The New England Patriots face an uphill battle in Sunday’s showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
On paper, this is a clash between a couple of 1-2 teams desperately looking to get back to a .500 win percentage. The Patriots dropped back-to-back losses to the rival New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks, while the 49ers suffered crushing upset losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.
Make no mistake, both teams appear to be on completely different trajectories. The 49ers might look shaky early in the season, but they are still widely viewed as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are a rebuilding team cherishing any win they can get on the regular season schedule. Neither point will matter when these two teams face off on Sunday.
Here are six burning questions ahead of the Week 4 matchup: