New England Patriots: 3 X-factor players for Week 7 vs. 49ers

The New England Patriots need these players to step up if they want to beat the 49ers.

When the New England Patriots lost to the Denver Broncos last week, it was both an embarrassing and disappointing performance on epic proportions. Holding a team to six field goals is impressive — unless your team only scores 12 points.

Now the Patriots are 2-3 and third in the AFC East, a division that was their safety blanket for a majority of two decades.

In Week 7 on Sunday, New England will take on the defending NFC Champions and a familiar face at the quarterback position. Jimmy Garoppolo is making his return to Foxborough after being traded deep into the 2017 NFL Season.

Since then, the Patriots have played in two of the last three Super Bowls and notched one victory while the 49ers played in last year’s Big Game and came up short.

Though San Francisco is banged up in several areas, this will be one of the most difficult games on the schedule. Not to mention, the Patriots are dealing with a number of injuries themselves. The defense is still playing hard, yet the deficiencies on the offense have put them in a precarious situation to the point where they have been gassed.

Speaking of the offense, their wide receivers will need to step up in a way that allows Cam Newton to function against a San Francisco defense that, while depleted, is still one of the best in the league.

In truth, the whole team needs to elevate their game, But here are three key players that will be pivotal for New England.