Ben Burns
(281) New England Patriots at (282) San Francisco 49ers
(5%) SF. Here we get one of the best teams in the league, hosting one of the worst. The 49ers are better coached and stronger on both sides of the ball. Off back-to-back losses, we should be able to count on the determined 49ers keeping the pedal to the metal the entire way. The last time they snapped a losing streak of more than one game, the 49ers won by a score of 34-3. The offense racked up nearly 450 yards while the defense allowed just 221 yards and only 12 first downs. (The last time that they faced New England, the 49ers won 33-6.)
Keep in mind that both the 49ers losses came on the road. They beat the Jets by 13 in their lone home game. I played against the Patriots in their last game and they lost to that same Jets team by a score of 24-3. The Pats managed just 11 first downs and 139 total yards. On the season, the Pats are averaging 13 points per game. They average only 246.3 yards, 102 through the air. All those numbers are right at or near the bottom of the NFL. It doesn't help matters that the New England offensive line remains severely depleted. Expect this one to be one-sided from the start, SF bouncing back with a blowout victory.