With a new head coach and some uncertainty at quarterback, the New England Patriots were expected to face challenges early this season.
For the San Francisco 49ers, who are the defending NFC champions, losing two games in a row was a wake-up call for a team aiming for the Super Bowl again.
The 49ers (1-2) are looking to turn things around on Sunday when they play the Patriots (1-2).
“It’s been tough to sleep the past couple of nights,” defensive end Nick Bosa said about last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. “Just mind racing. Always this time of year, I’m itching to get to Sunday, but after that, it’s major.”
The start of the season has been tough for the 49ers. They had contract issues that kept stars Trent Williams and Brandon Aiyuk out of training camp.
First-round pick Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest just nine days before the first game, and they have already played without key players Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle this season.
Kittle is expected to return this week, which should help the offense. However, the defense has struggled, allowing 6.11 yards per play, which is one of the worst averages in the league.
“It’s not the standard that we have had since I’ve been here,” All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner said. “But I see the things that are positive on tape, and we just need to clean up things that are negative.”
They may have found a good opportunity to fix these issues against the Patriots, whose offense is near the bottom of the league in their first year under coach Jerod Mayo.
