49ers vs. Patriots Thread for the 4th quarter: Please no more mistakes on the special teams

On the drive before halftime, Kevin Givens recorded another sack, giving him a 2.5 on the afternoon. At that point, Givens led the team in sacks.

The first punt of the game for the 49ers came with 49 seconds left in the first half.

Maliek Collins increased the number of sacks on the following drive and thwarted the Patriots’ scoring chance before halftime. New England attempted a 63-yard field goal as time expired and did well to bring the score to 20-3 at halftime.

The biggest takeaway from the first half was Sorensen attacking Brissett. That might have been a product of his opponent, but Brissett was blitzed on 40 percent of his dropbacks, which was nearly three times the 49ers average this season.

The 49ers had a chance to extend their lead early in the half, but Isaac Guerendo botched the kickoff, giving New England a short field. Brissett found a wide-open receiver on 4th-and-1 and got untouched into the end zone to increase the score to 20-10.

The turning points in the last two games came after special teams gaffes. Would that be someone else? You can’t let bad teams hang around.

The broadcast highlighted that Warner’s return was questionable due to an ankle injury. The cameras showed him limping on the sidelines. The Niners’ depth was seriously tested.

Deebo Samuel ran right past his man for a 53-yard gain. Completions of 53, 32 and 38. Because of these explosive plays, he averaged over 12.5 air yards per attempt.

The defense forced a punt on the following possession. Deommodore Lenoir allowed a 21-yard back-shoulder fade. He was in an ideal position, but these throws are almost impossible to defend.

Dee Winters made a tackle for no gain on the next play. That was his first snap of the game. Nick Bosa almost got a sack, but it was enough to flush Brissett out of the pocket and force a punt.

Aiyuk made an acrobatic catch on a 3rd & 9 reception against Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots’ top cornerback. On the ensuing third down, Aiyuk appeared to be caught by the cornerback, but there was no call. The 49ers had to punt for the second time in the game.

Jacob Cowing had left the game with an injury, meaning the 49ers had to look for a punt returner. Kyle Juszczyk played the ball cleanly and even returned the punt.