3 Stats To Know For Patriots' Week 7 Game vs. 49ers
After an interesting two-week period where the New England Patriots faced a number of positive COVID-19 tests, injuries and a loss to the Denver Broncos, the team will take on the San Francisco 49ers for their sixth game of the season.
This should be one of the closer matchups for the Patriots this season. Although the 49ers took a trip to the Super Bowl last year, they have faced numerous injuries and haven't been able to get into a rhythm, similar to the Patriots.
Here are the three stats you should know before Sunday afternoon's game, via Next Gen Stats and ESPN.
268 Yards
Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't gotten off to the best start this season. He suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and didn't play a full game until Week 6, where he threw for 268 yards against the then 4-1 Los Angeles Rams. He went 23-for-33 and also threw three touchdown passes. Not a bad return for the seventh-year quarterback.
If Garoppolo can find that rhythm in Week 7, especially with star tight end George Kittle, the Patriots defense may be in trouble. However, Garoppolo is a familiar opponent for head coach Bill Belichick, who got the opportunity to learn his style during his time as a backup quarterback in New England.
Consistency is something Garoppolo has struggled with, but if he plays wells in Foxboro on Sunday, it will likely result in a loss for New England.
157 Yards
Although Garoppolo had a great return, the same cannot be said for Cam Newton, who threw for only 157 yards with a 68 percent completion rate against Denver last week. What might be more troubling is the turnovers. Newton threw two interceptions, not even mentioning other errors made on the offense that don't up show on the stat sheet.
Hopefully with a full week of practice and the return of some key offensive linemen, the offense will be a more cohesive unit Sunday. Getting the run game going will be priority No. 1, but finding a rhythm in the passing game will be necessary for Newton and the offense if they want to come out with their third win of the season this week.
38 Yards
Speaking of receivers, both Damiere Byrd and Ryan Izzo lead the team in receiving yards with 38 against the Broncos. Isaiah Zuber had 16 yards, Julian Edelman had eight and N'Keal Harry didn't record a catch.
Although the offense has heavily relied on the run game this season, these low numbers from the receivers need to be remedied to keep the opposing team guessing. The Patriots might need to consider trading for a tight end or wide receiver before the November trade deadline, as the team continues to struggle at those positions.
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