SF 49ers vs. Patriots: 5 matchups that will decide Week 7 outcome
By Peter Panacy
No. 1: Can SF 49ers contain Cam Newton, Patriots rushing game?
The SF 49ers may not be a prolific pass-rushing group six weeks into the regular season. But they’ve done surprisingly well against opposing ground attacks. To date, the Niners boast the league’s 10th-best run defense with 650 rush yards allowed, and opponents are averaging just 4.1 yards per carry — good for eighth lowest.
San Francisco 49ers
Yet Robert Saleh and Co. have seemingly had trouble with mobile quarterbacks, not just this season, but in previous years, too.
In Week 1, the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown. In Week 3, the New York Jets Daniel Jones scrambled five times for 49 yards, while Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick even managed 16 yards rushing on three carries.
Cam Newton might be having his issues passing the ball this season. But he’s still a prolific rusher and actually leads the Patriots with 45 rush attempts for 225 yards and five touchdowns. He’s averaging 5.0 yards per carry, but the volume of rushes could make for a tough challenge for San Francisco.
Behind him, New England’s crop of running backs have helped combine to make the Pats ground game No. 2 in the league with 836 total yards. Their net 5.1 yards per carry is also fifth best over these first six weeks, meaning Bill Belichick might focus on exploiting that particular matchup the Niners defense has struggled with seemingly all season long.
If San Francisco wants to win in Week 7, it’ll have to ensure Newton doesn’t carry the bulk of the ground load.
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The SF 49ers and Patriots kick off on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 4:25 p.m. ET from Gillette Stadium.