After a good week of practice, the Patriots' mindset is heading into the 49ers' game

Foxboro, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes surrounding the New England Patriots and the NFL:

1. Underclass mentality: Faith was abundant in the Patriots locker room last week, and perhaps nowhere was it more evident than in eight-year veteran defensive tackle Devon Godcheux.

The Patriots, who visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox), are the NFL's biggest Week 4 underdogs. They have a 23% chance of winning according to ESPN Analytics.

Tell the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Godchaux, and he respectfully declines the premise.

“Carolina came to Vegas last week and everyone was saying 'Vegas is going to win this game easily.' Same thing with Washington on 'Monday Night Football' — everyone thought Cincinnati was whipped,” Godchaux said.

“The game still has to be played between lines. I understand, people have to make lines, bets and all that. But it doesn't matter what anybody else says. What matters is what the team believes — three stages, and 11 people. Those who are on the field at that moment.”

Godchaux, 29, said the Patriots are closer to the team that beat the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 in Week 1 and narrowly lost to the Seattle Seahawks 23-20 in overtime in Week 2. He pointed to holding the Bengals to 70 rushing yards and the Seahawks to 46 as examples of what the unit is capable of producing.

What happened last week in Thursday night's 24-3 shutout loss to the New York Jets wasn't reflective of the team — and specifically, the defense — he says he believes the Patriots truly are. The Jets totaled 133 rushing yards and 281 through the air.

“We had too many missed tackles. Too many missed tackles. Out of character by us,” he said. “Give [touchdown] pass [Aaron] Rodgers throws Allen Lazard near the goal line, we miss the tackle in the corner. These are things we need to get better at. And we are better than that.

“Don't make an excuse for a short week. But we were 6-7 [tackles for a loss] Where we just missed running backs or receiver tackles. We need to be good at basics first. I think once we do that we'll be fine.”

The 49ers face a challenging team for a defense — one that blew seven ends and allowed Rodgers to escape the pocket last week — looking to return to its fundamental roots. “San Fran wants you out of bounds so they can hit home runs. Get out of your rush lane. You shouldn't be out of bounds in your pass rush,” Godchaux said.

“Brock Purdy's a really good scrambler; doesn't get a lot of credit but he's really athletic. So we've just got to stay at home, set the edge of the defense, make them cut the ball. And when they cut it our tackle last week against the Jets. To do, it was very frustrating because we were like, 'Why are we so many?'

The recent performance has few giving the Patriots a chance to upset the 49ers, and perhaps explains why coach Jerrod Mayo discussed unexpected results across the league with players on Monday when he returned from a three-day layoff.

“I tried to put some things in perspective,” Mayo said. “You have a team that's picked to win the Super Bowl and get blown out next week. Right now it's about who can get better the fastest. That's what we have to do — get back to the basics.”

Godchaux said the Patriots responded with their two best practices of the year — first Monday and then in full pads on what defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington called “a workday Wednesday” when they “brought out their hard hats” and focused on run defense. — which is why his faith remains high.

2. No Brady at 5 weeks: Barring an unexpected change in the coming days, Tom Brady is not scheduled to work the Patriots' Week 5 home game against the Dolphins, which will be broadcast on Fox. A source familiar with his schedule expects him to call the Cardinals-49ers game.

With no Fox doubleheader in Week 5, the possibility of Brady returning to his longtime home at Gillette Stadium to call the Patriots-Dolphins game may have been considered a few weeks ago. But once the Dolphins lost quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion, and the Patriots lost to the Jets in a nationally televised Week 3, it took some of the national luster away from the matchup.

Patriots ruled out LT Vederian Lowe (knee), reserve-turning-starting LG Michael Jordan (ankle) and reserve CB Alex Austin (ankle).

4 QUESTIONABLE: CB Jonathan Jones (shoulder), OLB Anfernee Jennings (shoulder), OT Caden Wallace (knee), LG CD Sow (ankle).

