This Week
The New England Patriots visit the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park in San Fransisco CA on Sunday at 4:15 p .m.
The Patriots are 1-0 at the road and 0-0 against the NFC. The Niners are 1-1 at home and 0-0 against the AFC.
Here are the rosters for the Patriots and the 49ers.
Here are the projected starting lineups for the game.
The Line/Prediction
As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports is Patriots -3. The over/under is 41.
My prediction is Patriots 24, 49ers, 17. Give the points and take the over. I am 0-3 against the spread and 1-2 on calling the over/under in 2008.
Tickets
Tickets to the game, if available, may be purchased several ways. You can check the availability here.
Getting To The Game
If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game at The ‘Stick make sure you check out the links.
Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from The Weather Channel.
Click for stadium directions and parking information, public transportation information, stadium policies and code of conduct and a Candlestick Park seating chart.
Tailgating
Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgaiting America. There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack. I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good and for good measure here is one of my own.
And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages. With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks. You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or by theme.
Whether it’s at the game, a bar or someone’s house moderation is always the key to a great time. Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver. Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television
CBS is televising the game regionally and Dick Enberg will do the play-by-play while Randy Cross and Dan Fouts will handle the game analysis. You can see if you are getting the game and look for your local CBS Station.
Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket has the game on Channel 714.
For those of you overseas here is some general information on NFL Broadcasts for the 2008 season.
Patriots All-Access airs tonight at 7 p.m. on WCVB TV 5 in Boston. It will also be simulcast on the team website at the same time. Make sure you check out the Patriots Football Network for information on when you can see Patriots All-Access in your market.
Radio
The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBCN-FM 104.1 in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color.
It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresh and the pregame show at 1 p.m. along the network.
The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.
If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live. You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.
All NFL games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio. The Patriots Rock Radio Network call is available on Channel 125, the 49ers Radio Network has Joe Starkey calling the game while former Niners linebacker Gary Plummer provides the analysis and Rod Brooks patrols the sideline. Their call is available on Channel 127.
The game will also air nationally on Sports USA Radio with Howard David and Gary Barnett calling the game and Troy West providing sideline updates.
Last Week
The Patriots the Patriots had to stew through their bye week after they got crushed by Miami in Foxboro in Week 3, 38-13 to drop to 2-1. While the 49ers lost on the road against the Saints 31-17 and fell to 2-2 on the year.
History
- The Patriots won the last meeting between the two teams 21-7 at Gillette Stadium on January 2, 2005.
- New England has won the last two meetings after having lost the previous six games between the two teams.
- The clubs have previously met 10 times but only 5 times in the last twenty years.
- This is the Patriots first trip to Candlestick Park since September 17, 1995 when the 49ers won 28-3.
Connections
- Patriots tight ends coach Pete Mangurian served as Louisiana State University’s offensive line coach in 1986 when 49ers head coach Mike Nolan and wide receivers coach/senior assistant Jerry Sullivan were the linebackers coach and wide receivers coach, respectfully.
- Patriots QB Matt Cassel is from Northridge CA and went to USC.
- Patriots QB Tom Brady (IR) is from San Mateo CA and went to Junipero Serra High School where he and Barry Bonds are members of its Hall of Fame. Brady grew up as a Niners fan.
- 49ers QB J.T. O’Sullivan was on the Patriots practice squad in 2006.
- Former New England Patriots LB Tully Banta-Cain is now with the 49ers. Banta-Cain played with the Patriots from 2003-06 and was a member of two Super Bowl championship teams. The Patriots drafted him inthe 7th round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
- Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi is from Roseville CA.
- Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas and 49ers defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin played on the Baltimore Ravens when 49ers head coach Mike Nolan was the defensive coordinator (2002-04) and when 49ers assistant head coach/defense Mike Singletary was the inside linebackers coach (2003-04).
- 49ers T Damane Duckett (IR) was born in Waterbury CT.
- Patriots QB Matt Gutierrez is from Concord CA.
- 49ers SS Michael Lewis was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles team that lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.
- Patriots G Logan Mankins is from Cathey’s Valley CA and went to Fresno State.
- Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour and 49ers offensive tackle Jonas Jennings were teammates at the University of Georgia from 1997-2000.
- 49ers RB DeSahun Foster was a member of the Carolina Panthers team that lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
- Patriots QB Kevin O’Connell is from Carlsbad CA and graduated from San Diego State.
- 49ers QB Jamie Martin and 49ers WR Issac Bruce were members of the St. Louis Rams team that lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI.
- Patriots CB Deltha O’Neal is from Milpitas CA and went to Cal.
- Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork and 49ers running back Frank Gore were teammates at the University of Miami from 2001-03 and were part of the 2001 BCS National Championship team.
- Patriots LS Lonnie Paxton is from Corona CA and went to Sacramento State.
- Patriots S James Sanders is from Porterville CA and attended Fresno State.
- Patriots WR Matthew Slater is from Anaheim CA and went to UCLA.
