The New England Patriots entered Sunday's Week 4 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium as big underdogs, and they dropped the contest, their third in a row, 30-13.
New England had very few good performances, while some position groups struggled mightily on Sunday.
After this loss, let's give some credit to those who deserve it and take a look at who needs to stay after practice on the fields behind Gillette Stadium this week.
WINNER: K Joey Slye
In 2023, New England's Chad Ryland was the worst kicker in the NFL, so this offseason, they brought in Slye to compete, and the veteran won the job.
Slye rewarded the Patriots on Sunday with two long field goals, making attempts from 54 and a franchised-record 63 yards.
It's so much better knowing that the Patriots can count on their kicker when they need him.
LOSERS: The whole offensive line
New England entered the game without starting left guard Cole Strange (reserve/PUP), starting left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor (reserve/left squad), backup left tackle Vederian Lowe (inactive) or third-string guard Michael Jordan (inactive).
Then, in the game, they lost third-string offensive tackle Caedan Wallace and starting center David Andrews to injuries.
By the end of the game, they had Demontrey Jacobs, Sidy Sow, Nick Leverett, Layden Robinson and Michael Onwenu playing from left-to-right.
The unit allowed five sacks and provided very little room for the running backs to work, which really kept the offense from doing anything productive. This has been an issue all year, and the injuries are just making things worse.
WINNER: P Bryce Baringer
This is the Patriots' best special teams unit in a while. Baringer, the second-year punter out of Michigan State, has matched Slye's impressive performances.
On Sunday, he boomed four punts for an average of 49 yards and all four of them were placed inside the 20-yard line.
The coverage team deserves some love for this game as well, as Brenden Schooler and company were there to down the ball or make the tackle consistently, holding San Francisco to a long punter return of eight yards.
LOSERS: Edge defenders
After New England's Week 3 loss to the New York Jets, head coach Jerod Mayo expressed his displeasure in his defense's inability to contain the quarterback and set the edge.
Those issues popped up again in this game, as Brock Purdy was able to get outside the pocket and extend plays. There were also many times when 49ers running back Jordan Mason was allowed to get to the outside and gain chunk yards.
The most egregious example of horrendous edge setting came from linebacker Joshua Uche who was just embarrassed on Mason's third-quarter rushing touchdown.
This is unacceptable from Uche https://t.co/DdUTmE9V65
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 29, 2024
WINNER: CB Christian Gonzalez
The second-year cornerback has been one of the few bright spots on a disappointing defensive unit, as he's held up really well against some of the best receivers this league has to offer.
On Sunday, Gonzalez allowed just two catches for 12 yards on five targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
He may not say much, but the former first-round pick gets the job done each week he's on the field.
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