New England (1-2) at San Francisco (1-2)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, FOX
BetMGM NFL odds: 49ers by 10.
Against the spread: 49ers 1-2; Patriots 1-1-1.
Series record: 49ers lead 9-5.
Last meeting: 49ers beat Patriots 33-6 in Foxborough, Mass., on Oct. 25, 2020.
Last week: Patriots lost to New York Jets 24-3; 49ers lost 27-24 to the Los Angeles Rams.
Patriots offense: overall (32), rush (8), pass (30), scoring (31).
Patriots defense: overall (19), rush (5), pass (27), scoring (10).
49ers offense: overall (3), rush (10), pass (2), scoring (9).
49ers defense: overall (16), rush (9), pass (20), scoring (21).
Turnover differential: Patriots plus-1; 49ers plus-1.
Patriots player to watch
RB Rhamondre Stevenson was held to 23 yards rushing after having 201 yards rushing the first two weeks. Stevenson’s 15 forced missed tackles are the third most in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
49ers player to watch
WR Jauan Jennings made the most of his increased opportunity last week with Deebo Samuel hurt by catching 11 passes for 175 yards and three TDs, joining Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only Niners players to reach those marks in a game. QB Brock Purdy has a perfect passer rating of 158.3 when targeting Jennings this season.
Key matchup
Patriots DE Keion White vs. 49ers RT Colton McKivitz. White has been one of the most productive edge rushers early this season. He has four sacks and 12 pressures playing both sides of the line early this season. He might line up more this week on New England’s left side to avoid All-Pro Trent Williams and take advantage of McKivitz, whose 13 pressures allowed are tied for the most of any tackle this season, according to PFF.
Key injuries
LG Sidy Sow returned to practice for New England after missing the first three games. … T Vederian Lowe has not played since leaving the Week 2 loss to Seattle in the second half with a knee injury, also returned to practice but coach Jerod Mayo was noncommittal on how much he would be able to do. … Niners TE George Kittle is expected to return after missing last week’s game with a hamstring injury. … San Francisco lost DT Javon Hargrave to a season-ending triceps injury last week.
Series notes
The Patriots have won the past two road games in the series, beating the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in 2016 and at Candlestick Park in 2008. … San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan won his only meeting against New England since taking over in 2017, winning 33-6 on the road in 2020.
Stats and stuff
The Patriots haven’t thrown an interception in three games yet this season. The NFL record for most consecutive games starting a season without an interception is nine by the 1960 Cleveland Browns. … White’s seven quarterback hits are tied for third in the NFL. … Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson has fumbled in each of the first three games (two of them were recovered by New England). … LS Joe Cardona has had at least one special teams tackle in each of the first three games for New England. His career high for a season is four, in 2017. The NFL record for special teams tackles is 12 by Zak DeOssie of the New York Giants in 2008. … San Francisco has lost back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game skid last October. … The Niners have made the playoffs just three times in 30 seasons when starting 1-2 or worse and never after a 1-3 start. … San Francisco ranks last in the NFL with an average of 3.14 yards after catch per reception. The Niners ranked No. 1 every season from 2018-23, averaging 6.57 yards after catch per reception over that span. … The 49ers are allowing 6.11 yards per play, the fourth-worst mark in franchise history through three games and third worst in the NFL this season. … Purdy had his 16th game with a passer rating of at least 100 in his first 24 regular-season starts. Patrick Mahomes’ 18 games with a rating of at least 100 are the most ever for a player in his first 25 starts. … RB Jordan Mason’s 324 yards rushing are the third most for a 49ers player through three games in franchise history. … San Francisco LB Fred Warner had his 49th pass defensed last week for the most among linebackers since he entered the league in 2018 and four shy of Patrick Willis’ franchise record for linebackers.
Fantasy tip
San Francisco WR Brandon Aiyuk has had a slow start after not practicing during training camp because of a contract dispute. He has 11 catches for 119 yards and has been held to fewer than 50 yards in three straight games for the first time since 2021. It might be best to wait for Aiyuk to shake off that rust before relying on him.
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