When the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers meet, fans want to know one thing first: who played best? Who threw the most yards? Who ran the ball well? Which defender made the big play? This guide answers those questions in simple words.
The two teams do not play each other very often. The most recent game we found was on September 29, 2024, and the 49ers won 30 to 13. We look at that game in detail. Then we go back to the games in 2016 and 2012, which had some of the biggest numbers. At the end, you will find a short guide to reading football stats and three common questions.
All the numbers come from public box scores on Pro Football Reference, FantasyData, Covers and ESPN. If the teams have played again since then, check the newest box score for fresh numbers.
Patriots vs 49ers Results at a Glance
Here are the last five games between these two teams.
| Date | Home team | Final score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 5, 2008 | 49ers | Patriots 30, 49ers 21 | Patriots |
| December 16, 2012 | Patriots | 49ers 41, Patriots 34 | 49ers |
| November 20, 2016 | 49ers | Patriots 30, 49ers 17 | Patriots |
| October 25, 2020 | Patriots | 49ers 33, Patriots 6 | 49ers |
| September 29, 2024 | 49ers | 49ers 30, Patriots 13 | 49ers |
The 49ers have won three of these five games. The Patriots have won two. Notice that the teams take turns hosting, so the home team changes every time.
September 29, 2024: 49ers 30, Patriots 13
The story of the game
This game was played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. About 71,000 fans were there. Both teams came in with a 1 and 2 record, so each side badly needed a win.
The 49ers took control early. Kicker Jake Moody made field goals of 22 and 26 yards in the first quarter. Then linebacker Fred Warner caught an interception and ran 45 yards for a touchdown. Later in the second quarter, quarterback Brock Purdy threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle. San Francisco led 20 to 3 at halftime.
The Patriots did get some points. Kicker Joey Slye made a very long 63-yard field goal as the first half ended. In the third quarter, Jacoby Brissett threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hooper. But the 49ers answered right away. Running back Jordan Mason scored on a 4-yard run. Slye added a 54-yard field goal, and Moody finished the scoring with a 41-yard kick.
Quarterback stats
| Player | Team | Completions / attempts | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy | 49ers | 15 / 27 | 288 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jacoby Brissett | Patriots | 19 / 32 | 168 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
Purdy threw fewer passes than Brissett, but he gained far more yards. He averaged 10.7 yards on each throw. Brissett averaged only 5.2. Brissett was also sacked six times, and those sacks cost the Patriots 25 yards. After the sacks, New England’s team passing total was just 143 yards. The 49ers finished with 283.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye was the backup for New England and did not appear in the stats.
Running backs and receivers
Jordan Mason was the best offensive player on the field. He ran 24 times for 123 yards and one touchdown. That is 5.1 yards on every carry. The 49ers ran for 148 yards as a team. The Patriots ran for only 73.
| Player | Team | Rushing | Receiving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Mason | 49ers | 24 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD | 2 catches, 37 yards |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | Patriots | 13 carries, 43 yards | 4 catches, 19 yards |
| Antonio Gibson | Patriots | 6 carries, 12 yards | 3 catches, 67 yards |
The top pass catchers were these players:
| Player | Team | Catches | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jauan Jennings | 49ers | 3 | 88 | 0 |
| Antonio Gibson | Patriots | 3 | 67 | 0 |
| Deebo Samuel Sr. | 49ers | 3 | 58 | 0 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 49ers | 2 | 48 | 0 |
| George Kittle | 49ers | 4 | 45 | 1 |
| Ja’Lynn Polk | Patriots | 3 | 30 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | Patriots | 2 | 13 | 1 |
Jennings had a 45-yard catch, and Samuel had a 53-yard catch. For the Patriots, Gibson had a 50-yard catch, which was their longest play through the air. Kittle caught all four passes thrown to him, and one of them was a touchdown.
Defense stats
The 49ers defense was the main reason for the win. They sacked Brissett six times. Kevin Givens had 2.5 of those sacks. Maliek Collins had 1.5, and Nick Bosa and Evan Anderson each had one. Warner’s interception return for a touchdown was the biggest single play of the game.
For the Patriots, safety Jabrill Peppers caught an interception, and Deatrich Wise Jr. had one sack. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan and cornerback Christian Gonzalez each made six solo tackles. The Patriots defense played hard, but the offense could not keep the ball for long.
Team numbers that explain the result
| Stat | Patriots | 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Total yards | 216 | 431 |
| First downs | 12 | 19 |
| Rushing yards | 73 | 148 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 2 |
| Third-down conversions | 5 of 16 | 7 of 13 |
| Time with the ball | 28:25 | 31:35 |
The 49ers had almost double the yards. They also stayed on the field longer and converted more third downs. One bright spot for New England was punter Bryce Baringer. He punted four times for an average of 49 yards, and his longest kick went 61 yards.
November 20, 2016: Patriots 30, 49ers 17
This game belonged to Tom Brady. The Patriots were the visitors, but they played like the home team. Brady completed 24 of 40 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns. He did not throw an interception, and his passer rating was 114.6.
His four touchdown passes went to four different players:
- Julian Edelman caught a 4-yard pass.
- James White caught a 9-yard pass.
- Danny Amendola caught a 5-yard pass.
- Malcolm Mitchell caught a 56-yard pass.
Mitchell had the biggest day among the receivers, with four catches for 98 yards. Edelman was targeted 17 times and caught eight passes for 77 yards. White caught all six passes thrown to him for 63 yards.
