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Transcript

00:00I am joined by Robert Griffin III, James White, Field Yates Mena Kimes.

00:11All right.

00:12So first play we're going to look at second into one of the Patriots first offensive plays.

00:19What's going on everyone?

00:20Taylor Kyle's here for CLNS Media coming at you with another episode of Pat Saley brought

00:25to you by our good friends at Price Picks and Game Time.

00:28Today for the week four edition of key matchups previewing 49ers week, I am here with friend

00:34of the show, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic to talk about these two teams before we feel

00:39like they may have some advantages, disadvantages on both sides of the ball for these respective

00:43teams to give you guys a little bit of insight into what to look for this weekend.

00:48Before we get into all that, though, first of all, Ted, how are you doing, buddy?

00:51And welcome back to the show.

00:52Hey, I'm glad to be back on doing well.

00:56As you know, it's busy, busy, busy, man.

00:59It's just like, you know, nonstop podcast here, article here.

01:03But, you know, it's fun.

01:04It's glad football's back and it feels like it's going fast.

01:07We're in week four already.

01:08Yeah, it's going by, man.

01:10I would say it's, you know, it flies by when you're having fun, but it's been a little

01:14bit of a mixed bag for the Patriots and it's been a little bit of a mixed bag for the 49ers.

01:19These are two teams that are entering the game with the same record sitting at one and

01:22two, but obviously very different talent levels for each of these teams.

01:26The 49ers, Gerard Mayo has emphasized it all week.

01:29This is a Super Bowl contender and the talent that they have does not reflect their record.

01:33So fill people in.

01:35Why exactly are they sitting where they're sitting when you've got Brock Purdy playing

01:38good football and obviously so much talent on both sides of the ball, even with the injuries

01:42that they've been sustaining?

01:43Yeah, I think the defense has taken a hit in the last couple of years.

01:48I mean, obviously, when you're putting that much money into your offense, they just paid

01:53IU, Debo's paid, Kittle's paid, Brock Purdy's coming up next.

01:57You're going to have some drainage issues and, you know, there's some talent drainage

02:00on the defensive side, especially with depth.

02:03And we're seeing that now and they don't have Drake Greenlaw, who is one of the best linebackers

02:08in the NFL.

02:09And that obviously impacts their defense.

02:12So their defense just hasn't been good.

02:14I think their offense has been fine, even with the injuries they've dealt with and they've

02:19dealt with some big injuries, including one to Christian McCaffrey, maybe the best running

02:23back in the league.

02:24But they filled filled and filled Jordan Mason has filled in nicely and Debo Samuels hurt.

02:31And usually when Debo Samuels hurt, the offense actually takes a really big hit because he's

02:37such a big part of what they do.

02:38But I think Brock Purdy has developed enough to where they don't need that Debo effect

02:45as much in this offense.

02:47I think we're going to see, you know, we saw a little bit of that with the Rams pretty

02:50might have had his best game, you know, as a pro against the Rams, even though they lost

02:55that game.

02:57And then speaking of Brock Purdy, I'm watching the tape.

02:59I'm seeing this guy move like Harrison Smith, CJ Mosley, just killing teams over the middle.

03:05And he's been the best downfield passer in the NFL this season.

03:08So how have you seen him grow this season?

03:11Because really, I feel like people still think of him as, you know, just another one of the

03:14quarterbacks that Kyle Shanahan plugs into this scheme.

03:17But it feels like more than that.

03:19It really does feel like he is not only doing what Shanahan needs him to do, but he's actually

03:23elevating the talent around him like you kind of alluded to.

03:26Yeah, he's he's probably the most aggressive quarterback as far as throwing deep that Shanahan

03:32has had since Matt Ryan.

03:34And I feel like he's taking that downfield aggression to another level this season.

03:39And we're seeing him use his legs a little bit more not to run, but to buy time.

03:43And that's an added element.

03:45You just don't see a lot in the Shanahan offense.

03:47And it's obviously making a difference for them.

03:50Yeah, and that's in my preview, a little, you know, spoiler for tomorrow morning.