Other News
This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference on the Niners. You can also see what San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan had to say about the game in a conference call with the New England media.
Here is the injury list for the game.
Watch that injury report for WR Wes Welker. He was limited in the teams practice on Thursday with a groin injury. Welker had not been on any of the other previous reports but did miss all of mini-camp and some time in training camp with a groin injury.
Since 2003, New England is 8-0 after a loss of 10 points or more and has only lost back-to back games once in that same time span.
Belichick is 2-0 in his career against San Francisco (1-0 with New England; 1-0 with Cleveland).
The Patriots are 3-7 all-time against San Francisco including 0-4 at Candlestick Park.
Matt Cassel in his second NFL start two weeks ago against Miami was 18 of 31 for 131 yards 1 TD, 1 INT and 1 fumble lost and he was sacked 5 times. He is now 1-1 in his career. Tom Brady won his first NFL start as well and then got anhilated in his second start ironically against the Dolphins, 30-10. He was 12 of 24 for 86 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs and he was sacked 4 times. Some of the similiarities to that game are amazing. Brady then won 13 of the next 15 games including Super Bowl XXXVI.
The Patriots have won 10 consecutive games in October dating back to 2005. Since 2003 the Patriots are 19-3 in October.
The Patriots play all four of the NFL’s west coast teams on the road this season with games in San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland and Seattle.
Including playoff games, since December 17, 2006 the Patriots are 25-3, since September 10, 2006 they are 34-7.
The Patriots 21 consecutive regular season game win streak came to an end in Week 3. The team now owns the three longest win streaks in NFL history. In addition to this last streak in 2003-2004 the team won 18 consecutive regular season games and 21 consecutive games including the playoffs and Super Bowl.
The Patriots overall franchise record is 368-350-9. They have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXIII, XXXIX) in 6 appearances.
The Patriots have played in more Super Bowls than the 49ers (5).
The Patriots are 4-1 in their last 5 regular season games against NFC West teams dating back to 2000. They also own a Super Bowl win over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Former Patriots DE Jim Hunt is 70 years old on Sunday. He played with the team in the AFL from 1960-69 and with them in the NFL in 1970. He made 4 AFL Pro Bowl teams and was one of only 22 men to play in all ten years of the AFL. His number (79) is retired by the team and he is a member of both the Patriots and the AFL Halls of Fame.
The New England Patriots Alumni Club will be giving you a chance to watch Sunday’s game against the Niners with some great players from Patriots Past. For a $40 charitable donation you can get in on the fun.
2008 Patriots schedule/results
News from this weeks opponent:
Mike Nolan has never coached against the New England Patriots in his four years as head coach of the Niners.
Nolan is 18-33 in his NFL head coaching career. He took over after the 2004 season when he replaced Dennis Erickson who was 9-23 in his two seasons with the 49ers.
Nolan is just the 5th head coach in San Francisco since 1979 joining Bill Walsh, George Seiffert, Steve Mariucci and Erickson.
The San Francisco 49ers all-time record is 490-394-15 since 1946. They are 26-18 in the post season but haven’t appeared in the playoffs since 2002 when they beat the New York Giants in the Wild Card game but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Division Game. They last played for the NFC Championship in 1997 losing to the Green Bay Packers 23-10. San Francisco has won five Super Bowls (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX) in five appearances.
The 49ers along with the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers have the most Super Bowl wins with five championships a piece.
The playing surface at Candlestick Park is named after former 49ers Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh. Walsh won three Super Bowls and was considered the innovator of the West Coast Offense. Walsh finished his Niners coaching career with a 102-63-1 record (including playoffs) in 10 seasons. Walsh died in 2007 of leukemia.
The NIners placed CB Shawntae Spencer on the IR last week ending his 2008 season with a torn ACL he suffered against Seattle. Spencer was one of the teams starting corners. The San Francisco secondary is already beatup in addition to losing Spencer they have suffered through nagging injuries to S Keith Lewis, S Michael Lewis, S Dashon Goldson and CB Donald Strickland.
The 49ers had 1 pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft and selected DT Kentwan Balmer (North Carolina – 29th overall). They had 6 picks overall through seven rounds.
San Francisco has 12 players with two years or less of NFL experience on the active roster.
The Niners have more players from Tennessee (3) than any other school.
San Francisco has problems protecting its quarterback as J.T. O’Sullivan has been sacked 19 times in four games and taken numerous other hits. Six of those sacks came last week in a loss at New Orleans.
In 2007 the 49ers had P Andy Lee and LB Patrick Willis named to Pro Bowl. Both players were also first team All-Pro’s.
Willis was also named NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The 49ers are going to retire Hall of Fame QB Steve Young’s Number 8 in a half time ceremony on Sunday.
The 49ers are looking to build a new stadium in Santa Clara CA for the 2012 season.
Next Week
The New England Patriots will travel to San Diego to face the Chargers on Sunday Night at 8:15 p.m.
