{"numbering":"no_numbering","slides":[{"title":"Wickedly important for both teams","video":"_nhnBAMdgJV3","thumbnail":{"uri":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/short_form_video/hero/10-22_49ers_PTW_Garoppolo.jpg","alt":"Jimmy Garoppolo is 49ers' player to watch vs. Bill Belichick, Patriots","title":"Jimmy Garoppolo is 49ers' player to watch vs. Bill Belichick, Patriots"},"credit":"","published":1603486393,"caption":"

Through six weeks, both the 49ers and New England Patriots have not lived up to lofty preseason expectations.

San Francisco (3-3) finally righted the ship after two horrible losses with a big win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, while New England (2-3) is coming off a ghastly performance in a loss to the Denver Broncos, which came after multiple weeks of COVID-19 protocols keeping notable players out of the lineup, including quarterback Cam Newton.

The front and center storyline for this game will be Jimmy Garoppolo returning to face his former team as a starter for the first time. But the consequences of a loss here for both teams are steep.

Here are five reasons the 49ers will keep the good vibes going Sunday and beat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

"},{"title":"A tale of two quarterbacks","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Garoppolo_J_USA_15086912.jpg","credit":"USATSI","published":1603488304,"caption":"

Plenty of fanfare will surround Garoppolo's return to Foxboro on Sunday, but this game might end up being more about the signal-caller who instead became the heir to Tom Brady as Patriots QB: Cam Newton.

The former MVP started the season strong, but progressively has gotten worse as the games have gone on. A positive COVID-19 diagnosis certainly didn't help matters, but Newton didn't look like himself in the Patriots' surprising home loss to the Denver Broncos last week.

No spectators will remove much of the emotional factor from Garoppolo's performance, and considering he looked to be at the top of his game against the Rams, the offense should be able to make plays and use a strong running game to set up the pass.

San Francisco has struggled against mobile quarterbacks, which Newton most certainly is, but Fred Warner and what's left of Coordinator Robert Saleh's defense will be able to keep Cam contained just enough for the 49ers to come out on top.

"},{"title":"Lack of firepower","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Newton_C_USA_15085490.jpg","credit":"USATSI","published":1603489725,"caption":"

This isn't your older brother or sister's New England Patriots taking the field against the 49ers on Sunday.

Newton has been up-and-down so far this season, running backs Rex Burkhead and James White haven't exactly torn it up, Julian Edelman is averaging 60 receiving yards a game but has yet to find the end zone, and N'Keal Harry hasn't lived up to the billing being a first-round draft pick through almost a season and a half.

The 49ers' offense continues to get healthier, and put up nearly 400 yards of offense despite Raheem Mostert leaving Sunday's win with an ankle injury. Mostert won't play in New England, but the combination of JaMycal Hasty and Jerick McKinnon should still leave the run game in good shape.

The infamous "YAC Bros" trio of Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle should help buoy Garoppolo and the offense, and as long as the offensive line plays the way it did in Week 6, the 49ers will end up on the winning side.

"},{"title":"National Tight Ends Day","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Kittle_G_USA_15086905.jpg","credit":"USATSI","published":1603491792,"caption":"

George Kittle and Travis Kelce now lead what has been a golden era of NFL tight end play over the past few years, but many forget that the Patriots were one of the first teams to really attack opposing defenses with two-tight end sets, utilizing elite athletes Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez to dominate matchups and make it normal for the position to be a No. 1 option in the pass game.

Kittle is the NFL's highest-paid tight end, and the biggest proponent of "National Tight Ends Day," which just so happens to fall on the fourth Sunday of October.

Jimmy Garoppolo will celebrate by looking for his favorite target early and often, so expect to hear Kittle's name plenty on the broadcast.

Let the festivities begin.

"},{"title":"Road Warriors?","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Tomlinson_L_USA_14991839.jpg","credit":"USATSI","published":1603560896,"caption":"

The 49ers bucked the trend to start the 2020 season, losing each of the team's first three home games at Levi's Stadium, but winning each of the first two road tilts. To be fair, both came against the lowly New York Jets and Giants, respectively.

The road opponent will be significantly tougher on Sunday with the Patriots, but the 49ers are a team built to win away from home, with a strong running game and physical defense.

The 49ers haven't played a game in front of fans this season, and that won't change at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Road wins are the hallmark of any great NFL team, and if the 49ers indeed want to earn a playoff spot in the highly competitive NFC West, they'll need to take care of business on the road.

"},{"title":"The Shanahan Scheme","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Shanahan_K_USA_15047138_0.jpg","credit":"USATSI","published":1603561901,"caption":"

A Kyle Shanahan-led offense has matched up with Bill Belichick and the Patriots three times, and although his teams won just one of the three games, he was able to put up plenty of points against New England.

Most recently, the two crossed paths in the infamous Super Bowl LI, when the Atlanta Falcons, with Shanahan as the offensive coordinator, jumped out to a 28-3 lead, before the Patriots and Tom Brady mounted a historic comeback.

His other two games as an offensive coordinator against Belichick had his team scoring 34 and 27 points, respectively.

Belichick spoke about the challenges of facing a Shanahan offense earlier this week, and with the complement of skill players being much stronger on the 49ers' sideline, points should come early and often on Sunday.

"}]}

Five reasons 49ers will upset Patriots in Week 7 of 2020 NFL season