49ers Blow Lead, Then Bounce Patriots
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Jared Wickerham/Getty Images(FOXBOROUGH, Mass.) — Tom Brady led a stirring comeback for the New England Patriots, but in the end the San Francisco 49ers had too much firepower.
Colin Kaepernick had four touchdowns and the 49ers held on to beat the Patriots, 41-31, at Gillette Stadium on a rainy Sunday night.
San Francisco (10-3-1) led 31-3 in the second quarter before New England ripped off 28 unanswered points to tie the game.
After a 62-yard kick return by LaMichael James, it took only one snap for Kaepernick to connect with receiver Michael Crabtree for a 38-yard touchdown and a lead they would not give up.
“We just spotted them 28 points,” Brady said. “We fought hard, but you can’t play poorly against a good team and expect to win. We can’t miss plays that we have opportunities with.” He threw for 443 yards on a career-high 65 pass attempts for the Patriots (10-4).
San Francisco can win the NFC West with a win on the road against Seattle next week.
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