03:54But that's one of the biggest things for me.

03:56The Patriots have been the worst defense in the NFL when it comes to those extended plays

04:00and keeping quarterbacks in.

04:02And that's after they faced Gino Smith, Aaron Rodgers, who wasn't really running around

04:05at all before that game, and then even Joe Burrow.

04:08So that's going to be a big one to watch.

04:10But we're not necessarily going to dive into that.

04:12We have plenty of other matchups to talk about, Ted.

04:14So hit us with your first key matchup that fans should be looking out for.

04:19My first key matchup is going to be George Kittle against Tavai or Kyle Duggar or whoever

04:24they match up against him.

04:26The Patriots are one of the worst teams at giving up targets to tight ends.

04:30And did I see this right?

04:32That Conklin have a hundred and twenty yard game against, you know, I like I watched that

04:38game and I didn't know that he was that productive until I saw the stats.

04:41I was like, is this a mistake?

04:43But, man, he killed the Patriots.

04:45And, you know, I think George Kittle have a similar effect to match up against Tavai

04:49or Duggar and cover two or whatever it is.

04:53And I think he is going to play this game.

04:55He had a limited practice, but he's a tough player and he's going to be tough down the

05:00seam. He's going to be tough to run with.

05:02The Patriots play a ton of man coverage, I think maybe a second or third highest rate

05:07in the league. And if you're going to play man coverage, you need to have a body type

05:10to match up against these great tight ends.

05:12And Kittle is one of the hardest matchup guys in the league.

05:16And also when he catches the ball short, like you have to be able to tackle him.

05:19The Patriots couldn't tackle Conklin and Kittle is a whole nother beast, you know, when

05:24it comes to yards after catch.

05:27Every time you say Conklin, it's like I got a cold chill down my spine.

05:31And I swear, I think it was a career game for him.

05:33And you mentioned it. The cover two was a big part of that because Aaron Rodgers are

05:37just finding situations where he was one on one with guys like Tavai.

05:40And, you know, one time Tavai guesses wrong.

05:42Another time, Rayquan McMillan, who's filling in for Jawan Bentley, gets exposed.

05:46And then Kyle Duggar had a couple lapses as well, where it seemed like he was the Tampa

05:49defender who was supposed to carry Conklin down the seam.

05:52He didn't do that. And then when you talk about the man coverage, I'm curious to see

05:57who they actually use, because we've seen Jalen Hawkins, Kyle Duggar and even Jabril

06:01Peppers all used to cover tight ends.

06:03I would guess this would be more of a Duggar type week, even though Jalen Hawkins has

06:06been solid in that role.

06:08But with Duggar, he's good in coverage.

06:10But when you face guys like Kittle or like even like a Dawson Knox type where they're

06:14just or not Dawson Knox, I'm sorry, Dalton Kincaid, where they're really flexible on

06:17top of being big and physical, that can present some challenges because Duggar is a

06:21great athlete, but he's a little bit stiff if you're talking about him dropping his

06:24hips and having to shadow guys one on one.

06:26So that's a great call.

06:27I'm sticking with the second level, and I also am very excited to hear what you think

06:31about Jordan Mason, because I've got him versus Jelani Tavai and Rayquan McMillan.

06:35Really, the missed tackles last week, it was all over the place.

06:38It was the secondary.

06:39It was the defensive line.

06:40But the most discouraging part was the fact that Jelani Tavai had the most missed

06:44tackles. I think it was three.

06:45And then Rayquan McMillan, like I said, filling in for Juwan Bentley.

06:48He had a couple as well.

06:49One of those could have been a stop in the backfield.

06:51But Praline Allen ran right through his face.

06:54So I don't know.

06:55Jordan Mason obviously has had some ridiculous lanes to run through.

06:58Like I was going through his explosive runs and it's literally just like, I mean, you

07:03can walk through with your hands wide open and you would not get touched.

07:06But he's also done a really good job of finishing those runs, exploiting them.

07:10It looks like he's got good change of direction and burst.

