The New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers are both proud NFL franchises. They've won more Super Bowls than anybody else over the past five decades. But they entered the 2024 season seemingly on different trajectories, and that is where the best potential drama lies in their Week 4 matchup.
The 49ers, coming off another Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, were still supposed to be the NFC favorite this year. The Patriots, after parting ways with Bill Belichick, had a rookie head coach (Jerod Mayo), a rookie quarterback (Drake Maye), and low expectations.