Maiocco’s Observations: Purdy fuels 49ers’ bounce-back win vs. Pats

BOX SCORE SANTA CLARA — The 49ers had two touchdowns nullified by penalties, as well as another special-teams blunder. So, although the 49ers stopped their two-game losing streak with a 30-13 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday, it was a far-from-perfect performance. Quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Jordan Mason supplied enough offense, and the defense did not allow the Patriots' offense much room to breathe en route to the Week 4 victory at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers jumped out to a 20-0 lead and never really were threatened as they evened their record to 2-2 on the 2024 NFL season. Here are the major takeaways from the 49ers' victory over the rebuilding Patriots: Offense takes a different look Deebo Samuel returned to the starting lineup, and it was not in his usual role. When the 49ers opened the game Sunday, they featured three wide receivers. Only Samuel was lined up in the backfield, and he carried the ball on a traditional running play. But the rest of the day belonged to Mason, who gained 123 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown. Quarterback Brock Purdy managed to spread the ball around while completing 15 of 27 passes for 288 yards and one...