49ers vs. Patriots 4th quarter thread: No more special teams blunders, please

On the drive before the half, Kevin Givens recorded another sack, which gave him 2.5 on the afternoon. At that point, Givens led the team in sacks.

The 49ers’ first punt of the game came with 49 seconds remaining in the first half.

Maliek Collins added to the sack total on the ensuing drive to end a scoring chance for the Patriots before the half. New England attempted a 63-yard field goal as the clock expired, and it was good to make the score 20-3 at the half.

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

The 49ers had a chance to build their lead to begin the half, but Isaac Guerendo fumbled the kickoff, which gave New England a short field. Brissett found a wide open receiver on 4th & 1, and he went untouched into the end zone to make the score 20-10.

The turning points during the previous two games happened after special teams’ gaffes. Would this be another? You can’t let bad teams hang around.

The broadcast highlighted that Warner was questionable to return with an ankle injury. The cameras showed him limping on the sideline. The Niners depth was seriously tested.

Deebo Samuel ran right by his man en route to a 53-yard gain. Completions of 53, 32, and 38. He was averaging over 12.5 air yards per attempt due to those explosive plays.

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

Dee Winters made a tackle for a gain of nothing on the next play. That was his first snap of the game. Nick Bosa nearly had a sack, but it was enough to flush Brissett from the pocket and force a punt.

Aiyuk made an acrobatic catch as he dove to make a 3rd & 9 reception against the Patriots’ top cornerback, Christian Gonzalez. On the ensuing third down, Aiyuk appeared to get hooked by the cornerback, but there was no call. The 49ers were forced to punt for the second time in the game.

Jacob Cowing had left the game with an injury, which meant the 49ers had to dig deep for a punt returner. Kyle Juszczyk fielded the ball cleanly and even returned the punt.