Pats win 30-21

The New England Patriots improved to 3-1 on the season with a win over the San Francisco 49ers, tying Buffalo for the division lead. Matt Cassel is now 2-1 as a starter and had a solid game, which saw him not only hit the shirt, quick passes but also take a few shots down the field, connecting on one with Randy Moss for a 66-yd TD. The Patriots also employed the Wildcat formation on one score, direct snapping it to Kevin Faulk on 4th down. The defense, after giving up big plays early, buckled down and only allowed 1 TD in the second half. Rodney Harrison, Brandon Meriweather, and Deltha O’Neal each nabbed an INT, which was key in setting up the offense with good field position. Adalius Thomas had the only sack for the Patriots, despite flushing J.T. O’Sullivan out of the pocket several times and nearly dropping him for a big loss several times. The defensive score for the game is as follows:
First down: 10 wins, 11 losses
Second down: 7 wins, 8 losses
Third down: 7 wins, 3 losses
Fourth down: 2 wins, 0 losses
Total: 26 wins, 22 losses
One thing that is apparent and very similar to last week, was the Patriots’ inability to set themselves up in easier 2nd and 3rd down situations by giving up good yardage on first down. Most of the 49ers first down conversions came on first or second down. The Pats were extremely solid on third down. The focus during the week is sure to be on stopping the big plays and setting up favorable 2nd and 3rd downs on defense.
The Pats will be at San Diego next week, and will remain on the west coast for the week. They will practice at San Jose State. So far this season, the strategy of remaining on an opposite coast has not worked, with the Cardinals remaining on the east coast and getting thumped by the Jets following a loss at Washington. We’ll see how the Pats fare. The Chargers will be coming off a loss against the Dolphins, who utilized their Wildcat formation with success again.
Stay tuned for most post game…