Pats Cast Episode 11: Patriots Lose to the 49ers, Forced to Look to the Future

Unlikely breakout performer Jeffrey Wilson Jr. runs for one of his three touchdowns on Sunday. (Photo: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

New England was looking for a bounce-back game on Sunday after consecutive losses. A 33-6 loss to the 49ers wasn't what they had in mind.

San Francisco dominated from the opening kickoff until the end of the game, but there were still valuable takeaways – including some potential personnel changes that may be needed.

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The offense had one of its worst showings of the season, failing to reach the end zone and only scoring twice. Cam Newton struggled to find any sort of rhythm, eventually getting benched, and three key players suffered injuries – N'Keal Harry, Joe Thuney and Justin Herron.

The defense struggled in its own right, and it featured numerous players playing atypical roles – for better and for worse.

Kyle Dugger missed the game due to injury. Otherwise, he would've likely been high up the list this week.

Aside from Jakobi Meyers hauling in four catches for 60 yards off the bench and Damien Harris averaging nearly six yards on 10 carries, there were few positives for the Patriots to take from this game.

Jeffrey Wilson Jr. carved the defense up for 112 yards and three touchdowns on the ground before leaving with an ankle injury. Rookie Brandon Aiyuk added 115 yards through the air, and Deebo Samuel chipped in 72 total yards before departing with an injury of his own.

San Francisco's offense presented a unique challenge for the Patriots, but it's still disheartening to see them get gashed the way they did, and the offense didn't exactly bail out the defense.

New England dropped to 2-4, with the Buffalo Bills next up on the schedule. That's not exactly a get-right matchup after three straight losses, but the Patriots could miraculously pull within a game (in the loss column) of the AFC East lead with a win.

The Stefon vs. Stephon matchup (Diggs vs. Gilmore) will be one of the best of the weekend across the NFL, and Cam Newton will look to retain the crown as the best big dual-threat quarterback in the league, with Josh Allen as the challenger.