07:12And then the arm tackles do not work with him.

07:15So the Patriots are going to bounce back in this game.

07:17They cannot let him tear through the defense like we've seen with Praline Allen and

07:22Brees Hall last week.

07:23But also that was a short week.

07:25The Patriots keep saying it was a fundamental thing they kind of acknowledged

07:28indirectly. They didn't really wanted to put blame on it.

07:30But the fact it was a short week, that makes sense.

07:33They weren't really doing anything in practices.

07:35It was really more walkthroughs.

07:36Gerard Mayo, former player, probably just wanted to take some of the burden off them

07:39physically. But now you had a long week, plenty of extra time.

07:43There's no more excuses for fundamental laps like that.

07:46So as tough as it's going to be to defend all these players for the 49ers, I know

07:50Jordan Mason's like he's forced more missed tackles on runs than any back in the NFL or

07:54any player in the NFL.

07:55So that's going to be huge because if he can effectively run on them, it's going to open

07:59up everything else. And that's going to be really scary.

08:01But from your perspective, how has Jordan Mason looked and why has he been able to fill

08:06in so incredibly well for Christian McCaffrey?

08:09Yeah, I think he's just a really great zone runner.

08:13And, you know, I almost compare it to like and this is a lofty comparison, but I love

08:20watching zone runners. And it's almost like Arian Foster, how smooth he moves, you know,

08:26find those cutbacks and how patient he is and just how he sets up blocks and all those

08:31things. And it's just really fun to watch, watch him find those lanes in this zone

08:37system. I think he's a starting back in this NFL, in the NFL, and he's really good in

08:42pass protection as well.

08:44But where you miss Christian McCaffrey is McCaffrey is just a little bit more explosive.

08:49So some of those 15 yard runs might be a 70 yard run with McCaffrey.

08:55You also miss him in the passing game.

08:58I mentioned Mason is good at blocking, blocking it in the passing game, but he's not or

09:04at least the Niners haven't trusted him to run a ton of routes downfield and run those

09:08option routes like McCaffrey just yet.

09:11And that's a big element in his offense.

09:13You don't have to worry about with Mason on the field.

09:15But like I mentioned, to me, he's starting running back and that running game is going

09:20to be a big part of this game.

09:22And of course, they're going to run that outside zone scheme where you have to be so

09:26gap scheme with them stretching the field.

09:29And then you actually mentioned yards after catch.

09:31I'm curious, the 49ers are like dead last in yards after catch per reception.

09:36I think they're like bottom three or five and miss tackles forced.

09:39Has that just been because so many guys like McCaffrey, obviously on injured reserve and

09:43then Kittle and Debo of this time, has that been the reason that they just kind of had

09:47to go deeper in their bag with the receivers and the guys have grown to?

09:50Yeah, exactly.

09:51I think it's just because Devo's missed time kills missed time.

09:54Obviously, McCaffrey is one of the best yards after catch guy in the league and

09:59he hasn't played this season.

10:01And I think they've just changed their attack.

10:03They're just going downfield a little bit more.

10:05And when you're going downfield a little bit more, you're not going to get those yards

10:09after catch opportunities.

10:11And even still, Jawan Jennings, I've seen him.

10:13He's forced a few missed tackles at the second level.

10:16I do want to talk about him.

10:17We'll get to him because he has been fantastic.

10:19The best downfield receiver to compliment Brock Purdy as the best downfield passer.

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11:35All right, brothers.

11:36So we're going for the second round of key matchups.

11:38Who you got?

11:40Got D'Juan Jennings against either Jonathan Jones or Gonzalez.

11:46But I think it's probably going to be Jonathan Jones because Gonzalez is probably going to

11:49match up with Iyuk.

11:51But D'Juan Jennings is a guy who started his career as a slot receiver.

11:55He played almost exclusively in a slot and he kind of gained a reputation for his downfield

12:02blocking.

12:03He's probably one of the best downfield blockers in the NFL, which is really big in this type

12:08of offense where, you know, you're trying to block the perimeter runs and get those

12:11edges.

