5 winners (and 2 losers) for 49ers in Week 4 win over Patriots

It wasn't perfect, but the 49ers got back on the winning track by handling the Patriots in Week 4, which prompts some winners and losers.

There's no such thing as a "must win" game in Week 4, but last Sunday's contest sure felt like it for the San Francisco 49ers, who were reeling from a two-game losing streak before hosting the New England Patriots.

The Pats offense had been anemic thus far, meaning an embattled Niners defense had a chance to get right at home.

It did, holding New England to 13 points while forcing three takeaways. And, on the flip side of the ball, quarterback Brock Purdy and Co. managed to overcome the Patriots' biggest strength, their own defense, which was aided by getting tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel back from a one-game injury absence.

San Francisco's 30-13 victory was far from perfect, and there are still some glaring problems and concerns looming. Subsequently, there'll be some 49ers losers from the contest.

Fortunately, there are far more winners to look at. We'll start there.

Winner: Linebacker Fred Warner

In just one half of football before exiting at halftime with an ankle injury, linebacker Fred Warner put forth a defensive MVP-caliber performance, highlighted by a pick-six interception off the hand of quarterback Jacoby Brissett that set the tone for the Niners defense.

In two weeks out of three, Warner has played like a Defensive Player of the Year, and Sunday was no exception.

Granted, his early exit from the game because of an ankle injury is a bit concerning, but signs pointed to him being available in the second half if absolutely necessary.

Thankfully, because of the score, he was afforded the opportunity to rest up.

Winner: Defensive end Nick Bosa

Warner was just one of San Francisco's defensive stars who needed to carry the day, but defensive end Nick Bosa bore plenty of responsibility, too.

The Pats offensive line was banged up, affording Bosa the opportunity to pad his sack stats. Yet he was primarily the one generating pressure while giving other defensive linemen the opportunity to pad theirs, including defensive tackle Kevin Givens, who notched 2.5 quarterback takedowns in the process.

Pressures count, but they're not as flashy as sacks. For those who merely look at the box score, Bosa didn't make an impact until late in the game even though he was wreaking havoc on the pocket all day long.

Luckily, late in the fourth quarter, Bosa made his presence known with a strip-sack and fumble recovery that sealed the contest:

At least those numbers will reflect well in the box score.

Loser: Running back Isaac Guerendo

Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo might not be getting his career off on the right foot.

Granted, he'll continue to see limited use as a rusher as long as All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey is on injured reserve, backing up the stopgap starter, Jordan Mason.

But, Guerendo's use as a kick returner likely came to a premature end at the beginning of the second half when he fumbled the kickoff by running into the back of tight end Eric Saubert.

Needless to say, Guerendo didn't serve as a return specialist thereafter and probably won't get another chance anytime soon.

Granted, the 49ers' special teams unit has had all kinds of issues this season, and Guerendo's gaffe is merely part of the overall problem.

But he didn't exactly do himself any favors on Sunday.

Winner: Quarterback Brock Purdy

The box score again won't paint the full picture for Purdy, whose efforts in the game were almost flawless against a tough New England defense.

A 15-of-27 passing mark for 288 yards with a touchdown against an interception doesn't look MVP-worthy, per se. And his lone interception was a forced pass into the end zone that didn't need to be thrown.

But, considering he essentially tossed three touchdown passes on a single drive (two of them negated by penalties), it's safe to say Purdy was on a roll.

Perhaps more importantly, Purdy didn't hesitate to challenge the Patriots deep down the field, nor did he shy away from picking up extra yards with his legs, two X-factors that ultimately add to his underrated arsenal of abilities.

Winner: Wide receiver Jauan Jennings

It might not have been a three-touchdown, career-type of day from tertiary wide receiver Jauan Jennings, as was the case in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Still, an 88-yard team-leading day for Jennings against the Pats is worthy of commendation.

Many felt Jennings' numbers would take a serious hit after both Samuel and Kittle returned from injury. And while they did to a point, Jennings was still a massive X-factor in the passing game, hauling in three catches for a team-high 88 yards. Had he not been tripped up by a New England defender almost by accident, Jennings likely would have added a score to the stat sheet, too.

Jennings has seized the opportunity as a go-to favorite for Purdy early this season, making a claim for the Niners' most valuable offensive weapon over the first quarter of the year.

Loser: Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk

Now, painting wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk as a loser doesn't exactly encapsulate the context of his play. And there are reasons to believe he's working back toward being San Francisco's No. 1 pass-catching weapon after a sluggish start to 2024.

After all, Purdy targeted Aiyuk five times during the game with the receiver grabbing two of those for 48 yards. And, if Aiyuk caught the quarterback's intercepted pass in the end zone for a touchdown, we likely wouldn't be having this discussion at all.

Unfortunately for Aiyuk, paralleled by Jennings' emergence, questions will still abound about whether or not the 49ers were wise to give the former that lucrative contract extension.

Stats do matter, and that's where many an analyst and pundit will look.

After four relatively lackluster games, statistically, Aiyuk is justifying the big money he demanded from the Niners all offseason long, and Sunday's tilt didn't answer any questions about him.

Winner: Defensive tackle Kevin Givens

Injuries have been a problem for San Francisco all year long, and the defensive line has been a major victim of the attrition.

The 49ers lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (triceps) for the year, which is a massive blow, but it opened up the opportunity for two other reserves, Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens, to see an uptick in field time.

Elliott, too, departed the game with a knee injury. But Givens was exceptional.

Aided by Bosa, Givens tallied his career-high 2.5 sacks in a game, and he figures to be a primary beneficiary with Hargrave out and Elliott potentially poised to miss some time.

As was the case in 2020 when injuries befell the Niners' D-line, Givens should see an uptick in use and will hopefully flourish with the opportunity.

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