49ers bounce back from consecutive losses with decisive 30-13 win over Patriots

After a two-game road stretch that included rough losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams, a home matchup with the lowly New England Patriots on Sunday proved to be exactly what the San Francisco 49ers needed to get moving in the right direction.

The 49ers jumped out to a 20-0 first half lead before cruising to a 30-13 win over the Patriots, led by 288 yards on 15-of-27 passing from quarterback Brock Purdy with one touchdown and one interception. Running back Jordan Mason chipped in 123 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries, while tight end George Kittle caught Purdy's lone touchdown to go with four catches for 45 yards. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw for 168 yards on 19-of-32 passing with one touchdown and one interception in a losing effort for the Patriots.

First Half

The Patriots opened the game with possession and went on a nine-play drive into 49ers territory before being forced to punt. The 49ers took over at their own 7-yard line following the punt and went on a 15-play, 90-yard drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock. The drive featured a 38-completion from Purdy to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and three third-down conversions, two of which were picked up on runs from Purdy, but the 49ers fell short on a 3rd-and-Goal opportunity from the 3-yard line and settled instead for a 22-yard field goal from Jake Moody to take a 3-0 first quarter lead.

The score soon became 6-0 due in large part to a forced fumble on Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson by defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu on the first play of the Patriots' second possession. The fumble was recovered by defensive tackle Maliek Collins at the Patriots' 30-yard line, but the 49ers were once again unable to find the end zone and opted for another field goal from Moody, this one from 26 yards.

With the offense unable to find the end zone on its first two drives, the defense stepped up to give the 49ers their first touchdown of the game courtesy of an interception from linebacker Fred Warner. On the third play of the next offensive possession for the Patriots, Warner made a leaping grab of a third-down pass from Brissett at the Patriots' 45-yard line, then got off the turf and rumbled downfield before diving into the end zone for a touchdown to give the 49ers a 13-0 lead.

Warner struck again on the next drive, this time on a fourth down stop that forced a turnover on downs. The Patriots drove to the 49ers' 20-yard line on 10 plays, where they faced a 4th-and-1. Warner was joined by safety Ji'Ayir Brown to stuff a handoff to Stevenson on the play, giving the 49ers the ball at their own 20-yard line with just over eight minutes left in the half.

The following drive was an odd one for the 49ers, who were able to find the end zone in 10 plays despite multiple setbacks along the way. Two touchdowns were called back due to penalties on the drive, the first one on a 38-yard catch by running back Jordan Mason and the second on a seven-yard completion to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. But the third touchdown attempt proved to be the charm for the 49ers, who stretched their lead to 20-0 when Purdy found tight end George Kittle on a highlight third down play for a 12-yard score.

The Patriots were held to a three-and-out after the touchdown, then the 49ers took over at their own 13-yard line and lost five yards before punting back to the Patriots from their own 8. The Patriots took over at the 49ers' 39-yard line with 38 seconds remaining in the half and moved backwards after a sack from defensive tackle Maliek Collins, but after picking up six yards on a run from running back JaMychal Hasty, the Patriots elected to attempt a 63-yard field goal with three seconds left on the clock. Kicker Joey Slye was able to connect on the attempt as time expired, putting the Patriots on the scoreboard as halftime arrived.

The 49ers dominated the first half, outgaining the Patriots 207 to 76. Purdy finished the half with 146 yards on 8-of-15 passing with one touchdown, while Brissett was held to 54 yards on 8-of-13 passing with one interception.

Second Half

The Patriots got another special teams boost to start the third quarter when a fumble on the kickoff by rookie Isaac Guerendo was recovered at the 27-yard line by Christian Elliss. The Patriots scored five plays later on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brissett to tight end Austin Hooper to cut the 49ers' lead to 20-10.

The momentum shift was short lived, as the 49ers quickly stretched their lead to 27-10 after a four-play, 70-yard drive on the next possession. The drive started with

from Purdy to wide receiver Deebo Samuel on the first play of the possession, then four plays later Mason ran out from four yards out with just over 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

The scoring stopped throughout the rest of the third quarter while teams exchanged punts twice, then the Patriots cut the lead to 27-13 early in the fourth quarter on a 54-yard field goal from Slye. The 49ers moved downfield quickly on the next possession on a 45-yard completion from Purdy to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, but the drive ended with a thud when Purdy was picked off in the end zone by safety Jabrill Peppers.

The defense shut the door for the 49ers on the next possession with their third takeaway of the game, this one on a strip sack from defensive end Nick Bosa. The Patriots drove deep into 49ers' territory on a 50-yard completion from Brissett to Antonio Gibson, but on a 3rd-and-6 from the 14-yard line Bosa knocked the ball out of Brissett's throwing hand and recovered his own forced fumble to give the 49ers possession with just under three minutes left to play.

The 49ers were able to run out the clock after the fumble to seal the win. They moved to 2-2 on the season with the victory, while the Patriots now stand at 1-3.

Game Notes: Sunday's meeting was the 15th all time between the 49ers and Patriots. The 49ers moved to 10-5 against the Patriots with the win... The 49ers were 10.5-point favorites heading into the game... Slye's second quarter field goal was the fourth longest in NFL history... Rookie safety and fourth-round pick Malik Mustapha was given a start in place of the injured Talanoa Hufanga (ankle)... The 49ers remain at home next week for a 1:05 p.m. PT kickoff (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX) against the Arizona Cardinals.

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