Fred Warner flipped his body sideways as he shuffled and spied Cam Newton. Then, in a flash, Warner coyly retreated into coverage and, voila, the 49ers’ star linebacker came up with a shoestring interception.
At that point the 49ers led just 10-3, but the New England Patriots had already shown just how slim a chance they had Sunday on their home field.
With Warner commanding a 49ers defense rife with injury replacements, and with surprise starter Jeff Wilson rushing for a career-high three touchdowns, the 49ers cruised to a 33-6 victory in their first game at Gillette Stadium since their 2012 Super Bowl run.
CLICK HERE if you’re having a problem viewing the photos on a mobile device.
“Couldn’t imagine it going any better than this,” Jimmy Garoppolo said.
The only downers from the 49ers’ perspective were, of course, injuries. Wilson was carted off with a left ankle injury from his final touchdown run, which pushed the 49ers’ lead to 30-6. Fellow offensive catalyst Deebo Samuel grabbed his left hamstring after a 1-yard run with 13:27 to go.
The 49ers (4-3) have won two straight after losing two in a row, and any positive momentum helps going into next Sunday’s game at the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks. The Patriots (2-4) have lost three straight for the first time since 2002.
Garoppolo, in his return to New England after a 2017 Halloween trade, said it was never his intention to hand Bill Belichick his most lopsided loss as Patriots coach. “I wanted to come in and get a win. To me, it didn’t matter if we won by one or 100,” Garoppolo said.
Warner’s interception was the first of four by the 49ers, and their third got Newton benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham in the game’s third quarter. Those were just some highlights by a defense that started only four of the same players from last season’s Super Bowl appearance.
“We were clearly out-coached, outplayed. Just out-everything,” said Belichick, whose Patriots were outgained 467-241, including 196 rushing yards on 37 carries by the 49ers.
Here are the highs, lows and all you need to know:
WILSON’S CAREER DAY
With Raheem Mostert joining Tevin Coleman on injured reserve a day earlier, Wilson made the most of his surprise start, only to have his left ankle got trapped under a Patriots defender while scoring his third touchdown, on a 7-yard run midway through the third quarter. A high-ankle sprain could shelve him multiple weeks, as happened to Mostert last game.
That end Wilson’s his first 100-yard game in just his third career start. He had 17 carries for 112 yards. The last 49ers running back with three rushing touchdowns in a road game was Roger Craig in 1988 against the Los Angeles Rams.
It was surprising that Wilson, rather than Jerick McKinnon or JaMycal Hasty, replaced the injured Mostert in the starting lineup. That’s because Wilson missed last game because of a tight calf, and he entered this game questionable to play.
Said coach Kyle Shanahan: “We knew on Monday if Jeff was healthy, he’d be starting. We weren’t sure until he got a lot of practice on Thursday. Otherwise we would have gone with Hasty. We were able to rest Jet, play him only on third down and that will help him going forward.”
Wilson’s first touchdown run (3 yards) came on the 49ers’ opening series, and his 14-yard touchdown run just before halftime gave 49ers a 23-3 lead. Wilson hit the 100-yard mark with an 8-yard run on his first carry after halftime.
These weren’t Wilson’s first heroics as a 49er. He had back-to-back two-touchdown games early last season against the Bengals and Steelers, and he had a game-winning touchdown catch in November against the Cardinals.
Hasty wasn’t shabby in relief (56 rushing yards, 16 receiving).
SAMUEL’S STATUS
The injury-ravaged 49ers certainly can’t afford losing another offensive catalyst. Samuel sustained a left hamstring injury after taking 1-yard toss to the 14-yard line, setting up a Robbie Gould 32-yard field goal and 33-6 lead.
Samuel remained a popular target on passes behind the line of scrimmage. He had five catches for 65 yards through three quarters. His three carries gained just 7 yards. Samuel already missed the first three games of the season recovering from offseason foot surgery.
TURNOVER BATTLE
Injured cornerback Richard Sherman promptly tweeted “All-Pro Fred” — as did the 49ers – after Warner’s second interception this season.
“Cam made a bad throw where I obviously came up with it. That’s a total defensive effort,” Warner said. “The entire team as a whole getting turnovers was huge for us today.”
His put an instant end to the Patriots’ third possession and affirmed a rout was ensuing.
“It was a very impressive catch,” Shanahan said. “Any time the ball is low like that and you get fingers under it and not trapping it, it was a heck of a deal, a very impressive play. The D played unbelievable the whole day.
“It was extremely physical game by our team in all three phases. It was fun to watch.”
Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley made a last-minute interception before halftime, and he weaved through sleep-walking Patriots for a 49-yard return to the New England 45-yard line. Interceptions Nos. 3 and 4 came from nickel back Jamar Taylor, starting with Newton’s first target to Julian Edelman.
Those interceptions proved more harmful than the pair the Patriots defense produced against Jimmy Garoppolo. The Patriots’ first points – a 40-yard field goal – came after Devin McCourty’s second-series interception. That cut the 49ers’ lead to 7-3 to open the second quarter. The Pats’ second interception of Garoppolo came near their goal line on a desperation heave as time expired to end the first half.
GAROPPOLO’S HOMECOMING
Garoppolo (20-of-25, 278 yards) was efficient, mostly untouched and generally happy throughout his first game at New England since a Halloween 2017 trade.
“Just complete poise,” wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said of Garoppolo, “but you could feel the excitement and energy bouncing off him. We felt everything he was giving off. It was exciting to see him how he was, just having fun playing football.”
He completed his first seven passes for 93 yards before spoiling the 49ers’ second drive with a red-zone interception. He accrued 181 yards by halftime (14 of 19) but his passer rating dropped to 63.6 with that long end zone interception to end the first half.
Garoppolo’s month-old ankle injury did not inhibit him from scrambling for a third-down conversion on the first series. He got sacked once. “It was a cool week. Lot of emotions, lot of memories,” Garoppolo said. “Coming back here to the same stadium and hearing the same songs they used to play, it was a fun night.”
DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS
Warner (team-high seven tackles) and the 49ers’ four interceptions aside, the defense looked solid despite missing, among others, starting safeties Jimmie Ward and Jaquiski Tartt for the first time because of injuries.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw came through with the 49ers’ first sack, and it helped slow a Patriots’ series in 49ers territory right after halftime. The Patriots settled for a field goal that drive as Javon Kinlaw stopped Newton on a third-down scramble, after Dion Jordan and Arik Armstead missed potential sacks. Kevin Givens ended the game with a sack.
Newton was benched after his third interception, and he finished with 98 yards and no touchdowns while completing 9-of-15 passes.
Safeties Marcell Harris and Tarvarius Moore made their starting debuts this season in place of Ward (quadriceps) and Tartt (shoulder). Moore made a third-down tackle to force the Patriots to punt on their first series, and his third-down pass breakup later in the first half sent N’Keal Harry out of the game with a concussion.
BIG LEAD EARLY
The 49ers scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the second straight game and the third time this season. Sunday, it was Wilson capping things off with a 3-yard run. Stoking that drive were Garoppolo completions to Samuel (23 yards, 14 yards) and Kittle (7, 15).
As the 49ers took a 23-3 lead into halftime (and 301-59 advantage in yards), it was worth recalling their last visit to the Patriots. In December 2012, the 49ers led 17-3 at halftime, bumped that to 31-3 before falling into a 31-31 tie and eventually escaping with a 41-34 win.
AIYUK’S MILESTONE
Brandon Aiyuk notched his first career 100-yard game, tallying five catches for 112 yards. A 35-yard reception to the 7-yard line set up Wilson’s final touchdown.
“It was being in spots I’m supposed to be and the ball came to me when I did that,” Aiyuk said. “I was excited to have the first 100-yard game but there’s still a lot more to improve on and build.”
TIGHT END DAY
George Kittle had five catches for 55 yards as the face of the NFL’s second annual National Tight End Day pseudo-holiday. He caught his first three targets for 36 yards, including a 14-yarder against famed cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
“National Tight End Day is good for the Niners because our whole team embodies it: have fun, play fast, be physical,” said Kittle, noting the 49ers also won last year on NTED and did so behind a four-touchdown effort by a running back (Tevin Coleman, vs. Carolina).
More key to that offensive effort Sunday was Wilson, who Kittle commended for going in a “dark place” where he gets angry and seeks contact.
“Football is a violent sport and if you don’t kind of go to that dark place and be violent and be physical, you’re not gonna last very long,” Kittle said. “… The longer I’ve been here and the more Kyle has talked about it, everybody kind of goes in that dark place. It’s a violent game.
“It’s fun to be a part of a team with a bunch of psychopaths, because I fit in really well here.”
GOULD’S RETURN
Robbie Gould has made 391 field goals since the Patriots cut him as an undrafted rookie before the 2005 season. That includes two field goals Sunday, starting with a 41-yarder that gave the 49ers a 10-3 lead nine minutes before halftime. Gould’s second point-after attempt was deflected and hit the left upright, keeping the 49ers’ lead at 16-3 for the time being.
JUICE CLUB
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk scored his second rushing touchdown in three games, after totaling none in his first three seasons with the 49ers. He had four carries for 18 yards; he entered with three carries for 18 yards.
