The New England Patriots are significant underdogs heading into Sunday’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, but they might have more of a fighting chance than some realize in Week 4.
These aren’t exactly the scary Super Bowl-contending 49ers that fans remember from last season. They are an injury-riddled team with problems on both sides of the ball. Make no mistake, they are still formidable and worthy of the favoritism shown in this matchup, but they have looked shaky since their Week 1 win over the New York Jets.
They’re coming off back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings to take on a Patriots team that upset the Cincinnati Bengals and pushed the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks to overtime.
Here are four reasons for the Patriots to feel optimistic for a potential upset win on Sunday: