Patriots take on 49ers in Santa Clara

Can the Patriots rebound from a miserable Thursday Night Football loss to the Jets and get back to .500? Follow along here.

Jacoby Brissett high-fives teammates. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo

Despite a 24-3 trouncing at the hands of the Jets on Thursday Night Football in their last outing, the Patriots (1-2) are one win away from a .500 record.

They’ll look to rebound against the 49ers, who lost in last year’s Super Bowl, on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. The game will be televised on Fox (WFXT-TV 25) and 98.5 The Sports Hub has the radio broadcast.

The Patriots’ pass-protection woes reached a new level last week, as the team gave up seven sacks including two involving rookie quarterback Drake Maye in his NFL debut.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Maye is still “a ways away” from taking over as the Patriots’ starter, as the Patriots have not started the “ramp up process” for him.

The Patriots, who are averaging a league-worst 102 passing yards per game with Jacoby Brissett under center, will attempt to keep up with one of the the league’s most potent passing attacks. San Francisco enters the game ranked No. 1 in passing yards (267.7) per game.

New England’s offensive line will be shorthanded without left-tackle Vederian Lowe (knee) and offensive guard Michael Jordan (ankle). Offensive guard Sidy Sow, who has been out the first three weeks of the season is listed as questionable. He told Boston.com he hasn’t had any setbacks and thinks he’ll be able to play Sunday. Cornerback Alex Austin (ankle) has been placed on injured reserve, and the Patriots signed Isaiah Bolden to the 53-man roster to replace him.

The 49ers will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey and two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who were both placed on injured reserve.

The 49ers still have plenty of star power without McCaffrey including quarterback Brock Purdy, receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and defensive lineman Nick Bosa.

As the Patriots attempt to climb back to .500 for the first time since 2019, check out Chad Finn’s unconventional preview along with 5 things to watch for this matchup.

You can find live updates here during the game, along with observations, analysis and takeaways after the game.