The Patriots also ran the ball well. LeGarrette Blount carried 19 times for 124 yards, an average of 6.5 yards a run. His longest run was 44 yards. New England gained 444 yards in total, while San Francisco gained 299.
The 49ers had some good moments too. Colin Kaepernick threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. Vance McDonald caught an 18-yard touchdown, and Shaun Draughn caught a 13-yard touchdown. Running back Carlos Hyde ran for 86 yards. The problem was pass protection. Kaepernick was sacked five times. Dont’a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Rob Ninkovich, Kyle Van Noy and Malcolm Butler each had one sack.
Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed an extra point after the first touchdown, but it did not matter in the end. New England scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to pull away.
December 16, 2012: 49ers 41, Patriots 34
This is the game with the wildest numbers. It was played at Gillette Stadium on a Sunday night and lasted three hours and 40 minutes.
San Francisco led 31 to 3 in the third quarter. Then the Patriots scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 31 all. Michael Crabtree answered with a 38-yard touchdown catch, and David Akers added a 28-yard field goal to make it 41 to 31. Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 41-yard field goal for New England with 38 seconds left, but time ran out.
Passing and receiving
| Player | Team | Completions / attempts | Yards | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | Patriots | 36 / 65 | 443 | 1 | 2 |
| Colin Kaepernick | 49ers | 14 / 25 | 221 | 4 | 1 |
Brady threw 65 passes, which is a huge number. He gained 443 yards, but he also threw two interceptions. Kaepernick threw far fewer passes, but four of them became touchdowns. His passer rating was 108.5.
Here are the best receivers in that game:
| Player | Team | Catches | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Lloyd | Patriots | 10 | 190 | 0 |
| Michael Crabtree | 49ers | 7 | 107 | 2 |
| Aaron Hernandez | Patriots | 10 | 92 | 1 |
| Wes Welker | Patriots | 5 | 56 | 0 |
| Randy Moss | 49ers | 2 | 36 | 1 |
| Delanie Walker | 49ers | 2 | 34 | 1 |
Brandon Lloyd caught 10 passes for 190 yards, and his longest catch was 53 yards. Crabtree scored two touchdowns for the 49ers. Randy Moss, who played for San Francisco that year, also scored one against his old team. On the ground, Frank Gore ran for 83 yards on 21 carries, and Danny Woodhead scored two rushing touchdowns for New England.
The Patriots gained 520 yards and still lost. This shows that big yardage does not always mean a win. Turnovers and key plays can change everything.
Two More Games: 2008 and 2020
We have fewer details on these two games, but the scores and team yards are still useful.
On October 5, 2008, the Patriots won 30 to 21 in San Francisco. New England gained 377 yards, and San Francisco gained only 199.
On October 25, 2020, the 49ers beat the Patriots 33 to 6 at Gillette Stadium. San Francisco led 23 to 3 at halftime. The 49ers gained 467 yards, with 197 on the ground and 270 in the air. The Patriots managed only 241 yards in total.
Who Played Best in Each Game?
This is our simple pick for the top player in each game where we have full player stats.
| Game | Top player | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jordan Mason, 49ers | 123 rushing yards and a touchdown. Fred Warner also scored on an interception return. |
| 2016 | Tom Brady, Patriots | 280 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. |
| 2012 | Colin Kaepernick, 49ers | 4 touchdown passes in a win. Tom Brady had the most yards with 443. |
Of course, you may pick different players. Football is a team sport, and linemen, who do not appear in most stats, matter a lot too.
How to Read the Player Stats
If football numbers feel confusing, this short list will help.
- Completions / attempts: How many passes were caught by a teammate compared with how many the quarterback threw. For example, 19 / 32 means 19 good passes out of 32.
- TD: Touchdown. A touchdown is worth six points.
- INT: Interception. This is when a defender catches a pass meant for the other team.
- Sack: When a defender tackles the quarterback before he can throw. It loses yards for the offense.
- Carry: One running play. Yards per carry shows how well a runner is doing.
- Passer rating: A score that combines passing yards, touchdowns, interceptions and accuracy. A number above 100 is considered very good.
- Turnover: When a team loses the ball by an interception or a fumble.
- Time with the ball: How long each team kept the ball. The team that keeps it longer usually has more chances to score.
What to Watch in the Next Patriots vs 49ers Game
Looking at these five games, a few stats seem to decide the winner. The first is sacks. The team that protected its quarterback better usually won, like the Patriots in 2016 and the 49ers in 2024. The second is the running game. Mason in 2024, Blount in 2016 and the 49ers’ ground attack in 2020 all show that strong runners help a lot. The third is turnovers. The team that gave the ball away more in 2024 lost the game.
When the next game arrives, check the box score for quarterback sacks, rushing yards and turnovers before you check anything else. These three numbers often tell the story faster than total yards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the most recent Patriots vs 49ers game?
The most recent game we found was on September 29, 2024. The 49ers won 30 to 13 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Jordan Mason ran for 123 yards, and Fred Warner scored on a 45-yard interception return. If the teams have met again, check a live box score for the newest result.
Who had the best passing day in a Patriots vs 49ers game?
It depends on how you measure it. Tom Brady threw for the most yards, with 443 in December 2012, but the Patriots lost that game. His best all-around day was in November 2016, when he threw for 280 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Colin Kaepernick also threw four touchdown passes in the 2012 game.
Which team has won more of the recent games?
In the last five meetings, from 2008 to 2024, the 49ers won three and the Patriots won two. The 49ers have won the last two games, in 2020 and 2024.
