Report card: Patriots-Niners

December, 17, 2012
12/17/12
2:19
AM ET
By Mike Rodak | ESPNBoston.com
Our Patriots report card from Sunday night's wild 41-34 loss to the 49ers:

Belichick
B

Coaching

It's hard to blame Bill Belichick for challenging the mess of a play that was the Patriots' second-quarter punt that initially appeared to have been muffed by 49ers returner Ted Ginn. But ultimately, the Patriots lost the challenge, so that knocks them down in this category. Game management as a whole from Belichick was acceptable. Having his team come back from a 28-point deficit early in the second half to tie the game is a mark of mental toughness successfully being instilled in his team, and that could pay off next month.

Brady
B

Pass offense

Despite the weather conditions, Tom Brady's arm got a workout, as he attempted a career-high 65 passes, second-most in franchise history. He had the production to show for it too, with his 443 passing yards also second-most in team history. Yet his two interceptions -- the first on a poor decision -- cost the team in a close, hard-fought game. Pass protection was generally a plus, with Brady sacked just three times despite his record number of passes.

Ridley
C-

Rush offense

This was a Danny Woodhead game, with the veteran of this group carrying the load when the team needed him most. After a strong start to the season, Stevan Ridley's production has dipped in recent weeks, and he averaged just 2.6 yards per carry on Sunday night. More importantly, his fumble was a critical mistake and led to Woodhead receiving the bulk of the work from that point. One lingering observation: Brandon Bolden is back from his suspension, but he wasn't used on offense.

Kaepernick
C+

Pass defense

As expected, the 49ers offense was driven by its 39 rushing attempts, so the passing attack was more of a complementary part of their offense. But first-year starter Colin Kaepernick was effective, throwing four touchdown passes, even without one of his top targets in Mario Manningham. His one mistake -- an interception to safety Devin McCourty -- was costly, but he came into a tough road environment and didn't look like a quarterback starting just his fifth career game. A step backward for this group.

Gore
B-

Rush defense

Not factoring in the 31-yard scamper by Dashon Goldson on a fake punt, the 49ers rushed for 149 yards on 38 carries, holding Frank Gore to 83 yards on 21 attempts. Considering the 49ers and Gore will bring a heavyweight fight to an opposing defense, this part of the Patriots defense held up fairly well. It wasn't the reason why New England lost this game.

Walker
D+

Special teams

This game had shades of the Patriots' Week 2 loss to the Cardinals, in terms of special teams mistakes coming at critical times. In this case, allowing a 62-yard kick return to LaMichael James just moments after completing a 28-point comeback was a demoralizing blow. Moreover, penalties on back-to-back punt returns in the fourth quarter were miscues unbecoming of a championship team. Not the complementary football "in all three phases" that Belichick is looking for.

Mike Rodak

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com
Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010.
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Reiss
Mike Reiss

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter (@MikeReiss).

Rodak
Mike Rodak

Mike Rodak began covering the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com in July 2010. A native of Grafton, Mass., Mike attended Providence College. Follow him on Twitter (@mikerodak)

Yates
Field Yates

Field Yates begins his contributions to ESPNBoston.com in 2012 after having written for a number of football-related sites around the web. Field began his professional career after college with the Kansas City Chiefs, working in both the scouting and coaching departments of the franchise before redirecting his focus to a career in media. He also interned for four summers in the coaching and scouting departments with the Patriots. Follow him on Twitter (@FieldYates).

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