12:13And he also built a reputation for being very reliable on third down and fourth down.

12:17He would be able to just get open on those money downs on those short and intermediate

12:21routes.

12:22But all of a sudden this season with Iyuk holding out, he's kind of thrusted into this

12:26outside receiver role and he's thrived.

12:28I mean, you sent me the stat.

12:30He's on passes of down of more than 10 air yards.

12:35He's what?

12:36Second receptions.

12:38Yes, I got you.

12:39I got the thing actually pulled up.

12:40I was ready.

12:41So he has 12 receptions.

12:43He is one of two players with 10 or more.

12:45The other one's Nico Collins with 10.

12:47He's second in receiving yards, the most touchdowns, most contested catches with three, and he

12:51has zero drops, which is just a ridiculous.

12:55Yeah, and these aren't just like schemed up throws like he made an amazing one of the

12:59best catches you see all season against the Rams where he pulled the ball from off a guy's

13:04helmet.

13:05So, you know, he's a legitimate downfield threat and parties going to him.

13:10They really trust him.

13:13And he's six, three, Jonathan Jones is five, nine.

13:17So that's a bit of a matchup problem.

13:19I almost wonder if they decide to go one double Iyuk and put Gonzalez on Jennings.

13:26And that would be a pretty fun matchup to see 100% from what I've seen with Jennings.

13:30It looks like his whole profile is, I think, the best case scenario for like a Jalen Pope

13:35where it's the blocking that sets up the stuff downfield and on third downs.

13:39He may not be taking the top off, but he's really killing you over the middle downfield

13:42that way.

13:44And this matchup is going to be really interesting because when I was watching like that Moss

13:47that he had against the Rams, I thought it was an incompletion.

13:50I'm like, all right, there's no way that like Juwan Jennings is making that catch.

13:53Like, oh damn, no, he did.

13:54He did make that catch.

13:55So knowing that, knowing how much pretty obviously trusts him, I got some questions like, oh,

14:01are they going to go on Jennings?

14:02Is Gonzo going to go on Jennings or Iyuk?

14:03That was kind of a fair question because obviously Iyuk is that like profile wise, that true

14:08number one that Gonzo's been shadowing.

14:11But I'm curious from your perspective, is it because he held out that he's off to such

14:15a slow start?

14:16Is it because Jennings is playing so well?

14:17What exactly is it?

14:18And like, has he looked like Brandon Iyuk or is maybe there a little bit of rust because

14:22he didn't get to participate in practices?

14:24I think there's definitely a lot of rust from, I mean, he had no training camp.

14:28He came in right before the season started.

14:32He's had some drops and I just don't think the trust is quite there.

14:36The chemistry isn't quite there with pretty just yet, but I think it's starting to build

14:40up.

14:42So I wouldn't be surprised to see a breakout game from him anytime soon.

14:46So I think you still have to treat him like your number one receiver just because he's

14:51been that for the Niners.

14:54So yeah, it's going to be interesting to see how they treat him.

14:58I think for me, the best approach is to just double him and then have Gonzalez shadow Jennings.

15:05I agree.

15:06I'm starting to lean that way too, because I mean, if they're not going to be thrown

15:09to Iyuk, obviously, usually that'd be a good thing.

15:12But also, like you said, if the trust isn't there, you'd rather take out the number one

15:15target, not necessarily just the number one physical threat.

15:19Now for my matchups, I'm going with Ramondre Stevenson versus this 49ers front.

15:24Now looking at the stats, the 49ers run defense has not been good.

15:29And the thing that they've been worst at is defending duo and that's the Patriots bread

15:32and butter.

15:33Now, last week, there was a lot of reasons for this because they were down by 14 points

15:38by their third possession.

15:39You know, I know they wanted to open the pass game up a little bit more because it's been

15:43so congested, but they got away from the run game.

15:45I think they only carried the ball like six times, something like that.

15:48Really the Jets knew exactly what was coming when they tried to go play action.

15:51They didn't show any respect for it.

