One team's blowout win is their opponent's historic loss, or it was Sunday, at least, when the 49ers dominated the New England Patriots in a 33-6 victory at Gillette Stadium.
"Historic" wasn't the adjective the Patriots had in mind after losing to the 49ers, though.
"You don't ever want to come out here and get embarrassed the way we did today," Patriots safety Devin McCourty said Sunday (h/t NBC Sports Boston). "And there's no excuse. There's nothing to talk about. We just got to keep working. We just have to keep fighting together. I'm sure I'll be saying that the whole night, I mean, it's just embarrassing the way we went out there and played."
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Coach Bill Belichick wasn't as forthcoming as McCourty on Sunday, but he shared in his star's shame after the worst home loss during his two decades in charge in New England. Sunday also marched the Patriots' first three-game losing streak since 2002, so the folks in Foxboro, Mass. have plenty of reasons to hang their hands.
The Patriots aren't the formidable foes they've been in years past, with more players opting out of the season (eight) due to the coronavirus pandemic than any other team and quarterback Cam Newton struggling after testing positive for COVID-19. Still, Sunday's win nonetheless is a feather in the 49ers' cap, continuing an ideal start to a difficult stretch of the schedule.
San Francisco 49ers
All but two of the 49ers' remaining games are against teams with winning records, and they also have four games left against the NFC West, which is looking like far and away the best division in football as we approach the halfway point of the season. Dismantling the NFL's flagship franchise, on the road, has to inspire confidence.
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They're going to need every bit of it. The 49ers travel to Seattle to play the Seahawks on Sunday before hosting the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 5. Two games over the next 10 games will say a lot more about the 49ers' playoff chances than their current 4-3 record does, even if losing both isn't necessarily a nail in the proverbial coffin.
If all goes well for the 49ers, though, the Seahawks and Packers will be lamenting losses like the Patriots did Sunday.