5 things to watch when Patriots play San Francisco 49ers

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – This isn't where the Patriots wanted to be, but after two losses in a row, the show must go on.

On Friday, the Patriots left New England for a cross-country trip to San Francisco to take on a talented 49ers team. After a strong start and upset win, to start the season, Jerod Mayo's team is coming off a blowout loss to the New York Jets.

Now, they'll take on the NFC favorites, on the road.

The 49ers have a roster full of elite players but are also dealing with health issues. San Francisco's offense will be without All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey and Pro Bowl receiver Deebo Samuel. On top of that, four Pro Bowlers – tight end George Kittle (hamstring), tackle Trent Williams (illness), defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (triceps), and quarterback Brock Purdy (back) – were on the injury report this week.

The Patriots must turn the page and forget about their performance in New York.

"What I will say is the challenge for us is just in the front: offensive line and defensive line. I don't want to sound repetitive, but they are a do-what-they-do type of team, and we know what they're going to do, the fans know what they're going to do, but you still have to stop them," Mayo said. "They have a lot of good players on that team, offensively and defensively, All-Pro-caliber players almost at every level if you really look at the roster. So, it's definitely a challenge, and I think the guys – I tell them all the time, look at it as an opportunity to go out there and perform."

Here are five things to watch when the Patriots take on the 49ers:

Brandon Aiyuk

This matchup is like when you see someone in public who once rejected your advances and hope to show them what they're missing.

The Patriots had a trade in place with the 49ers to acquire All-Pro receiver Brandon Aiyuk. They even had a contract offer on the table that would've reportedly made him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.

Instead, Aiyuk rejected the Patriots, used them as leverage, and ended up re-signing with the 49ers for less money.

Ouch.

The Patriots will get a chance to see Aiyuk on Sunday. It'll be fascinating to see if Christian Gonzalez can slow down the receiver. Aiyuk clearly didn't think much of the Patriots roster. We'll see how they respond.

Jacoby Brissett

The Patriots passing attack is ranked last in the NFL, averaging 102 passing yards per game. Of course, the team is also ranked first in the NFL in interception rate (0.0%).

Jacoby Brissett has a tough job. He's being used as a piñata this season, taking hits from opposing defenses while keeping the seat warm for Drake Maye. The veteran hasn't exactly lit up the stat sheet this season, but he's also not making too many egregious mistakes.

Out of all quarterbacks, who've started three games, Brissett is last in the NFL with 368 passing yards, but his interception percentage of zero is tied for first. The 49ers are ranked 20th in the NFL in passing defense. They've allowed 217.7 passing yards per game.

We'll see if Brissett can put together a better effort this time.

Offensive line

Brissett has been sacked at an alarming rate this season.

Entering this week, he's fourth in the NFL in sack percentage (the times sacked on plays where he's supposed to pass the ball). Last week, he was sacked five times and hit 12 times overall.

That won't work on Sunday. San Francisco has one of the better pass rushes in the NFL. Four-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa anchors this defensive line. On Thursday, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt called Bosa a "nightmare."

The Patriots should be getting back left guard Sidy Sow this week. That's positive. However, they'll likely start third-string left tackle Caedan Wallace. He's been elevated due to Vederian Lowe's knee injury and Chuks Okorafor leaving the team.

We'll see if the results are any different.

Rhamondre Stevenson

The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best-run defenses in the NFL. They head into this game ranked ninth in the league, allowing 104 yards per game on the ground. Opposing teams, however, are averaging 4.52 yards per carry against the 49ers – and that's 21st in the league.

That brings us to Rhamondre Stevenson.

He's arguably the Patriots best offensive player. He's why the Patriots offense didn't look putrid in the first two weeks. However, he's fumbled three games in a row. That's bad news because after going away from the run last week, the Patriots need to hammer the ground game again.

Will Stevenson bounce back? It's the Patriots best bet to move the football, so they are probably hoping he does.

Defensive performance

Expectations for the Patriots offense were already low. The big hope for this year's team was that the defense would be a top-10 unit. However, they haven't looked the part in the past two games.

Now, they enter this week ranked tenth in points allowed (19.0 per game) so that's solid. The defense struggled the past two weeks against Aaron Rodgers and Geno Smith. Their passing defense is currently ranked 27th in the NFL while their run defense is among the best at No. 5.

Last week, the Patriots struggled to tackle, so that needs to improve on Sunday. They also need more turnovers and sacks. So far, the secondary has zero interceptions while the group is 22nd in sacks per pass attempt.

Can the Patriots defense turn it around in San Francisco?

Prediction: 49ers 23, Patriots 16

Story by Mark Daniels, masslive.com