15:53They were going straight for the quarterback on naked bootlegs.

15:56They're blitzing and trying to go for the quarterback, not really trying to stop the

15:59run.

16:00Alex Van Pelt, first time, full time play caller.

16:03He acknowledged, yeah, in hindsight, there was, you know, game situation, but probably

16:07would have leaned more on the run to set up that run action, even though they've been

16:10running a ton the first two weeks.

16:12And he said, you know, I have to learn every week.

16:14It's about improvement.

16:15Like I got to get better.

16:16He's a self-aware guy.

16:17And I really do think that this will be a week where we see them say, you know what?

16:21Let's get back to our identity.

16:22We cannot be predictable against Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, you know, all these really talented

16:27veteran players who, if you give them any kind of tell, you're really putting yourself

16:31in a bad spot.

16:32So being able to run behind Leighton Robinson, Mike Nwenu, David Andrews, I feel like that's

16:37going to be the recipe for success.

16:39Then you mix in the play action, the screens, and really try to keep these guys on their

16:42toes because if you can run effectively and force them to respect that, maybe you're going

16:47to get some downfield opportunities to keep you competitive.

16:50Even if the defense plays really well, I feel like it's not realistic to expect that they're

16:54going to totally put a lid on this 49ers pass game, especially I know Debo returned to practice

16:59today.

17:00Kittle was limited, I think.

17:01So there's still a chance that those guys end up playing.

17:04But because you watch this team, why have they struggled against the run?

17:07And where are the gaping holes in terms of personnel?

17:10I think one thing they really worked hard on defending is this offseason are outside

17:15runs because they got killed on crack tosses last year.

17:18So they're much better at stopping those runs and stopping explosive runs.

17:24But they're still pretty light up the middle.

17:27And like I mentioned, they missed Dre Greenlaw.

17:29So they're not giving up these huge gashes, but they just keep giving up efficient runs

17:34over efficient runs over efficient runs.

17:36So I think you just have to be patient.

17:39And like you mentioned, you want to run duo, you want to run inside on them.

17:43And duo is a concept where, you know, you're getting double teams inside and you're trying

17:46to get that push up the middle.

17:49And that's how you attack the center's defense, you just be patient, you know, you might not

17:51get those 20 yard gashes.

17:53But if you keep getting five, six yard gains, then you're gonna be able to move the ball

17:57and stay on schedule.

17:59These are two West Coast teams.

18:00That's what it's all about.

18:01If you can get three yards of pop, that's fine.

18:03You can live with three yards of carry if that's going to be your main identity, especially

18:06because like we always talk about establish the run.

18:09And there's always the number like I think it's what Shanahan likes to call 35 runs in

18:12a game or something like that.

18:14Yeah, I think that's right.

18:16That's not my wheelhouse.

18:17I'm not getting it wrong.

18:18But the reason for that isn't just oh, we have to hit this number.

18:21It's because if you're calling that many runs, it means you're in the game probably means

18:25you're dictating the pace of the game.

18:27And when you're when you have that kind of volume, the other team really has no idea

18:31when you're going to have something built off of that.

18:33Now we're going to get into our final key matchups, Ted.

18:36But first, quick word from our friends over at game time, be right back.

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20:03All right, but third key matchup for you, what do you got?

20:09You know, I was going to go with Nick Bosa, but I think I'm going to go with Malik Collins

20:14against either city.

20:16So or I believe Leighton Robinson's right guard.

20:19Yeah.

20:20So, you know, either those guards match up against Malik Collins, Jonathan Hargrave obviously

20:26out for the season with with his injury.

20:29So that leaves the second best defensive lineman for the Niners is going to be Malik Collins

20:34inside who doesn't get huge sack numbers, but he's always very high up in those pressure

20:40numbers.

20:41Yeah.

20:42And, you know, they're going to give extra attention to Nick Bosa on the outside.

20:45They're not going to let him go one on one with.

20:48We knew too much.

20:49And on the other side, Floyd just has not been that good.

20:53So I think Malik Collins is going to be the guy that could potentially wreck this game

20:58if he's able to just, you know, destroy the interior of that Patriots offensive line.

