. He is being outplayed my Morris, Jordan, and Faulk.
The Ugly:
Although it was not a perfect game, there was nothing ugly about it.
Final Thoughts:
“It always feels good when you win, especially after a loss. It’s good for the whole team, the morale. Especially when you’re on the road against a good team, it always feels good. You try to build on it and go to next week. ” -- Patriots Kicker Stephen Gostkowski
"That was a good win for our football team today. I was really proud of the way they played. We didn't get off to a good start, got behind a couple of times here on the road, and the fans were really into it. The 49ers played hard. They're a good football team. They do a lot of things well, certainly move the ball offensively, and rush the passer on defense. I was proud of our guys. They fought back. Kept making a few plays. In the end, we made enough to win, a few more than they did. Credit all the way -- a good team win." -- Patriots Coach Bill Belichick
The Patriots 30-21 victory over the 49ers was the teams first win in San Francisco. New England had lost in each of their four previous road matchups with the 49ers. The Washington Redskins are now the only NFL team the Patriots have never beaten on the road.
No comments:
Post a Comment