Patriots or 49ers: Who has a better chance of going undefeated?

Patriots or 49ers: Who has a better chance of going undefeated?

Through eight weeks, only two teams stand with a zero in the loss column: The New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots (8-0) are coming off another dominant defensive performance against the struggling Cleveland Browns 27-13, where New England forced three turnovers on three straight defensive downs. In this game, Bill Belichick won his 300th career game. The San Francisco 49ers (7-0) have won most of their games through their defense, but the Niners made a statement offensively last week scoring six touchdowns (four rushing) against the Carolina Panthers in a 51-13 win. With the season in full swing, who has the better shot to finish the season undefeated? Let’s look at the strength and weaknesses of the teams.

Defense

While New England has been a dynasty, San Francisco is more of a new blood team. With this difference, one thing that both teams share is their dominant defenses. As for the Patriots, their defense is one of the greatest all-time statistically. Through eight games, the Pats are giving up a ridiculous 7.6 points per game (1st) and 234 total yards per game (2nd). To add to that, New England has a whopping +17 turnover ratio. If New England can keep this up, this defense may will this team through the playoffs. As for the San Francisco 49ers, their defense is almost just as good as New England. The biggest impact has been their rookie sensation Nick Bosa, who has seven sacks in seven games. Bosa is the clear favorite for defensive rookie of the year and is one of the young leaders on this defense who leads the league in total yards allowed per game.

Remaining Schedule

In order to go undefeated, you must beat some good teams. For the Patriots, this has not been the case so far. While 8-0 is very good, the only team above .500 that the Pats have played were the Buffalo Bills, where they went on the road and won 16-10. What helps their case is that these games have not been close as the Pats took care of business. Their next five games will be a huge test for New England. They play Baltimore, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, and Kansas City, and there is a good chance we see all these teams fighting for a playoff spot in December. While not as much as a cakewalk, the 49ers have had an easy schedule too. Their two wins against teams over .500 were statement wins, as they dominated the ball against their division foe the Los Angeles Rams for a 20-7 victory and dominating a hot team in Carolina for a 52-13 decisive win. Just like the Patriots, the Niners season is going to get tougher. In their last nine games, six of those nine games are against teams who are currently over .500 (Seahawks 2, Green Bay, Baltimore, Saints, Rams). 

Who has the Edge?

With both teams obviously streaking, either team can do this, but the edge goes to the New England Patriots. To start, the Niners are very good, but they are still very young. New England obviously knows how to win and how to avoid the letdown game. Also, the NFC West is extremely tough, while the AFC East is one of the easiest divisions in the NFL. Both teams are going to have a shot, but the Patriots are still the king of the throne.

Written By: Richie Dordas

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