21:04Yeah, I wanted to see what Hargrave's pressure numbers looked like, and I was like, oh, Collins

21:07is like two percent difference, like he's still obviously really applying pressure to

21:11the quarterbacks.

21:12I'm also curious with Nick Bosa.

21:14It looks like he's lined up on both sides of the defensive line, whereas in previous

21:17years, it seemed like he was more of a left edge kind of guy.

21:20So what's the situation with that and what are the circumstances where he's playing on

21:24each side?

21:25I think it's just they're not as strong on the edge as they used to be as far as depth.

21:30And like I mentioned, Floyd just hasn't been that productive of a pass rusher.

21:36And they're just trying to hunt matchups and put him in the best position to win and just

21:39try to make it a little harder to double him because he just has to do so much more with

21:44this defensive line.

21:45It's not like the old Niners defensive line where they could send waves and waves of pass

21:49rushers at you.

21:51They really depend on Nick Bosa to do a ton for them.

21:54And they can't just put him on one side anymore and just hope that he wins.

21:58They have to put him in better positions where he can make a bigger impact on the game.

22:03It makes a lot of sense.

22:04Now I'm going to stick to the trenches with mine.

22:06I'm going to go with Keon White and Joshua Uche versus Colton McKibbitz and Jake Brandel.

22:12Now again, I want your perspective on how exactly those guys have played because really

22:15I've only been able to dig into the numbers, not their individual play necessarily.

22:19Although it did look like McKibbitz, it's had some trouble against some speed rushers

22:22guys who can threaten both outside and inside.

22:25But Keon White is I think one of the only, I think he's got the 90 PFF grid or something

22:29like that.

22:30He's been tearing it up this season.

22:32Now it hasn't been perfect, but I don't think we expected it to be.

22:35It's a second season.

22:36He was a raw prospect coming out of Georgia Tech.

22:38But last year, late in the season, you started to see that raw athleticism, the explosiveness,

22:43that disruptive ability.

22:45It flashed throughout the year, but you started seeing him actually start to finish plays

22:49as it went on.

22:50Like around December, it's like, oh, he's not just getting pressures.

22:52He's getting hits.

22:53He's getting sacks.

22:54He's getting run stuffs.

22:56This year, you're really seeing it come together where, especially as an interior rusher, he's

22:59been an absolute nightmare.

23:00He's got that club rip.

23:02He's just terrorizing guys.

23:03He can beat you inside or outside in terms of when he's lined up as an interior guy.

23:09On the edge, he's not quite as consistent.

23:11I think he's still trying to figure out what kind of moves he likes.

23:13Like we've seen him break out from spin moves.

23:16Last week he tried one and he gave up the edge and it led to an extended play.

23:19But as an interior rusher, they can get him good matchups.

23:22And I'm curious if they are going to try and maybe take advantage of Brendel at center.

23:26I think that could work in his favor.

23:28And then Joshua Uche, I think could be a really tough matchup for McKibbitz.

23:32Now one big thing with Uche, the contain has not been there.

23:36And like I mentioned earlier, that's going to be huge in this game because you cannot

23:40give Purdy chances to extend plays.

23:42I think the 49ers offensive line, partially because of the time to throw for Purdy and

23:45the aggressiveness and all that.

23:47But I think their bottom 10 and pressure rate allowed.

23:49So there's all that time where Purdy is going to be back there in the pocket.

23:53You got to capitalize on it, but you have to make sure you keep him hemmed in because

23:56I swear if I see this dude break the pocket and just start running for first downs, converting

24:01third downs, I'm going to lose my GD mind.

24:03So hopefully those matchups can work out in the Patriots favor.

24:06But what's your perspective been on the 49ers offensive line?

24:09Obviously run blocking, they've been really, really good.

24:11But what's the situation in pass pro?

24:13I think Aaron Banks is having a really good season at left guard.

24:17They have found a real gem in Tooney, who has been one of the best rookies overall,

24:23I think.

