From Reiss's Quick Hits
Will the defense rebound in Week 4 against San Francisco? Plus updates on Drake Maye, Oshane Ximines and Cole Strange.
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"Not making an excuse for a short week. But we had 6-7 [tackles for a loss] where we just missed the tackle on the running back or the receiver. We have to be better at fundamentals first of all. I think once we do that, we'll be OK."
The 49ers are a challenging team to face for a defense -- who blew seven edges and allowed Rodgers to escape the pocket last week -- looking to return to its fundamental roots. "San Fran wants you to be undisciplined so then they can hit the home run. Get out of your rush lanes. Get you to not be disciplined in your pass rush," Godchaux said.
"Brock Purdy is a really good scrambler; doesn't get a lot of credit but he is really athletic. So we just have to stay home, set the edge of the defense, make them cut the ball back. And when they cut it back, we have to make the tackle. Last week against the Jets, we missed so many tackles. It was so frustrating because we were like, 'Why are we on the field so much?'"
That most recent performance is why few give the Patriots a chance to upset the 49ers, and perhaps also explains why coach Jerod Mayo discussed unexpected results across the league with players when they returned from three days off on Monday.
"I tried to put some things in perspective," Mayo said. "You have a team that's picked to win the Super Bowl and gets blown out the next week. Right now it's about who can get better the quickest. That's what we have to do -- get back to the fundamentals."
Godchaux said the Patriots responded with two of their best practices of the year -- first on Monday and then in full pads on what defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington called "a work day Wednesday" when they "brought their hard hat" and focused on run defense -- which is why his belief remains high.
2. No Brady in Week 5: Barring an unexpected change in the coming days, Tom Brady isn't scheduled to work the Patriots' Week 5 home game against the Dolphins, which will be broadcast on Fox. A source familiar with his schedule expects he will call the Cardinals-49ers game.
3. Maye update: One lingering question is how close rookie quarterback
Drake Maye, who is getting 30% of the first-team repetitions in practice in addition to playing on the scout team, might be to taking over as QB1.
Mayo reiterated this week that the team has no plans to bring in a veteran quarterback, which reinforces that he and executive director of player personnel Eliot Wolf would be comfortable turning to Maye now in the event of an injury to veteran
Jacoby Brissett.
To this point, Brissett has done nothing to lose the job and is a team captain. He has taken a pounding behind shaky offensive line play and blitz pickup from running backs. But Maye, who Mayo said was making a charge by the end of the preseason, continues to progress behind the scenes.
"Really good," offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said when asked how Maye has looked in practice. "I think the game experience [in Week 3] will only help him moving forward. The plan is in place and I think we're seeing him starting to grow on the practice field as well."
6. Strange's status: Third-year offensive lineman
Cole Strange, who tore the patellar tendon in his left knee last December and is on the physically unable to perform list, was a consistent presence in the locker room this past week during the time reporters had access.
While Strange is eligible to begin practicing next week, my observation is that isn't currently on the radar. A more likely scenario is that others on the PUP list -- receiver
Kendrick Bourne, linebacker
Sione Takitaki and possibly safety/linebacker
Marte Mapu -- begin practicing.
10. Did you know, Part II: If the Patriots lose to the 49ers and drop to 1-3, it will mark the fourth consecutive season that the team has a losing record through the first four games -- the longest streak in franchise history.
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