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 27, 2024

3. Mother Update: A lingering question is how close rookie quarterback Drake May, who is getting 30% of the first-team reps in practice in addition to playing on the scout team, can take over as QB1.

Mayo reiterated this week that the team has no plans to bring in a veteran quarterback, reinforcing that he and executive director of player personnel Elliott Wolfe would be comfortable moving back to Mayo now that veteran Jacoby Brissett is injured.

At this point, Brissett has done nothing to lose his job and is a team captain. He's taken a pounding behind blitz pickup from shaky offensive line play and running backs. But Maye, who Mayo said was building a charge at the end of preseason, continues to make progress behind the scenes.

“Really good,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said of how Maye looked in practice. “I think the experience of playing [in Week 3] It will only help him move forward. The plan is right and I think we're seeing him grow on the training ground as well.”

Outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins also mentioned Mayer's work with the scout team.

“The thing that's impressive is, when we have those scout-team meetings, he wants to know every detail and how that quarterback works,” he said. “He has such a good understanding of different schemes, and what guys are doing, it seems like he's been around a long time and seen a lot of offenses and quarterbacks. I think he's unique in that way. It's not something that's very common. In the league, people who are conscientious about their defense. Want to know about the rules [scout] Teams are rare attributes.”

4. Keion's motivation: The 49ers have turned third-year running back Jordan Mason with Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve. Second-year Patriots defensive lineman Keon White knows him well from their time together at Georgia Tech and said he keeps in touch with Mason.

Mason went undrafted in 2022, as he was spending time with Jahmir Gibbs in college, and he faced challenges this season with 67 carries, 324 yards and 2 TDs totaling his first NFL opportunity as a starter. “He's always had the power. It's an opportunity,” White said. “He knows I'm going to try to tackle him extra hard, but it's all love.”

5. Appearance of Barmore: Defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who is on injured reserve after suffering a blood clot in July, has been spending time around the team of late. Center David Andrews called him the funniest player in the locker room, and that may explain why Mayo put him in charge of the “Friday Funny.”

“It's like 30-seconds [or] A one-minute clip to make the boys laugh,” Mayo explained, while adding: “I think it's important for him to be in the building. Idle mind, sitting at home all the time, it is nothing but suffering.”

Mayo said Barmore has not been cleared by doctors at this time, and it sounds like he doesn't expect that to change in the near future.

6. Strange conditions: Third-year offensive lineman Cole Strange, who tore the patellar tendon in his left knee last December and is on the physically unable to perform list, was a consistent presence in the locker room during access to reporters this past week.

Although Strange is eligible to start practice next week, my observation is that is not currently on the radar. One likely scenario is that others on the PUP list — receiver Kendrick Bourne, linebacker Sione Takitaki and possibly safety/linebacker Marte Mapu — start practicing.

7. They said it: “It's like yelling at your child. You love the guy and he does the right thing most of the time, but it's a problem and you have to sit down and work it out. He's more embarrassed about it than anybody else. He's a proud guy.” — Van Pelt, Ramondre Stevenson has suffered in each of the first three games

8. Ximines Update: Reserve outside linebacker and key special-teamer Oceane Jimenas, who veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones predicted would be a breakout performer this season, suffered a torn ACL after being injured in a Week 2 game in punt coverage, according to a team source.

Thus, Ximines' timeline for recovery will not allow him to return to the team this season. The current plan is to wait for the swelling to subside before scheduling surgery.

9. Did you know, Part I: Through Week 3 games, Joe Cardona leads all NFL long snappers with three tackles His career high in a season is four (in 2017). Since 2000, the most tackles by a long snapper in a season is 12 — Zach Doce of the Giants in 2008.

10. Did You Know, Part II: If the Patriots lose to the 49ers and fall to 1-3, it will be the fourth straight season the team has lost its first four games — the longest streak in franchise history.