24:24Don't tell PFF.

24:27Don't tell PFF.

24:29I was stunned by his grade because of you and other people.

24:33He's like killing guys out there, but I think they just really solidified their offensive

24:38line.

24:39Like you mentioned, Brendel is still a weakness, but at the same time, it's hard to just match

24:43up your guy against a center because centers don't really do one-on-one blocks that much.

24:48And then the right tackle spot is obviously still a weakness.

24:51But if you only have one weak spot, you could help out there.

24:55And Trent Williams is a, I think he's going to play, but he's a bit of a question mark.

24:59But obviously he plays that left edge is pretty much shut down.

25:02So when you only have one real weakness, it's much easier to scheme around that and help

25:08out.

25:09Whereas when you have multiple spots, you're trying to help out here, help out there.

25:13But now they know where they need to help.

25:15And that's really helped their pass protection.

25:17All right, bud, let's wrap this one up with our predictions.

25:21You can do a score.

25:22You don't have to.

25:23I usually stick away, but if you will, as the host, of course, I will do one as well.

25:28So who do you think wins this game and how do you see the matchup playing out?

25:32I've been really bad at predicting scores.

25:34So I'm going to stick with your approach and just go with Niners winning this game.

25:40I think the Niners are pissed off.

25:42They lost that game against the Rams.

25:44They shouldn't have lost that game.

25:45And I think they just gave in a little bit too early in that game.

25:49So they're pissed off.

25:50They're coming in.

25:51They're going to be a little bit more healthy.

25:53And I just think that the Patriots offense is struggling a little too much right now.

25:58I think there is a chance that they could really run the ball very efficiently and keep

26:02this make this game a really dirty game and maybe they win that way.

26:07But to me, I think, you know, the Niners are getting their firepower back.

26:09They're pissed off.

26:11I think George Kittle has a big game and pretty continues to play strong and they finish on

26:17top.

26:19I'm going to pick with my heart instead of my head.

26:23But this will be the last time if the Patriots lose this one in embarrassing fashion, because

26:27I'm going to predict a very, very actually, no, I'm not.

26:30Honestly, I can't.

26:31No, I'm going 49ers.

26:32I can't.

26:33I really can't.

26:34I will say this with my heart.

26:35I'm going to say it will be a close game and they are going to drag the 49ers into the

26:39mud and have one of those like nobody scoring 20 points like this is going to be a rock

26:43fight.

26:44Everybody's going to come out of this one bloody and nasty.

26:46I just think the 49ers, even if they're missing Debo or if they're missing, I think there's

26:50just so much talent and there's so many things they can do.

26:53Their scheme is so unique.

26:54I think an underrated part of playing the Niners is if you're not an NFC team or a team

26:58that sees them regularly, like once every four years is a really tough thing to ask

27:03to be able to handle the motion, the communication like as an out of conference opponent.

27:07I just can't give the Patriots an edge in this one, but I do hope that we at least see

27:11a return to like the week one game plan against the Bengals, where this is a team that probably

27:15not going to be able to stop us if we run.

27:17Do that until they beg you to stop and keep doing it some more, hopefully mixing a little

27:21bit.

27:22And like I said, screen and play action just to keep them honest and keep this thing competitive.

27:26But I think it would be a lot to expect the Patriots to be a pissed off 49ers team, especially

27:31on the road, even on a long week.

27:33But Ted, as always, man, this has been a blast.

27:35Thank you so much for coming back.

27:37Before I let you go, please let the people know where they can find you, what great stuff

27:40you've got coming down the pipeline we should be looking out for.

27:44You can find my writing at The Athletic and I'm on Twitter at FB underscore film analysis.

27:49One of the best in the game, brother.

27:51Thank you so much once again.

27:52And thank you all as always for watching.

27:54Now, take care of yourselves.

27:56Take care of each other.

27:57We will see you next time.

27:58Peace out.

27:59Talk to you later.

LIVE: Patriots vs. 49ers KEY MATCHUPS w/ The Athletic's Ted Nguyen | Patriots Daily

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